Lightdash

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Lightdash

A curated collection of the 3 best self hosted alternatives to Lightdash.

Open-source BI and metrics layer with a hosted cloud option. Connects to modern data warehouses and dbt, enabling teams to define metrics in code, explore data, build dashboards and share reports without moving data.

Alternatives List

#1
Metabase

Metabase

Metabase is an open-source BI and embedded analytics tool for querying databases, building dashboards, and sharing reports with permissions, alerts, and embedding.

Metabase screenshot

Metabase is an open-source business intelligence and embedded analytics platform that sits on top of your databases and lets people explore data, create visualizations, and share insights. It supports both no-code querying for non-technical users and SQL for advanced analysis.

Key Features

  • Visual query builder for exploring data without writing SQL
  • Native SQL editor for complex queries and reusable questions
  • Interactive dashboards with filters, drill-downs, and sharing options
  • Alerts and scheduled subscriptions (email/Slack) for dashboards and questions
  • Data modeling features such as semantic models, metrics, and segments
  • Embedded analytics via iframe embedding and an SDK for React
  • Permissions, groups, and authentication integrations for controlled access

Use Cases

  • Company-wide self-serve analytics on top of a production database or warehouse
  • KPI dashboards and recurring reporting for teams like finance, product, and ops
  • Customer-facing analytics embedded into SaaS products

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some advanced capabilities (for example certain governance and enterprise features) are available only in commercial editions

Metabase is well-suited for teams that want fast, approachable analytics without building a custom reporting stack. It can scale from simple internal dashboards to embedded, multi-user analytics with access controls.

45.6kstars
6.2kforks
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#2
Emoncms

Emoncms

Open-source web app to collect, process, store, and visualize energy, temperature, and other environmental time-series data with dashboards, graphs, and an API.

Emoncms screenshot

Emoncms is an open-source web application for processing, logging, and visualizing energy, temperature, and other environmental sensor data. It is part of the OpenEnergyMonitor ecosystem and is commonly used to build local energy monitoring and reporting systems.

Key Features

  • Input processing pipeline to transform, scale, filter, and route incoming measurements into stored feeds
  • Time-series feed storage optimized for sensor data logging, including built-in PHP-based engines (e.g., PHPFina and PHPTimeSeries)
  • Dashboards and advanced graphing via modular components (dashboard and graph modules)
  • HTTP API for posting data and querying feeds for integration with external devices and systems
  • Optional Redis buffering and processing to reduce disk writes and support certain input processors
  • CSV export and tools for backups/imports depending on installed modules

Use Cases

  • Home and building energy monitoring (electricity, solar PV, heat, hot water)
  • Logging and visualization of temperature, humidity, and other environmental metrics
  • Creating shareable dashboards for energy and sustainability reporting

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some features and workflows depend on optional modules and background workers; deployments without Redis may have reduced functionality for certain processors
  • Official installation guidance and testing focus on Linux environments (notably Debian/Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi OS)

Emoncms is a practical choice when you need a customizable, self-managed platform to ingest sensor readings, store them as time series, and present them through dashboards and graphs. Its API- and module-driven design makes it suitable for both DIY monitoring setups and more integrated energy data systems.

1.3kstars
529forks
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#3
Edalitics

Edalitics

Edalitics is a metadata-driven analytics and dashboard platform (TypeScript/Node.js/Angular) offering no-code dashboards, advanced SQL mode, KPIs, email alerts and RLS.

Edalitics (EDA) is an open-source, metadata-driven analytics and dashboard platform designed to make data exploration and visualization accessible to non-technical users while providing advanced features for analysts. It pairs a TypeScript/Node.js backend with an Angular frontend and stores metadata and configuration in MongoDB.

Key Features

  • No-code dashboard and report creation with a responsive, modern UI
  • Advanced SQL query mode for power users to build custom queries
  • Tree-mode data model explorer to navigate logical data models
  • KPI definitions and automated e-mail alerts for monitoring
  • Public dashboards shareable via URL for read-only access
  • Row Level Security (RLS) to restrict data access per user or role
  • Metadata and configuration stored in MongoDB
  • Official Docker image and deploy templates (Helm/docker) for quick deployment

Use Cases

  • Business intelligence and executive dashboards for product, sales, or operations teams
  • Self-service reporting for non-technical stakeholders with an option for SQL-based custom reports
  • KPI monitoring and automated alerting for operational or business metrics

Limitations and Considerations

  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, which may impose obligations for commercial redistribution or embedding in proprietary systems
  • Metadata storage relies on MongoDB; organizations that prefer relational metadata stores may need adaptation
  • Connector and integration coverage may be narrower than mature commercial BI platforms; advanced integrations can require additional configuration or development

Edalitics provides a lightweight, metadata-first approach to building dashboards and reports with a balance of no-code tooling and SQL power features. It is suited for teams that want fast self-service analytics with built-in KPI alerting and access controls.

176stars
25forks
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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running