No. 7 of 28 ·Semantic Layer Software

MetricFlow

Self-hosted · API

Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.2

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely0 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

MetricFlow is ranked #7 of 28 in semantic layer software on Freedom251. It runs on API, Self-hosted. There is a free plan.

MetricFlow plans and pricing

All plans

MetricFlow Free Apache 2.0 licensed · requires a working dbt project and dbt adapter github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on semantic layer software

Dimensions and joins: Yes
Deployment model: self_hosted

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The record

Purpose: MetricFlow defines and manages metric logic and generates SQL for querying metrics across data dimensions.
Definitions: Metrics and semantic models can be defined in YAML files in a dbt project.
Metric types: Supported metric types include conversion, cumulative, derived, ratio, and simple metrics.
Joins: MetricFlow uses entity types and parameters to construct joins and avoid fan-out and chasm joins.
Supported data platforms: The documentation lists Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, Postgres for dbt v1 only, and Redshift.
dbt compatibility: MetricFlow is compatible with dbt version 1.6 and higher.
Notable limitation: MetricFlow does not currently support dbt built-in functions or packages.
License and installation: MetricFlow is distributed under Apache 2.0 and can be installed from PyPI with `pip install dbt-metricflow`.
Requirements: Using MetricFlow requires a working dbt project and a dbt adapter.
Integrations: The dbt Semantic Layer, powered by MetricFlow, lists Power BI, Tableau, Google Sheets, Excel, Omni, Hex, Mode, Sigma, and other integrations.
APIs: Custom integrations can use JDBC, ADBC, GraphQL, and the Python SDK library.
Hosted access: The dbt Semantic Layer is listed for dbt Starter, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ plans; the pricing page lists Starter at $100 per user/month.
Security: dbt Labs reports ISO certifications, a SOC 2 Type II examination, and GDPR compliance for dbt.
Maker: MetricFlow is developed and maintained by dbt Labs.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Semantic Layer Software in 2026#7 of 28

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Sources

docs.getdbt.com/docs/build/about-metricflow· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/dbt-labs/metricflow· checked 4 Oct 2026
docs.getdbt.com/docs/platform-integrations/avail-sl-int· checked 4 Oct 2026
getdbt.com/pricing· checked 4 Oct 2026
getdbt.com/security· checked 4 Oct 2026