The Best Panoply Alternative for Startups
Panoply is an managed warehouse with curated connectors, but it stops after landing the data. Definite is a complete data platform: connectors, storage, governed metrics, dashboards, and an AI analysts, so you get answers in minutes without assembling extra tools.
You also get Definite’s Data-Team-as-a-Service instead of hiring warehouse admins.
How Panoply and Definite Stack Up
Panoply
Managed BigQuery-backed warehouse with automated connectors and simple SQL-based analysis tools.
Key Features:
Pricing:
Full platform trial with managed BigQuery.
Connect multiple sources, access unlimited users, and explore 5 TiB of query bytes during the trial. Extend capacity by contacting sales if you need more time or data.
20M rows, 2 TB storage, unlimited users.
Includes all Snap Connectors, SQL workbench with visualization, onboarding assistance, and up to 60-minute syncs. Flex Connector support available for two managed custom connectors.
Not Included:
Governed metrics, AI insights, built-in dashboards, or flat-rate pricing that scales with usage.
Definite
Complete data-stack-in-a-box with governed metrics, AI insights, and hands-on support.
Key Features:
Pricing:
Access to Growth features for qualifying startups.
Comprehensive tools to enable your business to make data driven decisions.
See What’s Included:
The Full Comparison
Definite replaces the ingestion, warehouse, modeling, dashboards, and AI that Panoply expects you to assemble yourself.
Setup & Time-to-Value
Connect sources, pick a template, and share governed dashboards in under 30 minutes.
Warehouse spins up quickly, but you still configure BI, permissions, and alerts before anyone sees insights.
Stack Coverage
Ingestion → storage → semantic metrics → AI → dashboards all included.
Managed warehouse only; BI, metrics, and activation still require other tools.
Data Ingestion
500+ managed connectors with scheduled syncs and historical backfills.
Dozens of curated connectors; long-tail data still needs manual scripts or third-party ETL.
Storage & Query Engine
DuckDB + Iceberg lakehouse optimized for sub-second analytics without tuning.
BigQuery under the hood—powerful but billed by bytes scanned and still needs tuning.
Modeling & Metrics
Governed Cube.dev layer enforces shared KPIs and reusable logic.
SQL worksheets and views; no semantic layer or KPI governance.
AI & Insights
Fi, the AI analyst, answers questions, spots anomalies, and drafts narratives automatically.
No native AI; you rely on SQL or external services.
Automation & Alerts
Native Slack/email alerts, Sheets syncs, and Python automation.
Basic scheduling; advanced alerts require extra tools.
Governance & Access
Fine-grained roles, audit trails, and metric-level permissions.
Project-level sharing tied to Google accounts; finer control needs GCP admin work.
APIs & Extensibility
Full REST/GraphQL APIs, embed SDKs, and reverse ETL.
SQL endpoints and JDBC/ODBC connections; activation lives in other tools.
Ideal For
Startups that want enterprise-grade analytics without assembling infrastructure.
Teams needing a hands-off warehouse but willing to manage BI, governance, and missing pieces like semantic layers and automation.
| Category | Definite | Panoply |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & Time-to-Value | Connect sources, pick a template, and share governed dashboards in under 30 minutes. | Warehouse spins up quickly, but you still configure BI, permissions, and alerts before anyone sees insights. |
| Stack Coverage | Ingestion → storage → semantic metrics → AI → dashboards all included. | Managed warehouse only; BI, metrics, and activation still require other tools. |
| Data Ingestion | 500+ managed connectors with scheduled syncs and historical backfills. | Dozens of curated connectors; long-tail data still needs manual scripts or third-party ETL. |
| Storage & Query Engine | DuckDB + Iceberg lakehouse optimized for sub-second analytics without tuning. | BigQuery under the hood—powerful but billed by bytes scanned and still needs tuning. |
| Modeling & Metrics | Governed Cube.dev layer enforces shared KPIs and reusable logic. | SQL worksheets and views; no semantic layer or KPI governance. |
| AI & Insights | Fi, the AI analyst, answers questions, spots anomalies, and drafts narratives automatically. | No native AI; you rely on SQL or external services. |
| Automation & Alerts | Native Slack/email alerts, Sheets syncs, and Python automation. | Basic scheduling; advanced alerts require extra tools. |
| Governance & Access | Fine-grained roles, audit trails, and metric-level permissions. | Project-level sharing tied to Google accounts; finer control needs GCP admin work. |
| APIs & Extensibility | Full REST/GraphQL APIs, embed SDKs, and reverse ETL. | SQL endpoints and JDBC/ODBC connections; activation lives in other tools. |
| Ideal For | Startups that want enterprise-grade analytics without assembling infrastructure. | Teams needing a hands-off warehouse but willing to manage BI, governance, and missing pieces like semantic layers and automation. |
One Choice: One Platform
Definite pulls in all your data, stores it in a fast, reliable data warehouse, applies consistent models, turns it into interactive dashboards, and lets you query it with AI — all in one managed platform. (Skip the three-month build, five different vendors, and full-time data engineer.)
Fi can work with any part of Definite’s Ecosystem to get you results faster.
Sync data in near‑realtime latency from over 500 sources. Need a custom connection? We’ll build it for you.
Send scheduled or triggered alerts, sync data to Google Sheets or your CRM, or export it as downloads or from the API.
Make Every Decision Definite
Panoply makes BigQuery easier to adopt, but it still hands you a warehouse to manage and the bill for BI, governance, alerts, and AI. Definite delivers the whole stack—connectors, storage, semantic metrics, dashboards, and Fi—so answers arrive without stitching five vendors together.
Panoply gives you a managed warehouse. Definite gives you managed insights.