METABASE OPEN SOURCE · INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING
Deploy, secure and operate Metabase Open Source Edition on infrastructure you control, from a PostgreSQL application database to rehearsed upgrades on the long-term support releases.
Independent Metabase engineering.
These are independent Bassirah engineering and support offerings for Metabase Open Source Edition. They do not imply vendor endorsement, official vendor support rights, Pro or Enterprise feature entitlement, licenses or maintenance guarantees.
Metabase is a trademark of Metabase, Inc. Bassirah is not a partner of Metabase, Inc.
Editions are distinct.
Metabase Open Source Edition is offered under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL). Metabase Pro and Enterprise run the Enterprise Edition, which is source available but released under the Metabase Commercial Software License; its features need a commercial license from Metabase, Inc. Metabase Cloud is a hosted service run by Metabase, Inc. Bassirah works with the Open Source Edition and does not sell, license or unlock Pro or Enterprise features.
Supported releases.
Metabase is developed by Metabase, Inc. and its community. Bassirah provides independent engineering for the Metabase 64 and Metabase 58 long-term support (LTS) releases of the Open Source Edition, and plans upgrades for instances on standard releases and on releases past end of life. The exact versions in scope are named in each statement of work. Last reviewed: 26 October 2026.
| Release | Status on 26 October 2026 | How Bassirah treats it |
|---|---|---|
| Metabase 65 (standard) | Beta: v0.65.0-beta published 13 October 2026; end of life listed as January 1, 2027 | Upgrade testing in staging only, until a stable release is published |
| Metabase 64 (LTS) | Released September 16, 2026 (first stable v0.64.1 on GitHub, 7 October 2026); end of life December 1, 2027 | Default target for new deployments and upgrades |
| Metabase 63 (standard) | End of life November 1, 2026 | Upgrade planning to Metabase 64 LTS now |
| Metabase 58 (LTS) | Released December 17, 2025; end of life February 17, 2027 | Supported, with an upgrade plan to Metabase 64 before its end of life |
| Metabase 59 to 62, and 57 or earlier | End of life (September 1, 2026 for 59 to 62; May 31, 2026 for 54 to 57) | Upgrade assessment: no further updates from Metabase |
WHY IT MATTERS
Metabase lets people explore data with point-and-click questions or SQL and share the results as dashboards, on top of the databases you already run. The Open Source Edition is self-hosted and free to use under the AGPL.
That speed of setup hides some production decisions. Out of the box, Metabase stores its users, questions, dashboards and collections in an embedded H2 application database, which the Metabase documentation says to avoid in production. Production needs a separate application database such as PostgreSQL, backups and restore tests, an encryption key for stored connection details, and upgrades that follow the release lifecycle. Bassirah sets up and documents those parts, so a tool that started as a quick win can be relied on.
WHAT BASSIRAH DELIVERS
load-from-h2 process.FIT FIRST
Our BI & Visualization practice supports both Metabase and Apache Superset. Neither is the right answer for every team. We compare them against your users, data sources, skills and license requirements, and we recommend the one that fits.
| Consideration | Metabase Open Source often fits when… | Apache Superset often fits when… |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds the questions | Business users explore with point-and-click questions, and analysts add SQL where needed | Analysts and engineers work mostly in SQL and curated datasets |
| Operating footprint | You want a single application (JAR or container) plus an application database | You can operate a web tier with a metadata database, cache, Celery workers and a scheduler |
| Data sources | Your databases are among Metabase's officially maintained drivers | You need a database reached through a Python DB-API driver and SQLAlchemy dialect |
| License | The AGPL, or the embedding license terms, suit how you deploy and embed it | You prefer the Apache License 2.0 of an Apache Software Foundation project |
| Features you need | Your needs are met without the Pro or Enterprise features, or you will license them from Metabase, Inc. | You will design roles and row level security in the open-source product yourselves |
Compare with our Apache Superset engineering page. License fit is a legal question: review the AGPL, the Metabase license page and your embedding plans with your own counsel before choosing.
PRODUCTION ARCHITECTURE
Metabase keeps all of its runtime application data in a single SQL database, separate from the databases it queries. In production that application database should be PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB, not the embedded H2 file. Several Metabase instances of the same version can share one application database behind a load balancer. We design each part for your environment, then prove backups and restores in tested recovery exercises against objectives you approve.
| Component | Role | What we decide with you |
|---|---|---|
| Metabase Open Source Edition | Serves questions, dashboards and the admin interface | Official JAR or container image, pinned to an exact version; the documentation advises against mutable .x tags in production |
| Application database | Stores users, questions, dashboards, collections and settings | PostgreSQL in a supported version, with backups, restore tests and access limited to Metabase |
| Encryption key | Encrypts stored connection details for data sources | MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY held in a secret store, with a recorded rotation procedure; losing it means re-entering every connection |
| Load balancer (optional) | Spreads users across several instances | Health checks on /api/health, and a single instance during major upgrades |
| Data sources | The databases Metabase queries | Officially maintained drivers where possible, least-privilege read accounts and tested versions |
OPERATIONS
Back up the application database on a schedule, test restores and keep the H2 file from any migration until the new setup is proven.
