Counts Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Still stuck building dashboards that feel too rigid?

If you’re evaluating analytics tools, you’ve probably hit the wall with static dashboards or code-heavy notebooks that slow down how you share insights and collaborate.

In my analysis of Counts, I found that slow, fragmented analysis workflows waste hours and kill momentum for data teams.

Counts flips this with a flexible, canvas-style workspace that lets you blend SQL, Python, charts, and text—plus real-time dbt integration—all in one visual flow. What stood out most to me is how the canvas helps your team create actual data narratives, not just static charts.

In this Counts review, I’ll break down how you can finally connect your analysis and collaboration without the messy back-and-forth you’re probably used to.

You’ll see the full picture: core features, pricing, implementation twists, and which alternatives actually stack up if you’re considering making a move.

You’ll walk away knowing the features you need to confidently choose or rule out Counts for your workflow.

Let’s get into the full review.

Counts Overview

Counts has been around since 2021, based in London. What impressed me during my research is their mission to redefine how modern data teams actually collaborate on analysis.

What sets them apart is a dedicated focus on modern tech-forward data teams, especially within SMB and mid-market companies that have adopted dbt. You’ll notice they’re not another generic BI tool for everyone.

A recent $5.7M seed round fuels significant product development. As I prepared this Counts review, their clear commitment to the analytics engineering community stood out to me.

Unlike rigid dashboards in Tableau or linear notebooks, Counts centers its workflow on a collaborative canvas for data storytelling. From my research, this feels purpose-built by analysts for analysts.

I’ve seen them used by analytics engineers and data analysts in growing tech companies. These are the teams who feel constrained by tools that separate logic from presentation.

My analysis shows their entire strategy is built around deep dbt integration and creating interactive narratives. This directly addresses your need for trusted, transparent reporting that moves beyond static dashboards.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

Counts Features

Static dashboards stifle your data storytelling.

Counts features are designed to redefine how you approach data analysis, blending the flexibility of notebooks with the clarity of dashboards. Here are the five main Counts features that can transform your data workflow.

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1. The Infinite Canvas Interface

Are rigid dashboards holding your insights hostage?

Traditional BI tools force your analysis into inflexible grids. This often makes it hard to tell a coherent data story, limiting how you present complex insights.

Counts provides a freeform, zoomable canvas where you can arrange SQL, charts, and text visually. From my testing, the ability to draw connectors between elements really helps guide stakeholders through your logic. This feature lets you build explorable data narratives.

You can present analysis with critical context, ensuring your audience understands not just the ‘what’ but also the ‘why’ behind your data.

2. Deep dbt Core™ Integration

Is your dbt context lost in translation?

Data teams using dbt often struggle to surface rich context like model definitions and relationships within their BI tools, leading to mistrust in reports.

Counts connects directly to your dbt project’s Git repo. What I love is how it displays dbt descriptions and dependencies directly on the canvas alongside your queries. This feature ensures your data documentation is always visible.

You gain a single source of truth, dramatically improving transparency and trust in your data models for every consumer of your analysis.

3. Reusable Logic and Components

Stop rewriting the same SQL over and over.

Analysts frequently copy-paste or rewrite identical SQL snippets across multiple reports, leading to inconsistencies and wasted time that could be spent on deeper analysis.

Any cell or group on a Counts canvas can become a “Component,” reusable across projects. From my evaluation, this feature works best when you define inputs to create flexible templates for common calculations. Updating a master component propagates changes everywhere.

This promotes a “Don’t Repeat Yourself” workflow, saving significant time and reducing the risk of errors from inconsistent analytical logic.

4. Hybrid SQL and Python Environment

Tired of switching between SQL and Python tools?

Your analytical workflow often requires both SQL for data fetching and Python for advanced statistical analysis, forcing you to jump between different applications.

Counts supports both SQL and Python cells on the same canvas. Here’s what impressed me most: you can reference SQL query outputs directly as pandas DataFrames in subsequent Python cells. This feature streamlines your entire workflow.

This means you can complete your full analytical process, from raw data pull to advanced transformations and visualizations, all within one unified environment.

