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Lightdash vs Umami

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Lightdash and Umami — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Lightdash vs Umami: at a glance

FeatureLightdashUmami
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score6.30.0
Sparks · 30d10
Top themesbusiness intelligence, semantic layer, ai agents, mcpweb analytics, session replay, dashboards, security patches
Last editorial update3d ago3mo ago
Website—Visit →

What is Lightdash?

Lightdash opens AI-built chart types to every cloud user, through the app or MCP.

Lightdash is an open-source BI layer that is turning its semantic layer into a workspace for AI agents. Chart Studio, where users describe a chart and Lightdash builds a reusable project-level chart type, is now available to all cloud users, including from Claude through the Lightdash MCP. It follows agent skills, which let teams save parameterized analysis procedures.

Read the full Lightdash trajectory →

What is Umami?

Umami spent late 2025 patching Next.js CVEs, then shipped Boards and Session Replay in v3.1.0.

The window splits sharply. Four of six releases are December 2025 patches across the v2 and v3 lines, all responding to the same Next.js and React security advisories plus Docker build breakage — several shipped within days of each other because the first fix updated Next.js without the affected React versions. Then v3.1.0 in April 2026 delivered custom dashboards as Boards, Session Replay, Web Vitals performance tracking, a redesigned share page, and a large batch of fixes.

Read the full Umami trajectory →

Lightdash vs Umami: editorial side-by-side

L
Lightdash
ANALYTICS
6.3

Lightdash opens AI-built chart types to every cloud user, through the app or MCP.

◆ Current state

Lightdash is an open-source BI layer that is turning its semantic layer into a workspace for AI agents. Chart Studio, where users describe a chart and Lightdash builds a reusable project-level chart type, is now available to all cloud users, including from Claude through the Lightdash MCP. It follows agent skills, which let teams save parameterized analysis procedures.

◆ Where it's heading

Lightdash is moving AI from answering questions to extending the product itself: custom chart types, reusable agent skills, and native YAML that removes dbt as a prerequisite. Governance features such as verified content give teams a way to trust what the agents produce.

◆ Prediction

Expect more agent features exposed through MCP, so external assistants can create and govern Lightdash content, and a shared library for Chart Studio chart types.

Umami logo
Umami
ANALYTICS
0.0

Umami spent late 2025 patching Next.js CVEs, then shipped Boards and Session Replay in v3.1.0.

◆ Current state

The window splits sharply. Four of six releases are December 2025 patches across the v2 and v3 lines, all responding to the same Next.js and React security advisories plus Docker build breakage — several shipped within days of each other because the first fix updated Next.js without the affected React versions. Then v3.1.0 in April 2026 delivered custom dashboards as Boards, Session Replay, Web Vitals performance tracking, a redesigned share page, and a large batch of fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

The security cluster is a framework dependency showing its cost — an analytics tool inheriting its release schedule from Next.js advisories. v3.1.0 is where product work resumes, and its content is telling: Session Replay and Web Vitals move Umami past pageview counting into behaviour and performance, which is the territory occupied by heavier commercial analytics rather than the lightweight privacy-first tools it grew up alongside.

◆ Prediction

Expect the next releases to build on Boards and Session Replay rather than return to the counting core, since both are new surfaces that arrived with a single release and no follow-up yet.

Alternatives to Lightdash and Umami

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Lightdash or Umami.

See all Lightdash alternatives → · See all Umami alternatives →

Recent activity from Lightdash and Umami

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 7d agoLightdash🧩 Chart Studio, now available for all cloud users
  2. 23d agoLightdash🎓 Teach your AI agents reusable skills ⚡
  3. 1mo agoLightdash🪆 Explore nested and repeated columns
  4. 1mo agoLightdash✅ Promote, own, and find verified content
  5. 1mo agoLightdash🔌 Test your warehouse connection before you save it
  6. 1mo agoLightdash💬 A comments panel for your dashboards
  7. 6mo agoUmamiv3.1.0: Boards, Session Replay and Web Vitals ⚡
  8. 10mo agoUmamiv3.0.3: Next.js security patch
  9. 10mo agoUmamiv2.20.2: Next.js security patch for the v2 line
  10. 10mo agoUmamiv2.20.1: React version fix and Docker build repairs
  11. 10mo agoUmamiv2.20.0: Next.js CVE fix for the v2 line
  12. 10mo agoUmamiv3.0.2: Next.js RSC vulnerability patch and UI fixes

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Lightdash and Umami?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Lightdash is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Lightdash better than Umami?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Lightdash is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Lightdash?

Top Lightdash alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Lightdash alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/lightdash for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Umami?

Top Umami alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Umami alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/umami for the full list with editorial commentary on each.