Hex
Snowflake
| Feature | Hex | Snowflake |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $28/mo | Free / from $2/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | data-analysts, data-scientists, analytics-engineers, data-teams | data-teams, enterprises, multi-cloud-organizations, data-sharing |
| Founded | 2019 | 2012 |
| Sql Cells | ✓ | ✗ |
| Python Cells | ✓ | ✗ |
| Charts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Version History | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Warehouse | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Lake | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto Scaling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Travel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Snowpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Snowflake Pros
- Separates compute and storage for cost efficiency
- Near-zero maintenance with automatic scaling
- Excellent for sharing data across organizations
- Free $400 trial credit to evaluate
✗ Snowflake Cons
- Credit-based pricing is hard to predict
- Can get expensive with heavy compute workloads
- Proprietary (vendor lock-in concerns)
The Verdict
Hex is built for data analysts and data scientists, with a focus on sql-cells and python-cells. Snowflake targets data teams and enterprises and leads with data-warehouse and data-lake.
On pricing, Snowflake is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $2/mo compared to $28/mo for Hex. That $26/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, Snowflake 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 — 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.