5. Collaborative Workspace

Siloed analysis slows your team down.

Data analysis can become a solitary activity, making it hard to get real-time feedback or co-author reports without tedious back-and-forth communication.

Counts canvases offer real-time, Google Docs-style collaboration. From my testing, this feature really shines as multiple users can edit and comment simultaneously, seeing each other’s cursors. This eliminates communication delays.

You enable instant peer review, paired analytics sessions, and faster feedback loops with stakeholders, leading to higher-quality, more accurate, and more trusted analysis.

What I love about these Counts features is how they work together to create a holistic data storytelling platform. This unified environment helps you connect your analysis from data ingestion to interactive stakeholder sharing.

Counts Pricing

Unlock predictable software spending.

Counts pricing offers a transparent, three-tiered model based on Editor seats, making it straightforward to understand and budget for your data analytics needs.

Plan	Price & Features
**Free**	**$0** • 1 Editor seat • Unlimited Viewers • 1 data source connection • Community support
**Team**	**$75 per Editor / month (billed annually or monthly)** • Unlimited data source connections • Unlimited dbt Core™ projects • Counts API access • Scheduled report exports • Standard customer support
**Enterprise**	**Custom pricing – contact sales** • Advanced security (SSO, RBAC, audit logs) • Dedicated support channel • Private cloud/on-premise deployment • Everything in Team plan

1. Value Assessment

Great value for data teams.

What I found regarding Counts pricing is how its tiered approach, especially the unlimited free viewers, makes data distribution cost-effective. The per-Editor model scales naturally with your team, avoiding per-viewer charges common elsewhere. This means you can empower your entire organization with data insights without your budget exploding.

This flexible model ensures your investment directly reflects your analytical team’s size, not just broad company access.

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2. Trial/Demo Options

Smart evaluation options available.

Counts generously offers a full-featured Free Plan, which effectively acts as an extended trial for individuals and small teams. This allows you to explore its unique canvas interface and dbt integration without any upfront commitment or time limits. You can genuinely experience the core functionality and understand its fit.

This enables you to thoroughly evaluate the platform and its value before committing to any paid Counts pricing.

3. Plan Comparison

Choosing the best plan.

The Free Plan is perfect for initial exploration or solo projects, while the Team Plan unlocks crucial features like API access and unlimited dbt projects for growing teams. What stands out is how the Enterprise tier adds robust security options essential for larger, regulated organizations and private deployment needs.

This tiered structure helps you match the Counts pricing to your specific team size and compliance requirements precisely.

My Take: Counts’ pricing strategy is highly competitive for modern data teams, offering a strong free tier and clear per-editor costs that scale efficiently while making data sharing remarkably affordable.

The overall Counts pricing reflects transparent value for data-driven organizations.

Counts Reviews

What real users say about Counts.

I’ve analyzed numerous Counts reviews from various platforms to give you a transparent look at real user experiences. This section distills common feedback patterns, helping you understand what customers truly think about the software.

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1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users report high satisfaction.

From my review analysis, Counts maintains strong overall user satisfaction, especially for its innovative canvas approach and responsive support. What I found in user feedback is how positive sentiment outweighs the limited negative reviews, signaling a promising experience for early adopters. This pattern indicates that while it’s new, users are genuinely happy and see its long-term potential.

This suggests you can expect a generally positive onboarding and operational experience, benefiting from its unique data storytelling capabilities.

2. Common Praise Points

What users consistently love.

Customers frequently praise Counts’ unique flexible canvas, which actively breaks free from traditional rigid BI grids. From the reviews I analyzed, the freedom to tell complex data stories is a major differentiator for analysts. Users also consistently highlight the seamless dbt integration, seeing it as the “missing link” for their analytics workflow.

This means you can build comprehensive, visually linked data narratives directly from your dbt models for stakeholders.

3. Frequent Complaints

Common user frustrations.

While generally positive, some reviews note a learning curve, especially for those accustomed to rigid dashboarding tools. What stands out is how unlearning old habits takes initial time, as the canvas-based workflow demands a different mindset. Users occasionally mention requests for more advanced visualization options or finer control over chart aesthetics.

