Sema

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Score6.7

Rank#4 of 28

From$49/mo

Free planYes

Free trialYes

Runs onAPI, Self-hosted, Web

Summary

Sema is a semantic layer for enterprise AI that connects to databases and helps answer business questions in plain English, with governance controls. It represents tables, joins, metrics, and business terms in a typed graph; verified inferred joins can be reused in later answers. When responding, Sema can ask clarifying questions, show the SQL and graph nodes it used, and choose a chart. Users can save and schedule email reports and set scheduled alerts for metric thresholds or deviations. Available connectors include PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and SQLAlchemy URIs; ClickHouse and Amazon Redshift are in beta, while SQL Server, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, and dbt metadata are on the roadmap. Sema can run in a customer's VPC or its own environment, and its self-hosted Kubernetes option uses Helm with customer-provided Postgres and object storage. Security features include encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access, restricted-column masking, workspace isolation, and an append-only log. The free Sandbox includes one connector, one user, and 100 chat queries per month, but excludes scheduled delivery and alerts.

Who it is for

Sema suits enterprise and regulated teams, including those working with warehouses that contain thousands of tables. Teams that need governance controls or deployment in their own VPC may also find its deployment options relevant.

What is good

Clarifying questions and visible SQL for answers
Reusable verified joins in a typed graph
Scheduled reports and metric alerts
Supports self-hosting with Kubernetes and Helm

What to know first

Sandbox limited to one connector and one user
Sandbox has 100 chat queries per month
Sandbox excludes scheduled delivery and alerts
Pro requires at least three seats at 49.00 USD per month

Verdict

Sema combines business-language data queries with a semantic graph, reporting, and governance features. Its free Sandbox has tight usage limits, while Pro starts at 49.00 USD per month with a three-seat minimum.

Sema plans and pricing

All plans

Sandbox Free Free forever 1 connector · 1 user · 100 chat queries/month · 5 saved reports · no scheduled delivery · no alerts or signals · “Powered by Sema” on embeds semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026

Pro $49/mo $49/user/mo Minimum 3 seats · 14-day trial · unlimited connectors and chat · unlimited reports, schedules, alerts, and signals · RBAC and audit log · email support semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026

Business $99/mo $99/user/mo Minimum 10 seats · everything in Pro · SSO and advanced governance (Compliance Agent — V2) · AI eval harness and federated joins (V2) · priority support · 99.9% SLA semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026

Enterprise Not published Contact annual Everything in Business · SAML/SCIM · custom DPA · BYOK encryption · on-prem option (Helm) · SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR evidence packs · named CSM · 99.95% SLA semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026

Compared on semantic layer software

Free plan: Yessemalayer.com
Governed metrics: Yessemalayer.com
Dimensions and joins: Yessemalayer.com
Row-level security: Yessemalayer.com
Query API: Yessemalayer.com
Deployment model: hybridsemalayer.com

Facts

Product: Sema is a semantic layer for enterprise AI that connects databases, infers data meaning, and answers business questions in plain English with governance.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Querying: Sema asks clarifying questions, shows the SQL it ran and graph nodes traversed, and automatically selects a chart for the answer.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Semantic graph: Tables, joins, metrics, and business terms are represented in a typed graph, and verified inferred joins can be reused by future answers.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Reports and alerts: Users can save and schedule reports for email delivery, and create scheduled threshold or deviation alerts on metrics.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Security: Sema says it uses TLS in transit and encryption at rest, role-based access, restricted-column masking, workspace isolation, and an append-only log of queries, plans, and configuration changes.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Compliance: Sema’s trust page says SOC 2 Type II is in progress, GDPR-ready data processing terms are available, and HIPAA support with a BAA is available for eligible plans on request.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Deployment: Sema says it can run in the customer’s VPC or its own environment; its self-hosted Kubernetes deployment uses a Helm chart and customer-provided Postgres and object storage.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Integrations: Sema describes its capabilities as MCP tools for use with Claude, Cursor, or an in-house agent, and supports OAuth2/OIDC identity providers including Okta, Entra, Auth0, and Google Workspace.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Limits: The free Sandbox includes one connector, one user, 100 chat queries per month, five saved reports, and no scheduled delivery, alerts, or signals.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Support: The Pro plan includes email support, Business includes priority support, and Enterprise includes a named customer success manager.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Audience: Sema describes itself as built for enterprise and regulated teams, and its About page says it is designed for warehouses with thousands of tables.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026
Company: Sema says it was founded in 2025 and is remote-first.semalayer.com · 2 Oct 2026