Dataki vs Mode
A Mode alternative where anyone can ask the warehouse in plain English
Mode pairs a SQL editor with Python and R notebooks, reports, and datasets that non-analysts can explore visually; it has been part of ThoughtSpot since 2023. Dataki handles the questions that would otherwise land in an analyst's queue: anyone asks in plain English, Dataki answers straight from the warehouse, and the answer stays live as a dashboard.
Why Dataki?
- Business users ask in plain English and Dataki writes the SQL. No queue, no ticket.
- Every answer shows its SQL, editable, so analysts can review it.
- Ask about any table on day one: Dataki reads the schema and writes the query for the question asked.
- Priced on data sources and AI messages. Viewers are free.
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Where Mode stands
What it does well
- A SQL editor with reports built on the query results
- Python and R notebooks on the same results
- Datasets and Visual Explorer for exploring without code
- Scheduled reports, with email and Slack sharing
Trade-offs to weigh
- Reports start from SQL written in the editor
- Code-free exploration works from datasets an analyst has published
- AI Assist is turned on account by account, on request
- Paid plans are quoted after a demo rather than published
Dataki and Mode at a glance
How each one works, what you keep, and where your data is queried.
| Row | DATAKI | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| How you ask a question | DATAKI Type a question in plain English. Dataki writes the SQL, runs it and charts the answer, with the SQL right there to edit and re-run. | Mode Write SQL in the editor and extend it in Python or R. AI Assist writes and fixes SQL from comments. |
| Who can build | DATAKI Everyone on the team, SQL or no SQL. Viewers are free and unlimited. | Mode Analysts write SQL and build reports; business users explore published datasets and reports. |
| What you keep | DATAKI A live dashboard on a permanent link that refreshes on its own, with filters and a date range. | Mode A report of queries, charts and notebooks, shared or sent on a schedule. |
| Where the data is queried | DATAKI Live on your database or warehouse, read-only, every time a question is asked or a dashboard refreshes. CSV and Excel uploads update when you upload a new export. | Mode SQL runs against your warehouse. Datasets are cached in Mode's own engine for exploration. |
| Setup before the first chart | DATAKI Connect a source with a read-only user and start asking. Add metric definitions, joins and column notes per source whenever you like; Dataki reads them before it writes SQL. | Mode Connect a warehouse. An analyst writes the queries, or publishes the datasets others explore. |
| 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 shows the answers as charts. Credentials stay inside Dataki. | Mode AI Assist for SQL in the editor, enabled per account on request. |
| Embedding | DATAKI A <dataki-dashboard> web component, a React component or an iframe, with each of your customers seeing only their own data. | Mode Internal embeds, and white-label embeds through signed URLs. |
| Pricing model | DATAKI By data sources and AI messages. Everyone on the team builds, and viewers are free. | Mode Studio is free for individuals; Pro and Enterprise are quoted after a demo. |
Which one fits your team
Choose Mode if…
- Your analysts work in SQL and want Python or R on the same results.
- You want curated datasets that business users explore by dragging fields.
- You already run ThoughtSpot, or plan to.
- Your warehouse sits outside the sources Dataki connects to.
Choose Dataki if…
- Most requests to your analysts are questions a single sentence could ask.
- You want every answer kept as a dashboard the moment it arrives.
- You want Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to query your warehouse through a secure, read-only connection.
- You want pricing that stays flat however many people read the dashboards.
Questions about Mode and Dataki
- Is Dataki a replacement for Mode?
- For the requests that reach your analysts, yes. In Dataki the person with the question asks it in plain English, Dataki writes and runs the SQL on the warehouse, and the answer is kept as a live dashboard. Analysts who want SQL, Python and R in one report can keep Mode for that work.
- Does Mode have AI?
- Yes. Mode's AI Assist generates SQL from natural-language comments in the editor, fills in joins and conditions, and fixes syntax. Mode turns it on account by account, on request. Dataki writes the whole query from a plain-English question and shows it for review.
- Can business users explore data in Mode without SQL?
- Yes, from datasets. An analyst writes SQL once and publishes it as a dataset, and others explore it with Visual Explorer: dragging fields, filtering and changing chart types. In Dataki, the business user asks the question and Dataki writes the SQL, so no dataset has to exist first.
- Can Dataki connect to the same warehouse as Mode?
- Dataki connects to Google BigQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Amazon Redshift, Supabase, Google Sheets and uploaded CSV or Excel files, always through a read-only connection. Snowflake, Databricks and SQL Server are not among them.
Try Dataki alongside Mode
Your first month is free. Connect a data source 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.