The best ThoughtSpot alternatives for B2B SaaS teams in 2025

If you're here, chances are you've hit a wall with ThoughtSpot. Maybe it's the surprise billing that makes your CFO wince, or those rigid dashboards that just won't bend to fit your needs. You're not alone.

ThoughtSpot promised to be the Google of business data with its natural language search capabilities, but for many SaaS teams, it feels more like using a search engine from 2005. The platform works as a BI tool, sure, but at what cost? Between the steep learning curve and consumption-based pricing plans that can spike without warning, teams of all sizesare looking for better analytics tools.

We've put together this guide to help you find a data analytics solution that actually fits. We'll walk through the top alternatives, covering everything from pricing models to data visualization options, so you can make a decision that works for your team and budget.

Top ThoughtSpot alternatives for B2B SaaS

Here are the BI tools that actually deliver on what ThoughtSpot promises.

Basedash: AI-native business intelligence

Basedash takes a completely different approach by building AI capabilities into the platform from day one. Instead of bolting on AI-powered analytics features later, they designed the whole experience around making data analytics feel natural with AI-generated summaries and AI narratives.

The setup is refreshingly simple. Rather than learning ThoughtSpot's complex query system, you can ask questions in plain English and get real answers through natural language search. It's the kind of self-service analytics experience that makes you wonder why other platforms make things so complicated.

The pricing plans fix one of ThoughtSpot's biggest problems. Instead of consumption-based surprises, you get predictable costs that scale with your business. Growing your user base won't trigger budget panic.

For embedding, Basedash offers clean APIs and customization options that let you create seamless user experiences. Your data visualization can actually look and feel like part of your product, not like a third-party tool awkwardly shoved into an iframe. The platform supports proper white-label embedding with full dashboard customization capabilities.

Best for: B2B SaaS teams who want AI-native enhanced analytics without any unnecessary enterprise complexity.

Looker: Google's analytics heavyweight

Looker brings the power of Google Cloud to your data analysis with cloud-native analytics architecture. If you're already using Google's ecosystem, the integration capabilities are seamless. Even if you're not, the platform's data modeling capabilities are impressive.

The LookML modeling language gives you precise control over how data relationships work. Yes, it requires some technical knowledge, but it's far more flexible than ThoughtSpot's rigid approach to self-service analytics.

Looker Embedded works well with comprehensive APIs for customization and proper white-labeling options. The drag-and-drop interface keeps things accessible for non-technical users while giving data teams the visualization options they need. The platform includes robust data connectors and supports complex data pipelines.

Security and compliance features include row-level security, data encryption, and enterprise-grade security infrastructure that meets most regulatory requirements.

Best for: Teams using Google Cloud or those needing sophisticated data modeling with strong security solutions.

Tableau: The visualization champion

Tableau is still the gold standard for turning data into beautiful, interactive data visualization. The visualization library is massive, and the customization options are nearly endless for any BI tool.

Advanced AI capabilities include ML models and predictive analytics powered by Einstein AI. You can deploy in the cloud or on-premises, which is great for companies with strict security and compliance needs.

The platform offers extensive collaboration features and integration capabilities with various data sources. Tableau's data connectors support everything from Azure SQL to complex ETL tools and data transformation engines.

The downside? Cost. Embedded functionality requires additional licenses, and expenses can add up quickly. But if visualization quality is your top priority among analytics tools, Tableau delivers.

Best for: Organizations with dedicated data analysts and budget for premium data visualization.

Power BI: Microsoft's integration play

Power BI makes sense if you're already living in the Microsoft world. The integration with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and other Microsoft tools creates workflows that feel natural rather than forced.

The platform uses DAX for advanced calculations. DAX has, which has a learning curve but provides serious analytical power. Built-in security and compliance features make it enterprise-ready with Azure AD integration and comprehensive security infrastructure.

Power BI Embedded has some limitations in terms of speed and white-label embedding compared to specialized solutions. But the Microsoft ecosystem integration capabilities and familiar interface make it attractive for many teams. The platform supports various data connectors including Azure SQL and Web Connector functionality.

Best for: Teams heavily invested in Microsoft products and who need strong collaboration features.

Sisense: Built for developers

Sisense offers both iframe-based embedding and JavaScript SDK options, giving you flexibility in how you integrate analytics components. Custom UI theming and widget creation provide more dashboard customization control than ThoughtSpot's limited visualization options.

The code-first approach includes Git integration, which appeals to technical teams who want proper version control. This is a stark contrast to ThoughtSpot's GUI-based configuration for self-service analytics.

Sisense targets complex, large-scale embedded dashboards with comprehensive developer tools and REST API access. AI-powered analytics features for predictive analysis are built throughout the platform, along with robust security solutions including row-level security.

The platform's Associative Engine provides unique data exploration capabilities, while comprehensive data connectors support various data sources and ETL tools.

Best for: Technical teams needing extensive customization and developer-friendly analytics tools.

Sigma: Spreadsheets meet cloud data

Sigma bridges the gap between Excel familiarity and modern cloud-native analytics. It connects directly to cloud data warehouses like Snowflake and BigQuery for live querying without the need for complex data pipelines.

