Business Intelligence Software · Reporting
Redash
by Redash
An open-source, SQL-first query and dashboard tool. The hosted service was retired, so self-hosting is the only route.
What it is
Redash is unapologetically SQL-first: write a query, save it, chart it, assemble charts into a dashboard. For teams comfortable in SQL who want queries shared and scheduled rather than pasted into chat, it is a small, clear tool that does exactly that, under a BSD-2-Clause licence.
One fact dominates any evaluation: there is no vendor-hosted option. Redash's own end-of-life notice records that the hosted service at app.redash.io shut down on 30 November 2021, with no new sign-ups, after Databricks acquired the company and chose to focus on Databricks SQL. The same notice points everyone else at the open-source release to host themselves. Note that the marketing copy still on the Redash homepage describes a "cloud based service", which is stale; there is no sign-up behind it.
The project is, however, genuinely alive. Checking the repository on 7 November 2026, the current release is v26.9.0 from 24 September 2026, and its notes describe security fixes and a new data source. The pattern over recent years is roughly two releases a year, which is slower than any commercially backed competitor here but is not abandonment. One practical wrinkle: the published cloud machine images lag well behind, so Docker is the deployment route to plan on.
Capabilities
Each capability carries its own verification status. “Not verified” means exactly that: it has not been checked, and must not be read as absent.
| Capability | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive dashboards Dashboards users can filter and drill into rather than static images. | Yes | source |
| Data visualisation The chart library and formatting control available to authors. | Yes | source |
| Scheduled reporting Reports generated and distributed on a timetable. | Yes | source |
| Data connectivity Breadth of native connectors to databases and services. | Yes | source |
| Role-based access control Permissions by role, including row-level restriction. | Yes | source |
| Free self-hosted edition A no-licence-cost edition you can run on your own infrastructure. | Yes | source |
| Self-service analytics Business users building their own analysis without a developer. | No | source |
| Data modelling A governed semantic layer defining measures and relationships. | No | source |
| Vendor-managed cloud A hosted service operated by the vendor, so you do not run it yourself. | No | source |
| Paginated and pixel-perfect reporting Fixed-layout output for statutory, regulatory or print reporting. | No | source |
| Planning and budgeting Forecasting and budget entry in the same product as the reporting. | No | source |
| Native dbt metric integration Reads models and metrics directly from a dbt project rather than a separate modelling layer. | No | source |
| Associative exploration engine Selections re-evaluate the whole dataset and reveal excluded, unrelated values. | No | source |
| Embedded analytics Charts and dashboards surfaced inside another application. | Not verified | |
| AI-assisted analytics Natural-language query or generated insight features. | Not verified | |
| Mobile access A supported mobile app or responsive consumption experience. | Not verified | |
| Usage or session-based reader licensing Readers charged by use rather than per seat, which changes the cost of a large occasional audience. | Not verified |
Deployment
| Model | Supported |
|---|---|
| Cloud (vendor hosted) | No |
| On-premises / self-hosted | Yes |
| Hybrid | No |
Integrations
Databases
Data warehouses
Licensing and pricing
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Licensing model | Open source |
| Free version | Yes |
| Trial available | No |
| Published price | Contact vendor for pricing |
| Note | No licence cost; the project is BSD-2-Clause licensed. There is no vendor-hosted option: Redash's own end-of-life notice states the hosted service at app.redash.io shut down on 30 November 2021 with no new sign-ups, and directs users to self-host. Verified against that notice and the repository on 7 November 2026. |
| Official pricing page | Vendor pricing |
| Pricing last checked | 7 November 2026 |
Prices move and discounting is common. Treat anything here as a starting point and confirm with the vendor before budgeting.
Strengths and limitations
Limitations
- The vendor-hosted service shut down on 30 November 2021 and takes no new sign-ups, so self-hosting is the documented route. verified source
- Releases come roughly twice a year, far slower than any commercially backed competitor here. verified source
- The published cloud machine images lag the current release, so Docker is the practical deployment path. verified source
- Requires SQL, so it is not a self-service tool for business users. editorial
- No commercial support relationship is available. editorial
Who it suits
Organisation sizes: Small, Medium
Small, SQL-fluent engineering teams wanting lightweight shared queries and dashboards at no licence cost, with the capability to host it.
Not suitable for non-technical self-service, nor where vendor support or an active roadmap is required.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Yes, though slowly. Checked on 7 November 2026, the latest release was v26.9.0 on 24 September 2026, carrying security fixes and a new data source, and the pattern over recent years is about two releases a year. That is maintenance rather than active product development, so judge it against how long you expect to depend on the tool.
Redash's own end-of-life notice states the hosted service at app.redash.io was shut down on 30 November 2021, that no new sign-ups were allowed, and that customer data would be deleted within thirty days. Databricks, which had acquired the company, directed its own customers to Databricks SQL and everyone else to the self-hosted open-source release. The homepage still carries older copy referring to a cloud service; there is no sign-up behind it.
Docker. The setup documentation also lists AWS and Google Compute Engine images, but those are pinned to a much older version than the current release, so the container image is the route that tracks releases.
Sources and review basis
- Evaluation basis: vendor documentation and public sources, not hands-on testing
- Last reviewed: 7 November 2026
- Vendor: Redash
- Documentation: Official docs
References
- Redash product site accessed 7 November 2026
- Redash documentation accessed 7 November 2026
- Redash pricing page accessed 7 November 2026
Disclosure
Alongside advisory work I also build a CMMS and CAFM platform, so I have a commercial interest in enterprise software generally. No vendor in this directory has paid for inclusion, placement or wording, and there are no reseller or affiliate arrangements. Weigh the analysis accordingly.
Evaluating Redash?
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At a glance
- Vendor
Redash - Category
Business Intelligence Software - Primary use
Reporting - Deployment
On-premises - Licensing
Open source - Status
Active