Business Intelligence tools like Looker Studio Pro can cost hundreds of dollars a month, even before you connect your first database. Metabase is an open-source alternative that does the exact same thing, turning raw data into clickable charts and dashboards without any SQL knowledge. But you host it on your own Box, a one-time setup, without a monthly license fee. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up Metabase on Saplo.
Why Metabase instead of paid BI tools
Paid reporting tools have two recurring drawbacks for small and medium-sized businesses:
- Cost increases with the number of users or queries - the more people on your team who need access to dashboards, the higher your monthly bill.
- Company data passes through third-party infrastructure - to build a sales chart, your database or a fragment of it must be sent to the provider's system.
Metabase is an independent, open-source implementation of the same idea that you host on your own Box. Zero fees for additional team accounts, your data never leaves your infrastructure, and the appearance and logic of queries are the same as in paid tools: you click fields, filters, and chart types, with SQL staying in the background for those who want to see it.
Requirements
To set up Metabase on Saplo, you need:
- A Box with Docker running (the engine automatically enables it during installation from the catalog; container nesting is required, which Saplo provides by default),
- A minimum of 1 GB of free RAM on your Box, and for larger teams and heavier queries, it's worth choosing a Box M or higher,
- A domain or subdomain
*.saploapp.plincluded in the price of each plan.
Metabase uses two completely different databases, which are easy to confuse. The first is the application database, where Metabase stores its own metadata: saved questions, dashboards, and user accounts. Saplo automatically provides this database from a shared MySQL pool, just like with Matomo or WordPress, so you don't need to set it up separately. The second is the data source for analysis, which is the database you want to report on, such as a production Postgres or an e-commerce MySQL database. Metabase does not provide this database; you connect it manually after the initial launch.
Step-by-step installation
- In the Saplo panel, go to App catalog and select Metabase (category "Data").
- Indicate the Box on which it is to be installed, and the domain or subdomain under which the application will be available.
- Confirm the installation. The engine deploys a Docker container with the official
metabase/metabaseimage, connects it to Saplo's shared MySQL database for application metadata, prepares a data volume, and exposes it under the indicated domain via nginx with free SSL. - Metabase is a Java application, so the first launch includes starting the virtual machine and migrating the application database, which can take one to two minutes. The engine waits for a real
/api/healthresponse, not just for the process to start, so the installation only finishes when Metabase actually responds. - Once completed, the domain will respond with the Metabase first-run wizard.
First-time setup
Metabase, just like Baserow or Cal.com, does not automatically create an administrator account upon installation.
- Go to your domain and follow the wizard: language selection, administrator account creation, and consent to anonymous usage statistics (you can disable this).
- In the next step, the wizard will ask for the first data source to analyze. You can provide it immediately (for example, your shop's Postgres or MySQL database) or skip this step and add the database later in Admin settings -> Databases -> Add a database.
- After logging in, build your first question by clicking fields, filters, and groupings in the editor, or write a query in SQL if you prefer full control.
- You can combine saved questions into a dashboard, and you can set up a dashboard to be sent periodically via email, for example, a sales report every Monday morning.
Metabase on Saplo vs. Paid BI Tools
| Paid BI (like Looker Studio Pro) | Metabase on Saplo | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | increases with the number of users and resources | included in your Saplo plan, regardless of account count |
| Where data is stored | provider's infrastructure | Your Box |
| Connectable data sources | provider's connectors | Postgres, MySQL, BigQuery, and others, connected manually |
| Questions without SQL | yes | yes, the same click-to-query mechanism |
| Alerts and recurring email reports | yes | yes |
| Who administers | provider | You, but without manually setting up the server |
FAQ
Does Metabase have its own database for analysis? No. The database that Saplo automatically connects during installation only stores Metabase's own metadata (dashboards, questions, accounts). You connect the data you want to analyze separately as your own data source in the wizard or later in the admin panel.
How long does the installation take? Longer than with lighter recipes from the catalog, because the Metabase image is a Java application, and the first launch migrates the application's database from scratch. Expect a minute, sometimes two, before the domain starts responding.
Who becomes the administrator after installation? The first person to go through the first-run wizard after the domain starts responding. It's a good idea to do this immediately so that no unauthorized person can create an account first.
Can I connect more than one data source? Yes, in Admin settings -> Databases you add more connections, for example, a separate store database and a separate booking system database, and then build dashboards combining data from both.
Will I get an email notification about a new report? Yes, Metabase dashboards have built-in email subscriptions with a set schedule, for example, a report every Monday morning.
If you have questions about setting up Metabase on your own Box or connecting the first data source, write to us, we will help with the initial configuration.
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