Dataki vs Hex
A Hex alternative for the people who don't write notebooks
Hex is a collaborative notebook for analysts who write SQL and Python, with agents that write and edit notebook logic, Threads for business users' questions, and data apps published from a project. Dataki starts from the other end: the person asking has no notebook and no Python, and what survives the session is a shared dashboard rather than a project someone has to maintain.
Why Dataki?
- Built for the person asking: type the question, and Dataki writes the SQL, runs it and charts it. No cells, no Python.
- The SQL is shown and editable with every answer, so your analysts can check it.
- What you keep is a live dashboard on a permanent link, not a project to re-run, and viewers are free.
- A remote MCP server on every plan lets Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor query the same sources.
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Where Hex stands
What it does well
- Notebooks with SQL and Python cells, charts and inputs
- Data apps published straight from a notebook
- Notebook Agent, Threads and a Modeling Agent for semantic models
- Signed embedding with row-level security for customer-facing apps
Where it gets in the way
- A project is built from SQL and Python cells, so whoever maintains it needs to read both
- Authors and Explorers are paid seats; whether viewers are free depends on the plan
- The MCP server is on the Team and Enterprise plans only
- AI use on paid plans draws on a monthly credit grant
Dataki and Hex at a glance
What each one asks of you, what it keeps, and where your data is queried.
| Row | DATAKI | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| How you ask a question | DATAKI Type the question in plain English. Dataki writes the SQL, runs it and draws the chart, and the SQL is shown with the answer for you to edit and re-run. | Hex Write SQL and Python in notebook cells, or ask the Notebook Agent. Business users with an Explorer seat ask in Threads. |
| Who can build | DATAKI Everyone on the team, whether or not they write SQL. Anyone can view a dashboard for free. | Hex Editors build notebooks and apps; Explorers explore and start Threads; Viewers open apps and shared Threads. |
| What you keep | DATAKI A live dashboard on a permanent link that refreshes on its own, with filters and a date range. | Hex A notebook project, and the data apps published from it. |
| Where the data is queried | DATAKI On your database or warehouse, through a read-only connection, when the question is asked or the dashboard refreshes. Uploaded CSV and Excel files are snapshots. | Hex SQL cells run against your warehouse connection, with Python cells alongside them. |
| Setup before the first chart | DATAKI Connect a source with a read-only user. No modelling layer: optional notes per source (metric definitions, joins, column warnings) that the model reads before it writes SQL. | Hex Connect a warehouse and open a project. Semantic models are optional, and Hex's agents prefer them when they exist. |
| AI assistants and MCP | DATAKI A remote MCP server on every plan: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and VS Code query your sources and save dashboards, and Claude draws the answers as charts. Credentials never reach the model. | Hex Notebook Agent, Threads and a Modeling Agent, plus a hosted MCP server on Team and Enterprise. |
| Embedding | DATAKI A <dataki-dashboard> web component, a React component or an iframe, with each of your customers limited to their own rows. | Hex Public, private and signed embedding of apps, with row-level security in signed embeds. |
| Pricing model | DATAKI By data sources and AI messages, not seats. Everyone on the team can build, and viewers are free. | Hex Per editor seat, with paid Explorer seats and AI credits; viewers free or paid by plan. |
Which one to choose
Choose Hex if…
- Your analysts work in SQL and Python and want both in one document.
- You build data apps with inputs and custom logic, not only dashboards.
- You maintain semantic models, or want an agent to help build them.
- Your warehouse is one Dataki does not connect to, such as Snowflake or Databricks.
Choose Dataki if…
- You want everyone to ask questions without buying each of them a seat.
- What people need to keep is a dashboard that stays current, not a notebook.
- You want viewers, including people outside the company, to open dashboards for free.
- You want Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to query your data on any plan, including the free one.
Questions about Hex and Dataki
- Is Dataki a replacement for Hex?
- For most analysts, no. Hex is a notebook for SQL and Python work; Dataki has no notebook, no Python and no cells. Dataki replaces the part of the job where an analyst answers a business question with a chart: the person asks in plain English, Dataki writes the SQL, and the answer is kept as a dashboard. Analysts can keep using Hex for deeper work on the same warehouse.
- Does Hex have AI?
- Yes. Hex's Notebook Agent generates and edits logic in notebooks, Threads gives non-technical users a conversational way to ask questions of curated data, and a Modeling Agent builds semantic models. Hex also has a hosted MCP server on its Team and Enterprise plans. AI use on paid plans draws on a monthly credit grant.
- Can Dataki connect to the same warehouses as Hex?
- Some. Dataki connects to Google BigQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Amazon Redshift, Supabase, Google Sheets and uploaded CSV or Excel files. Hex also connects to warehouses Dataki does not, including Snowflake and Databricks, so if your data lives there, Dataki cannot reach it.
- Who can use Dataki without a paid seat?
- Everyone. Dataki is priced on data sources and AI messages, not seats: everyone on your team can build, and anyone can view a dashboard for free. In Hex, authors and Explorers are paid seats, and whether viewers are free depends on the plan.
Try Dataki alongside Hex
Connect one data source on the free tier and ask it a question. It takes a few minutes, and dashboards you keep are free to share with as many people as you like.