Alteryx vs Redash

Alteryx is a commercial, no-code data analytics platform with a visual drag-and-drop workflow canvas for data blending, predictive and spatial analytics, and…

Best for Alteryx: Data and business analysts needing a no-code visual canvas for advanced data blending, predictive modeling (regression, clustering), and spatial analytics (geocoding, drive-time analysis), backed by enterprise scheduling and governance via Alteryx Server, and able to justify list prices around $5,195/user/year.
Best for Redash: Teams comfortable writing SQL who want a free, self-hosted way to query multiple SQL, NoSQL, and API-based data sources and build shareable dashboards without licensing cost, and who can accept that the project has been in maintenance mode under Databricks since 2020.

At a Glance

 AlteryxRedash
Primary categoryBusiness IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFree trial + paid plansFree and open source for self-hosted deployments; the original hosted Redash Cloud service was discontinued by Databricks in 2021.
Starting priceList price around $5,195/user/year for Alteryx Designer; enterprise deployments are quoted individuallyFree (self-hosted, open source)
Free planNot documentedNot documented
Free trialYesNot documented
PlatformsWeb, WindowsNot documented
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresYesNot documented
Public APIYesYes

Key Differences

Price & Licensing

Alteryx: Alteryx is quote-based with a historical list price around $5,195/user/year for Designer alone, and offers no permanent free tier for production use, only trials.

Redash: Redash is fully free and open source with no licensing cost, self-hosted only since Redash Cloud was discontinued in November 2021.

The cost gap between the two is enormous, which matters heavily for budget-constrained teams versus enterprises with dedicated analytics budgets.

No-Code vs. SQL-First

Alteryx: Alteryx uses a visual drag-and-drop workflow canvas so non-programmers can blend and prepare data without writing code, while still supporting embedded SQL, Python, or R for advanced users.

Redash: Redash is built around a SQL editor with schema browsing and click-to-insert query building, requiring SQL knowledge to use effectively.

Teams without dedicated SQL/data engineering skills need a no-code option, while SQL-fluent teams can move faster with a query-first tool.

Advanced Analytics Built In

Alteryx: Alteryx bundles predictive and statistical analytics tools (regression, clustering) and spatial analytics (geocoding, drive-time analysis, location-based joins) directly into the same workflow canvas used for everyday data prep.

Redash: Redash does not document predictive or spatial analytics; it is focused on querying and visualizing existing data rather than modeling it.

Teams needing statistical modeling or location analysis without a separate stats package need that capability built into the same tool.

Ongoing Development & Maintenance Status

Alteryx: Alteryx is an actively sold, actively developed commercial product, expanding with Alteryx Server, Analytics Cloud, and AI-assisted features like Auto Insights.

Redash: Redash has been in maintenance mode since its 2020 Databricks acquisition, with infrequent releases and a read-only community forum, and its hosted Redash Cloud service was shut down in November 2021.

A tool's development pace affects how quickly bugs get fixed and new capabilities (like AI features) appear.

Governance & Automation at Scale

Alteryx: Alteryx Server provides scheduling, sharing, and governance of workflows across an organization, backed by the Alteryx Connect data catalog for discovering and reusing prior work.

Redash: Redash offers scheduled refresh and dashboard sharing/alerting, but no documented equivalent to a workflow data catalog or enterprise governance layer.

Larger organizations need centralized governance and discoverability as the number of workflows and dashboards grows.

Feature-by-Feature

Data Prep & Analytics

FeatureAlteryxRedash
No-code visual workflow canvasAvailableUnavailable
SQL query editorNot documentedAvailable
Data blending from multiple sourcesAvailableAvailable
Predictive/statistical analytics (regression, clustering)AvailableUnavailable
Spatial/location analyticsAvailableUnavailable

Deployment & Pricing

FeatureAlteryxRedash
Free tier for production useUnavailableAvailable
Self-hostingNot documentedAvailable
Hosted/cloud versionAvailableUnavailable
Published pricingUnavailableAvailable

Automation & Governance

FeatureAlteryxRedash
Scheduled workflow/refresh automationAvailableAvailable
Data catalog / asset discoveryAvailableUnavailable
AI-assisted insight generationAvailableUnavailable
Active ongoing developmentAvailableLimited