Track end-of-life dates, rehearse each upgrade in staging, scale to a single instance for major upgrades and keep a tested backup to roll back to.
Manage the encryption key and data-source credentials in a secret store, with read-only accounts scoped to what each team needs.
Instance health, application database health and slow dashboards, with alerts that reach the people who can act.
MIGRATION
Many Metabase instances start on the embedded H2 file and are still running on it when people depend on them. We follow the documented migration path, delivered through our migration and modernization practice.
Start with a rehearsal of the migration on a copy of your application data.
USE CASES
Teams that want to answer routine questions themselves, on governed data models prepared by the data team.
Shared dashboards on PostgreSQL, ClickHouse or other databases with officially maintained drivers.
Embedded dashboards for your own users, after the edition and license questions are settled.
SUPPORT ROUTES
Metabase Open Source Edition is free to self-host under the AGPL. Metabase, Inc. also offers its own routes: the Pro and Enterprise plans, which add commercially licensed features and vendor support, and Metabase Cloud, a hosted service. Bassirah supports the Open Source Edition independently, is not a Metabase, Inc. partner and is clear about where its commitments end.
| Decision factor | Community only | Bassirah independent support | Metabase, Inc. (Pro, Enterprise or Cloud) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edition | Open Source Edition | Open Source Edition | Enterprise Edition under a commercial license, self-hosted or on Metabase Cloud |
| Who operates Metabase | Your team | Your team with Bassirah engineering, or Bassirah under a managed scope | Your team for self-hosted Pro or Enterprise; Metabase, Inc. for Metabase Cloud |
| Help with incidents | Public community channels, no response commitment | Response targets per your agreement | Vendor support under Metabase's own terms |
| Code defects and security fixes | Reported by you to the project | Reproduced, worked around and reported upstream by Bassirah; fixes arrive in Metabase releases | Handled by the vendor under its terms |
| Pro and Enterprise features | Not included | Not included: Bassirah does not resell, license or enable them | Licensed directly from Metabase, Inc. |
If you need Pro or Enterprise features, vendor support or a hosted service, contract them with Metabase, Inc. How cases, severities and response targets work for our independent support is set out in our open-source support model. For fully contracted operations, see Managed Services.
WORKS WITH
Metabase is one option in our BI & Visualization practice. We place it alongside Apache Superset, the databases it runs on and the models it queries, and test every integration first.
The other open-source BI tool in our practice, for SQL-centric teams and Apache-licensed deployments.
The recommended production application database for Metabase, and a common data source for it.
An analytical database that Metabase can query through its officially maintained ClickHouse driver, tested against your versions.
Tested, documented data models, so dashboards in Metabase rest on agreed definitions.
The Metabase Open Source Edition is offered under the AGPL. The Enterprise Edition used for the Pro and Enterprise plans is source available but released under the Metabase Commercial Software License, and its features need a commercial license. Metabase Cloud is a hosted service. Bassirah supports the Open Source Edition and is not endorsed by Metabase, Inc.
Not for production. The Metabase documentation says to avoid the embedded H2 database in production and recommends PostgreSQL. Metabase documents a load-from-h2 command for moving to PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB, run with the same Metabase version and against a new, empty database.
We work on the Metabase 64 and Metabase 58 LTS releases of the Open Source Edition, and we plan upgrades for instances on standard releases or releases past end of life. Metabase lists end-of-life dates of December 1, 2027 for 64 and February 17, 2027 for 58. The versions in scope are confirmed in each statement of work.
It depends on who builds the questions, which databases you use, what you can operate and which license suits you. We support both and compare them against your requirements. See our Apache Superset page.
No. Bassirah is not a Metabase, Inc. partner and does not provide vendor support, vendor security fixes, licenses or Pro and Enterprise features. Our services are independent engineering and support, with scope and response targets defined in your agreement. Fixes arrive in Metabase releases. See our support model.
Embedding options differ by edition and license. Metabase documents guest embeds as working on all plans, including Open Source, while SSO-based embedding needs Pro or Enterprise. Its license page sets out when the AGPL, the Embedding License or a commercial license applies. Check your license with Metabase, Inc. and your counsel; we then design the embedding that fits it.
Tell us how Metabase is deployed and used today. We will scope an assessment and a practical next step.
Operations & Reliability
Metabase stores its questions and dashboards in an application database. How to move it from H2 to PostgreSQL safely, then upgrade.
Metabase
Read article : Moving Metabase From H2 to PostgreSQL: A Production Setup Runbook→