If your team knows Excel or Google Sheets, they can start analyzing data immediately with this AI-enhanced spreadsheet approach. Real-time collaboration features let multiple people work on the same analysis simultaneously.

The cloud-native design ensures great performance with large datasets and Real-Time Data Streams, while flexible pricing plans make it accessible for various business sizes. It's spreadsheet simplicity with modern cloud power and comprehensive security infrastructure.

Best for: Teams wanting familiar interfaces with cloud data capabilities and strong collaboration features.

Qlik Sense: Associative analytics engine

Qlik Sense stands out with its unique Associative Engine that lets users explore data without predetermined relationships. This approach to data analytics provides more flexibility for ad-hoc exploration than you’ll get with traditional BI tools for ad-hoc exploration.

The platform offers both cloud and on-premises deployment options with comprehensive security and compliance features including data encryption and multi-factor authentication. Qlik Answers provides AI-powered insights and natural language search capabilities.

Visualization options are extensive, with a solid robust visualization library and dashboard customization capabilities. The platform supports iframe-based embedding and provides solid integrations withintegrations capabilities with third party various data sources via data connectorsthrough multiple data connectors.

Best for: Teams who needneeding flexible data exploration with strong visualization options.

Why teams are moving away from ThoughtSpot

ThoughtSpot launched over a decade ago with big promises about self-service analytics, but several issues have become hard to ignore.

The embedded analytics struggle

Many buyers have commented that ThoughtSpot's embedded dashboards can feel like an afterthought. While the main platform has been around since 2012, the white-label embedding features are much newer (and it shows). You're essentially getting the same visual experience as their internal tool, which doesn't exactly scream "customer-ready."

Try modifying data sources or models in ThoughtSpot's embedded setup and you'll quickly understand the frustration. The search-driven approach might work for your internal team, but good luck explaining it to customers who just want clean, intuitive dashboard customization options.

The platform lacks the iframe-based embedding flexibility and full-code control that modern SaaS teams need. Without proper analytics components and visualization library access, you're stuck with limited customization options.

The pain points that drive teams away

It's harder than it should be. Setting up data connectors and configuring connections requires more technical know-how than most product managers signed up for. If you need a data engineer just to create a simple dashboard, something's wrong with your BI tool.

Performance issues kill the experience. Slow queries and dashboard load times can hold you up internally. But when you're embedding analytics for customers, there’s no margin for error because every second counts. Nobody wants to explain why their "real-time" dashboard takes 30 seconds to load, especially when dealing with marketing data or revenue data platform integrations.

You can't make it look like yours. Limited visualization options mean your embedded analytics will always feel foreign in your product. Unless you're paying for Enterprise (and even then), you're stuck with ThoughtSpot's design choices and can't achieve true white-label embedding.

Costs are all over the place. The consumption-based pricing plans sound reasonable until you get your first surprise bill. Every query and dashboard load costs money, making it nearly impossible to budget accurately for your analytics tools.

What to look for in an alternative

When you're evaluating replacement BI tools, a few key factors will save you from making the same mistakes twice.

Pricing that makes sense

Look for platforms with straightforward pricing plans that won't surprise you later. Tiered pricing based on features or users is usually more predictable than pay-per-query models.

ThoughtSpot starts at $1,250 per month, which is already steep for most analytics tools. But the real kicker? If you go over five million rows, you jump from $95 to $1,250 monthly.

Customization that actually works

Your data visualization should feel native to your product. Real white-label embedding means custom domains, your logos, and UI components that match your brand. If you can't control the user experience through proper analytics components, you're not really embedding analytics.

Don't settle for platforms that claim dashboard customization but only let you change a few colors. You need CSS control, REST API access, and the ability to make the tool truly yours with full visualization options.

Integrations that don't suck

A good BI tool should play nice with your existing tools through robust data connectors. Whether you need Azure SQL connections, Web Connector capabilities, or integration with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365, seamless connectivity is essential.

ThoughtSpot operates in its own world, which is fine for some teams but frustrating if you need tight integration capabilities with tools like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. Modern platforms should offer Dynamic Connection String support and comprehensive ETL tools.

Performance you can count on

Test with your actual data volume and complexity. A platform that demos well with sample data might crumble under your real workload, especially when dealing with Real-Time Data Streams or complex data pipelines.

Look for features like In-Memory Caching, elastic cubes, and efficient data transformation engines. Think about growth too. Today's performance needs are tomorrow's minimum requirements.

Security that actually protects

Modern analytics tools need comprehensive security solutions including Single Sign-On, Azure AD integration, and protection against online attacks. Multi tenant support with proper data encryption is essential for SaaS platforms serving multiple customers.

Specialized embedded analytics solutions

Some platforms focus specifically on embedded dashboards, addressing areas where ThoughtSpot often falls short.

Databrain: Purpose-built for customer-facing analytics

Databrain tackles ThoughtSpot's biggest problems head-on with transparent pricing plans and complete white-label embedding. The platform is designed specifically for customer-facing embedded analytics, rather than internal analysis.

