dbt
Hex
| Feature | dbt | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $100/mo | Free / from $28/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | data-teams, analytics-engineers, bi-teams, data-driven-companies | data-analysts, data-scientists, analytics-engineers, data-teams |
| Founded | 2016 | 2019 |
| Sql Transformations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Testing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Documentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Version Control | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lineage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Metrics Layer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sql Cells | ✗ | ✓ |
| Python Cells | ✗ | ✓ |
| Charts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ dbt Pros
- Industry standard for data transformation in warehouses
- SQL-based (accessible to analysts, not just engineers)
- Excellent testing and documentation framework
- dbt Core is fully open-source and free
✗ dbt Cons
- dbt Cloud pricing can be steep for large teams
- Requires a data warehouse (does not store data)
- Learning curve for software engineering practices
✓ Hex Pros
- SQL + Python in one tool
- Beautiful data apps
- Collaborative notebooks
- Good sharing features
✗ Hex Cons
- Expensive for teams
- Learning curve for non-technical
- Limited self-hosting
The Verdict
dbt is built for data teams and analytics engineers, with a focus on sql-transformations and data-testing. Hex targets data analysts and data scientists and leads with sql-cells and python-cells.
On pricing, Hex is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $28/mo compared to $100/mo for dbt. That $72/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, dbt offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Hex takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for data teams, analytics engineers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.