MetricFlow
8.1#1 in semantic layer softwareFrom $100 a monthFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitMetricFlow vs Sema
What both publish
| Fact | MetricFlow | Sema |
|---|---|---|
| API | The hosted Semantic Layer exposes GraphQL and JDBC interfaces for metric queries. | The roadmap lists a developers API using workspace-scoped keys, and the product states that governed definitions resolve through an API. |
| Founded | 2016 | 2025 |
| Integrations | Official documentation lists downstream integrations including Tableau, Hex, Dot, Mode, and Google Sheets. | 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. |
| Licence | MetricFlow versions 0.209.0 and newer use Apache 2.0; earlier releases used AGPL or BSL licensing. | The EULA grants a limited, non-exclusive internal-use subscription licence and prohibits copying, modification, redistribution and reverse engineering; it is not an open-source licence. |
| Security | dbt Labs reports ISO certifications, a SOC 2 Type II examination, and GDPR compliance for dbt. | 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. |
MetricFlow plans
- DeveloperFree
- MetricFlowFree
- Starter$100 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Enterprise+Priced on request
Sema plans
- SandboxFree
- Pro$49 a month
- Business$99 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
Pick MetricFlow if…
MetricFlow may suit data teams that use dbt and want to define reusable metrics and generate SQL across dimensions. It requires a working dbt project and adapter.
Pick Sema if…
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.