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Alteryx

Alteryx Designer — Contact sales (list price historically around $5,195/user/year) annual
Alteryx Server — Contact sales annual
Alteryx Analytics Cloud — Contact sales annual

Redash

Self-Hosted Open Source — Free (infrastructure hosting costs typically $5 to $10/month) N/A
Third-Party Managed Hosting — From approximately $49/month Monthly

Pros & Cons

Alteryx

Pros

  • Broad data source connectivity and strong data preparation automation
  • Low-code interface makes advanced analytics accessible to non-programmers
  • Established enterprise vendor with a long operating history since 1997
  • Deep integrations with major cloud and enterprise data platforms

Cons

  • No public self-serve pricing; requires contacting sales for a quote
  • Primarily built for enterprise scale, which may be more than smaller teams need
  • Full platform capabilities likely require training given its breadth of features

Redash

Pros

  • Completely free to self-host with no licensing cost
  • Broad database and data source connector support
  • Simple, SQL-first workflow familiar to analysts
  • Large existing community and long GitHub history
  • Backed historically by well-known companies as users, including Atlassian and Mozilla

Cons

  • The original hosted Redash Cloud service was shut down by Databricks in November 2021
  • Development has slowed to roughly one release per year since the acquisition
  • Self-hosting requires infrastructure setup and ongoing maintenance
  • Feature development has lagged behind actively developed alternatives like Metabase and Superset
  • No official commercial support channel independent of the community

Use Cases

Choose Alteryx: Data and business analysts needing a no-code visual canvas for advanced data blending, predictive modeling (regression, clustering), and spatial analytics (geocoding, drive-time analysis), backed by enterprise scheduling and governance via Alteryx Server, and able to justify list prices around $5,195/user/year.
Choose Redash: Teams comfortable writing SQL who want a free, self-hosted way to query multiple SQL, NoSQL, and API-based data sources and build shareable dashboards without licensing cost, and who can accept that the project has been in maintenance mode under Databricks since 2020.
Need both: A data team could use Alteryx to blend and prep complex data from disparate sources (spreadsheets, databases, cloud apps) into clean datasets, then push the output into a self-hosted Redash instance for lightweight, no-cost SQL dashboarding and sharing across the wider organization.

Alteryx

  • Enterprise data preparation — Automate cleaning and blending of data from many sources ahead of analysis or reporting.
  • Self-service analytics — Enable business users to explore and analyze data using low-code workflows and natural-language prompts.
  • Analytics governance at scale — Apply role-based access and lineage tracking to analytics workflows across large organizations.

Redash

  • Self-hosted SQL dashboards for small data teams — Running lightweight, self-hosted dashboards without enterprise BI licensing costs.
  • Lightweight BI for startups avoiding enterprise BI licensing costs — Using a free, open-source tool instead of paying for a full commercial BI platform.
  • Legacy Redash deployments maintained by existing users — Continuing to run and maintain existing self-hosted Redash instances after the Databricks acquisition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Redash still actively developed?

No, Redash has been in maintenance mode since Databricks acquired it in 2020, with infrequent releases and a read-only community forum.

Does Alteryx have a free tier?

No, Alteryx does not offer a permanent free tier for production use; it offers a free trial only, while Redash is fully free and open source with no licensing cost.

Do I need to know how to code to use these tools?

Redash requires SQL knowledge to write queries. Alteryx is designed as a no-code visual workflow tool for business and finance analysts, though it also supports embedding SQL, Python, or R code for advanced users who want more control.

Is there a hosted version of Redash?

No, the original Redash Cloud hosted service was discontinued in November 2021; only self-hosting is currently available. Alteryx, by contrast, offers Alteryx Analytics Cloud as a browser-based hosted option.

Which tool has predictive and spatial analytics built in?

Alteryx, which includes built-in predictive/statistical tools (regression, clustering) and spatial analytics (geocoding, drive-time analysis) directly in its workflow canvas. Redash does not document these capabilities.

How large is the price gap between the two?

Very large. Alteryx's Designer product has a historical list price around $5,195 per user per year, sold through custom enterprise quotes, while Redash is entirely free and open source to self-host.

Read the full Alteryx review · Read the full Redash review