These complaints appear to be manageable initial hurdles rather than fundamental deal-breakers for most users.

Overall, Counts reviews reflect genuine user satisfaction with practical reservations about workflow adaptation. You can expect a powerful tool for modern data storytelling that grows with your team.

Best Counts Alternatives

Too many data tools blurring your vision?

Deciding between similar options can be tough. The best Counts alternatives include several strong contenders, each better suited for different analytical workflows, team sizes, and specific data governance needs. I’ll help you navigate these choices.

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1. Hex

Building interactive data apps with heavy Python?

Hex offers a very similar collaborative, notebook-style interface, emphasizing the creation and sharing of interactive data applications. From my competitive analysis, Hex excels for complex Python app logic, providing a platform better suited when your primary focus is developing and deploying data products. This alternative is a close contender.

Choose Hex if your team prioritizes building complex, app-like interactivity and heavily leverages Python for your core application logic.

2. Mode Analytics

Prefer a traditional, structured BI experience?

Mode Analytics is a more established alternative combining SQL, Python, and visualizations within a structured editor and report layout. What I found comparing options is that Mode provides a more mature enterprise platform with a wider range of features for larger organizations. This makes it a robust alternative for mature teams.

Choose Mode for a mature BI platform offering extensive enterprise features and a more traditional, structured report layout.

3. Looker (Google Cloud)

Single source of truth for non-technical users?

Looker is an enterprise BI platform focused on creating a governed semantic layer (LookML) for standardized, reliable reporting across an entire organization. Alternative-wise, Looker provides enterprise-grade data governance for hundreds of non-technical business users. It’s significantly more expensive, but for large-scale consistency, it shines.

Choose Looker for a governed, single source of truth for hundreds of non-technical self-service BI users.

4. Tableau (Salesforce)

Best-in-class data visualization is your priority?

Tableau leads in pure data visualization, offering a powerful drag-and-drop interface for creating polished, interactive dashboards. This alternative lacks Counts’ integrated SQL/dbt workflow, but Tableau excels at pixel-perfect executive dashboards. It’s generally more expensive per user, but delivers unparalleled visual clarity.

Choose Tableau when your top priority is crafting pixel-perfect, interactive dashboards and executive-level visualizations.

The best Counts alternatives depend on your specific team structure, analytical workflow, and budget. Evaluate your unique operational needs closely to find the perfect fit.

Setup & Implementation

Is your team ready for change?

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My Counts review dives into what deployment truly entails. This section offers a realistic analysis of the setup requirements and adoption journey, helping you prepare for a successful rollout.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Getting started with Counts?

Counts implementation, being cloud-based, offers a technically straightforward deployment. Initial setup connecting to your data warehouse (e.g., Snowflake) is wizard-driven and takes minutes. Integrating your dbt project simply requires read-only Git access. From my implementation analysis, your technical onboarding is remarkably quick, leaving more time for deeper strategic planning.

Prepare your team for the conceptual shift. Understanding the data storytelling canvas is key, not just technical setup, for smooth adoption.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Minimal technical roadblocks.

Counts is primarily cloud-based, so your technical requirements are minimal. You’ll mainly ensure network connectivity to your data warehouse (e.g., Snowflake). Its strong dbt integration means leveraging existing infrastructure. Implementation-wise, you’ll avoid heavy hardware investments, simplifying your IT readiness.

Your IT team needs to ensure standard data warehouse access and permissions. Focus on robust data governance and security protocols for data integrity.

3. Training & Change Management

Embracing a new data mindset.

Counts’ main learning curve is cultural; it’s about shifting from rigid dashboards to dynamic data storytelling on a canvas. Mastering this conceptual shift is key. From my analysis, prioritize training on data narrative building, not just tool features, for effective user adoption.

Invest in dedicated workshops and pilot projects. Champion early adopters to foster widespread enthusiasm and show the benefits of this new approach.

4. Support & Success Factors

Support can make all the difference.

Counts’ excellent customer support is a major asset, especially for a tool introducing a new workflow. Users consistently praise their responsiveness and partnership approach, critical for mastering data storytelling. What I found about deployment is that their proactive assistance simplifies the adoption journey, acting as a true success partner.

