Mode Analytics was acquired by ThoughtSpot in July 2023 for $200 million. If you've been tracking what happened since, here's the short version: Mode no longer exists as an independent product. ThoughtSpot absorbed Mode's capabilities — SQL notebooks, Python and R workbench, collaborative analysis — into a new offering called Analyst Studio, which became generally available in early 2025 for ThoughtSpot Cloud customers.
If you're searching for Mode alternatives, you're not dealing with uncertainty about an acquired product's future roadmap. That question is settled. Mode is ThoughtSpot now. The migration decision isn't whether to leave — it's where to go.
This post covers the honest options, matched to the different use cases Mode users actually had.
What Mode Was — And Who Used It
Understanding Mode's original use case matters for picking the right replacement. Mode wasn't a traditional BI tool for business users. It was a code-first analytics platform for data analysts and data scientists: SQL workbench, Python and R notebooks, collaborative report building, and visualization on top of query results. The typical Mode user was technical — comfortable writing complex SQL, familiar with Python or R, and working in close collaboration with a data team.
Mode's strengths: flexible code-first exploration, a clean collaborative interface, strong SQL tooling, and good visualization on top of query output. Its weaknesses: required significant technical proficiency, no row-level security, white-label without custom domain support, and enterprise pricing with no published rates ($6,000–$50,000+ annually based on market estimates, average contracts reportedly around $137,000/year).
The right replacement depends heavily on which part of Mode you actually used. Code-first SQL exploration is a different need from business-user dashboard delivery.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | RLS | White-label | Code-first? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DashboardFox | Business-user dashboard delivery | $99/mo cloud · $4,995 one-time | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans | ✗ No-code |
| ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio | Mode direct successor, enterprise | Custom enterprise | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ SQL/Python/R |
| Apache Superset | Technical teams, free open source | Free (self-hosted) | ✓ (config required) | ✓ | ✓ SQL-first |
| Metabase | Internal analytics, accessible UI | Free OSS · $575/mo Pro | Pro only | ✗ | Partial |
| Redash | Lightweight SQL queries | Free (self-hosted) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ SQL-first |
| Looker | Enterprise governed analytics | Custom enterprise | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ LookML |
What Happened to Mode: ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio
For teams evaluating whether to stay within the ThoughtSpot ecosystem, Analyst Studio is the direct successor. It incorporates Mode's notebook-style, code-first capabilities — SQL, Python, R — alongside ThoughtSpot's AI-powered search and self-service analytics for business users. The pitch is a unified platform that serves both the data team (code-first) and business users (natural language search and Liveboards).
Whether that unified pitch delivers depends on your organization's actual use pattern. ThoughtSpot is an enterprise platform with enterprise pricing — no published rates, custom contracts, typically six figures annually for mid-to-large deployments. If Mode's cost was already a concern, ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio is unlikely to be a step down in price.
Where it fits: Organizations that were already using Mode primarily for the data team layer and want to stay in a single platform that also delivers self-service analytics to business users. Teams already evaluating ThoughtSpot independently.
Where it fits less well: Teams that used Mode primarily for SQL exploration and don't need ThoughtSpot's broader platform. Organizations where cost is a primary driver of the switch.
1. DashboardFox — For Mode Users Who Need Business-User Dashboards, Not Code-First Notebooks
DashboardFox is our product, so context noted up front. The honest fit assessment: DashboardFox is not a replacement for Mode's code-first SQL notebook and data science workflow. If your team used Mode primarily for Python/R analysis and collaborative SQL exploration, DashboardFox doesn't replicate that.
Where DashboardFox is a strong Mode replacement: organizations that used Mode primarily for dashboard delivery and reporting to business stakeholders — executives, department heads, client-facing views. Mode's SQL-first architecture meant that business users couldn't build their own reports; the data team built everything. DashboardFox removes that bottleneck with a drag-and-drop report builder that requires no SQL knowledge.
Pricing: Cloud MAU-based — $99/mo (5 MAU), $249/mo (30 MAU), $499/mo (100 MAU). Self-hosted one-time perpetual license from $4,995. Every plan includes row-level security, white-label branding with custom domain, and unlimited reports and dashboards. No feature gating by tier.
What's meaningfully different from Mode:
- Row-level security included on every plan — Mode had none
- White-label with custom domain — Mode offered white-label without custom domain support
- Business-user self-service — no SQL required to build reports
- MAU pricing rather than annual enterprise contracts — predictable, published costs
- Self-hosted option — Mode was cloud-only
Where it fits well: Teams migrating off Mode who primarily delivered dashboards and reports to business users. Organizations that need row-level security for multi-department or client-facing data. Teams replacing Mode's dashboard layer while keeping separate tooling for deep data science work.
Where it doesn't fit: Teams that relied heavily on Mode's SQL notebooks, Python/R workbench, or collaborative data science workflow. DashboardFox is a BI dashboard platform, not a data science environment.
