Metabase
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool that enables users to easily create dashboards, generate reports, and ask questions about their data without needing to write SQL queries. It provides a user-friendly interface that allows data exploration and visualization, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. Metabase connects to various databases and data warehouses, offering robust analytics capabilities.
Metabase + MotherDuck
Metabase integrates with MotherDuck by connecting directly to the MotherDuck cloud data warehouse. Users can leverage Metabase's intuitive interface to query, visualize, and analyze data stored in MotherDuck, taking advantage of DuckDB's fast analytical query performance. This integration allows seamless data exploration and reporting, enabling efficient data-driven decision-making.
Customer Success Stories
Startups build self-serve analytics with Metabase and MotherDuck:
- Reflex uses Metabase for business intelligence and reporting, achieving robust analytics capabilities without expensive enterprise BI tools.
FAQS
How do I connect Metabase to MotherDuck?
In Metabase Admin Settings, select DuckDB as the database type, enter md:[database_name] in the Database file field, paste your MotherDuck authentication token, and enable old_implicit_casting for proper datetime filtering. Note: You need a self-hosted Metabase installation since Metabase Cloud doesn't support custom drivers yet. See our Metabase documentation for the full setup guide.
What are the prerequisites for using Metabase with DuckDB/MotherDuck?
You need: a self-hosted Metabase installation (Cloud doesn't support custom drivers), the DuckDB driver JAR installed in your Metabase plugins directory, admin access to your Metabase instance, and a valid MotherDuck token for cloud connections. Metabase must be restarted after adding or upgrading the driver plugin.
Can I use Metabase Cloud with MotherDuck?
Currently, Metabase Cloud doesn't support custom drivers like the DuckDB driver, so you'll need a self-hosted Metabase installation to connect to MotherDuck. You can deploy Metabase using Docker with the DuckDB driver bundled, or manually install the driver on an existing self-hosted instance.
How do I install the DuckDB driver for Metabase?
There are three options: 1) Docker - build a Dockerfile bundling Metabase with the DuckDB driver, 2) Manual - download the driver JAR and place it in your plugins directory, or 3) Remote SSH - download directly to a server's plugins folder. After installation, restart Metabase as hot-reload isn't supported.