The customizable SDK makes analytics components feel completely native to your product. Users consistently praise the responsive Support Team and quick feedback implementation, which is refreshing compared to ThoughtSpot's complexity.

Predictable pricing that doesn't penalize adding users makes Databrain particularly attractive for growing SaaS companies. No more consumption-based cost spikes that make budgeting impossible for your BI tool.

The platform includes comprehensive security solutions with data encryption, row-level security, and multi tenant support for SaaS applications.

Best for: SaaS companies who need customer-facing analytics with predictable costs and strong security infrastructure.

Embeddable: Maximum flexibility

Embeddable specializes in embedded dashboards with more flexibility and better cost-efficiency than ThoughtSpot. The platform offers developer-friendly tools for creating custom analytics experiences that integrate seamlessly through REST API access.

The focus on embedded use cases means better performance and user experience for customer-facing data visualization. Dashboard customization options far exceed what ThoughtSpot offers, with full-code control over analytics components.

Best for: Teams who need maximum flexibility in embedded analytics implementation with comprehensive visualization options.

AWS QuickSight: Cloud-native scaling

AWS QuickSight provides serverless cloud-native analytics that scales automatically. Native integration capabilities with AWS data sources like S3, Athena, and Redshift make it ideal for cloud-native companies.

Interactive dashboards include ML models and natural language search functionality. Usage-based pricing plans can be more predictable than ThoughtSpot's consumption charges, especially for teams with steady usage patterns.

Dashboard embedding works for both internal and external applications, with APIs for customization. The serverless architecture eliminates infrastructure management overhead while providing comprehensive security and compliance features.

Best for: Teams who use AWS infrastructure and need serverless analytics tools.

Bold BI: Enterprise-grade embedded analytics

Bold BI offers comprehensive embedded dashboards with enterprise-grade security infrastructure and transparent pricing plans. The platform provides extensive visualization options and dashboard customization capabilities.

The solution includes robust data connectors, ETL tools, and support for various data sources including Azure SQL and Real-Time Data Streams. Security features include row-level security, Single Sign-On, and data encryption.

Best for: Enterprises who need comprehensive BI tools with strong security solutions and collaboration features.

Industry-specific considerations

Different industries have unique requirements for their analytics tools and data visualization needs.

Marketing teams and attribution modeling

Marketing teams need specialized analytics tools that can handle attribution modeling and Marketing Data Common Model implementations. Platforms should support marketing data analysis with AI-generated summaries for campaign performance and customer journey analytics.

Look for BI tools that can integrate with marketing platforms and provide real-time insights into campaign performance through comprehensive data connectors and visualization options.

Revenue data platform requirements

SaaS companies need analytics tools that can serve as a comprehensive Revenue Data Platform, tracking everything from customer acquisition to churn analysis. The platform should support multi tenant architecture and provide row-level security for customer data protection.

Handling malformed data and data quality

Modern analytics tools need robust data transformation engines and ETL tools to handle malformed data and ensure data quality. Look for platforms with comprehensive data pipelines that can clean and transform data automatically.

Making the right choice for your team

Picking the best ThoughtSpot alternative comes down to your specific needs, team capabilities, and growth plans. Here's what to consider:

Budget and pricing plans: Look at both current costs and future scaling implications. Platforms with transparent, predictable pricing often provide better long-term value than consumption-based models for analytics tools.

Technical resources: Consider your team's technical capabilities and available development time. Some BI tools require more technical expertise but offer greater dashboard customization flexibility and visualization options.

Integration capabilities: Assess how well each solution fits into your existing tech stack and workflows. Seamless data connectors and REST API access reduce implementation complexity and ongoing maintenance.

User experience priorities: Determine whether you need customer-facing embedded dashboards, internal analysis tools, or both. Different platforms excel in different use cases for data visualization and self-service analytics.

Security and compliance requirements: Ensure the platform provides adequate security infrastructure, including data encryption, row-level security, and compliance certifications your industry requires.

AI capabilities: Consider whether you need AI-powered analytics, AI-generated summaries, or natural language search functionality to make your data more accessible to non-technical users.

Time to make the switch

ThoughtSpot's limitations around pricing, customization, and user experience have created opportunities for analytics tools that better serve B2B SaaS teams. Whether you need Tableau's visualization library, Power BI's Microsoft integration, or Basedash's AI-native approach, better BI tools exist for most use cases.

The key is matching platform capabilities to your specific needs rather than trying to force a one-size-fits-all solution. Consider your team's technical capabilities, integration requirements, and budget constraints when evaluating data analytics options.

Most importantly, prioritize platforms that offer transparent pricing plans and room for growth. The right analytics tools should enable your team's success rather than creating new operational challenges. Look for comprehensive security solutions, robust collaboration features, and the visualization options your team needs.

Take advantage of free trials and demos to test alternatives with your actual data and use cases. This hands-on evaluation will reveal practical differences that specifications alone cannot capture, helping you make the best choice for your team's long-term success with embedded dashboards and data visualization.