Leverage their support team actively during implementation. Establish internal champions to maintain momentum and provide ongoing peer guidance post-launch.

Overall, Counts implementation prioritizes a conceptual shift over complex technical hurdles. Your success will hinge on cultural readiness and proactive change management. Prepare to reimagine your data storytelling workflow for truly impactful insights.

Who’s Counts For

Is Counts the right fit for your data team?

This Counts review analyzes precisely who benefits most from this innovative data canvas. We’ll help you quickly determine if its unique approach aligns with your business profile, team structure, and primary analytical objectives.

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1. Ideal User Profile

Hands-on data professionals will thrive here.

Counts is designed for Analytics Engineers, Data Analysts, and Heads of Data comfortable with SQL and dbt. From my user analysis, “purple people” bridging data engineering and business gain significant value creating interactive data narratives. This software is built for those actively crafting insights and sharing the “why” behind the data.

You’ll find success if your team needs to explain complex data stories, not just present numbers, fostering deeper stakeholder understanding.

2. Business Size & Scale

Modern SMBs and mid-market teams, specifically.

This platform is ideal for tech-forward SMBs and mid-market companies (e.g., e-commerce, SaaS, fintech) that have adopted a modern data stack and leverage dbt for transformations. What I found about target users is that it’s less suited for large enterprises seeking heavily governed, traditional BI solutions.

Your business scale fits if you value agility and collaborative data exploration over rigid, enterprise-wide dashboarding.

3. Use Case Scenarios

Deep, contextual data storytelling is paramount.

Counts excels when your primary goal is exploratory analysis, root cause investigation, or building data-backed business cases. From my analysis, the software shines at combining queries, visuals, and text into a single, coherent document for sharing complex findings. It moves beyond static reporting.

You’ll benefit if your team needs to provide the “why” behind the “what,” enabling richer, narrative-driven insights.

4. Who Should Look Elsewhere

Businesses seeking traditional, rigid BI dashboards.

If your organization prioritizes a purely self-service, heavily templated dashboarding solution with minimal learning curve, Counts might not be your best fit. From my user analysis, some users noted a learning curve unlearning habits from traditional BI tools or desiring advanced chart aesthetics.

Consider other solutions if your primary need is strictly governed, standardized reporting across a very large, diverse user base.

Ultimately, your decision in this Counts review comes down to prioritizing flexible, narrative-driven data exploration over static dashboarding solutions.

Bottom Line

Counts offers a fresh perspective for data teams.

My comprehensive Counts review reveals a powerful new approach for analytics engineering, especially for dbt users. This assessment guides you through its unique value proposition and suitability for modern data teams.

1. Overall Strengths

Flexible canvas redefines data storytelling.

Counts excels by providing a collaborative canvas, liberating users from rigid BI grids. Its seamless dbt integration is a major differentiator, connecting data transformations directly to business narratives. Exceptional customer support further enhances the user experience, addressing queries swiftly and effectively, empowering your team.

These strengths empower teams to build richer data stories, fostering deeper understanding and faster decision-making across the organization.

2. Key Limitations

Embracing innovation requires adjustment.

The unique canvas workflow presents a learning curve, requiring users to unlearn traditional BI habits. While core visualizations are strong, advanced chart types need more refined controls. Occasional performance slowdowns can occur with extremely complex, large canvases, impacting your most intricate projects.

These are manageable trade-offs for its innovative approach, not deal-breakers, but require a realistic adoption mindset from your team.

3. Final Recommendation

Counts is ideal for forward-thinking teams.

You should choose Counts if your team uses dbt and seeks a collaborative, narrative-driven analytics platform beyond traditional dashboards. It bridges the gap between data logic and business insights, making it perfect for tech-forward SMB/mid-market data teams prioritizing flexibility and innovation in their workflow.

My confident recommendation is to explore Counts’ unique canvas workflow through a demo to truly see its transformative potential.

This comprehensive Counts review underscores its significant value for modern data teams eager to innovate beyond traditional BI tools. My assessment offers confidence in its potential to transform your data analytics approach.