Start a free DashboardFox trial → · See full pricing →
2. Apache Superset — Free, Code-Friendly, High Maintenance
Apache Superset is the closest free alternative for Mode's SQL-first, code-comfortable audience. It has a SQL Lab for direct querying, broad database connectivity, and a rich chart library. Technical teams who were comfortable managing Mode's environment will find Superset's approach familiar — complex queries, custom visualizations, and direct database access are all first-class citizens.
The trade-off is infrastructure overhead. Superset requires Docker-based deployment, meaningful engineering work to set up properly in production (Redis, reverse proxy, SSL, database backend), and ongoing maintenance. Community-only support. Upgrades between versions have historically caused breakage.
Best fit: Data engineering teams who want free, code-first SQL exploration and have the technical capacity to manage deployment and maintenance. Organizations already running a modern data stack (dbt, Airflow) where Superset fits naturally.
Where it falls short: Teams without dedicated engineering resources. Business-user self-service without SQL. Organizations that need commercial support.
3. Metabase — More Accessible Than Mode, Cheaper Than ThoughtSpot
Metabase occupies a middle ground: more accessible than Mode for non-technical users (visual query builder, no SQL required for basic reports), less powerful for code-first analysts. If your team used Mode primarily because your data team was building reports that business users then consumed, Metabase's more guided interface may actually be an upgrade for the business-user layer.
The pricing structure: open-source self-hosted is free. Metabase Pro is $575/month flat — that's the tier where row-level security and SSO unlock. White-label is not available on any standard Metabase plan. For organizations where client-facing branded dashboards were part of the Mode use case, this is a significant gap.
Best fit: Internal analytics teams where all users see the same data, technical staff can manage Docker-based deployment, and white-label isn't required.
Where it falls short: Any deployment requiring row-level security without paying $575/month. White-label delivery. Windows Server environments.
See our full Metabase comparison →
4. Redash — Lightweight SQL Tooling, Nothing More
If what you valued most about Mode was the SQL workbench — fast query iteration, simple visualizations, dashboard sharing — Redash is worth evaluating. It's open-source, lightweight, and focused specifically on SQL-based querying and simple dashboards. Faster to deploy than Superset, simpler to maintain, and honest about its scope.
The limitations are real: no row-level security, no white-label, no Python or R notebooks, and development has slowed significantly since Databricks acquired it. It's maintained but not actively developed as a full platform. For a lean SQL query and dashboard tool for internal technical users, it works. For anything beyond that, the constraints are structural.
Best fit: Small technical teams who need a lightweight SQL query interface and basic dashboards for internal use with no security or branding requirements.
5. Looker — Enterprise Code-First BI, Google Ecosystem
Looker (Google Cloud) shares Mode's code-first philosophy but approaches it through LookML, a proprietary modeling language that defines a governed semantic layer. Where Mode was query-and-visualize, Looker is model-and-govern — analysts build centralized data models that business users then query through a consistent interface.
Looker is genuinely powerful for large organizations that need governed, consistent metrics across the business. The entry cost is high — custom enterprise pricing, typically six figures annually. LookML requires meaningful engineering investment to learn and maintain. Deep integration with Google Cloud and BigQuery makes it most valuable for organizations already in that ecosystem.
Best fit: Data-mature enterprises with dedicated engineering resources, Google Cloud infrastructure, and a need for centralized metric governance.
Where it falls short: Teams without data engineers. Organizations leaving Mode for cost reasons — Looker won't reduce costs. Anyone who needs self-hosted deployment.
Choosing the Right Mode Alternative
Your team used Mode primarily for SQL exploration and code-first analysis: Apache Superset (free, self-hosted) or Redash (lightweight) if budget is the constraint. ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio if you want the direct successor with enterprise support.
Your team used Mode primarily to deliver dashboards to business users: DashboardFox. MAU pricing, row-level security included, white-label with custom domain included, business-user self-service without SQL dependency.
You need a platform that serves both data teams and business users in one tool: ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio is the direct Mode successor. Looker is the alternative if you're in the Google Cloud ecosystem. Both are enterprise-priced.
Cost was a significant factor in moving off Mode: ThoughtSpot and Looker are not cost reductions. Metabase open source and Apache Superset are free with technical overhead. DashboardFox at $249/month (30 MAU) with all features included is the most predictable commercial option.
The Bottom Line
Mode's story ended as an independent product when ThoughtSpot absorbed it into Analyst Studio in early 2025. The migration question was always when, not if.
The right destination depends on what you were actually using Mode for. Code-first data science and SQL exploration points toward Superset, Redash, or ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio. Dashboard delivery to business users points toward DashboardFox or Metabase. Enterprise governed analytics points toward Looker or ThoughtSpot.
If the dashboard delivery use case is your priority and you want predictable pricing with row-level security and white-label included from day one, DashboardFox is worth a trial. No credit card, no sales call — connect to the same databases you're using today and see if it fits.
Start a free DashboardFox trial → · See all plans and pricing → · Compare DashboardFox alternatives →