Overview
dbt, developed by dbt Labs, is a transformation tool that turns SQL select statements into tables and views inside a data warehouse. dbt Core is open source and runs from the command line, while the managed dbt platform adds a hosted development environment, scheduling and governance features.
Analytics engineers use it to build modular, tested data models on top of warehouses such as Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks and Redshift. It has become a standard layer in the modern data stack between ingestion and BI tools.
Key features
- SQL modelsDefine transformations as select statements with Jinja templating and macros.
- Dependency graphBuilds models in the correct order based on references between them.
- Data testsAssert uniqueness, nulls, relationships and custom rules on every run.
- DocumentationGenerates a browsable documentation site with lineage.
- PackagesReuse community packages for common transformations and utilities.
- Semantic layerDefine metrics once and query them consistently from downstream tools.
Best for
- Analytics engineers maintaining warehouse data models
- Data teams adopting version control, code review and CI for SQL
- Organisations standardising metric definitions across BI tools
Pricing
Open source. dbt Core is free and open source; the managed dbt platform offers a free single-developer plan and paid per-seat team and enterprise plans.
| Plan | What you get |
|---|---|
| dbt Core | Open-source command-line tool you run and schedule yourself. |
| Developer | Free managed plan for a single developer. |
| Starter | Paid per-seat plan for small teams with hosted scheduling. |
| Enterprise | Governance, security and multi-project features with custom pricing. |
Prices and plan limits change often. Check the official website for current pricing. Last reviewed Oct 3, 2026.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Brings testing, version control and documentation to SQL work
- Large community and package ecosystem
- Works with all major cloud warehouses
Cons
- Handles transformation only; ingestion and orchestration need other tools
- Large projects need discipline to keep model sprawl and run times in check
- Managed platform costs scale with seats and usage
dbt alternatives
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Try dbt
dbt Core is free and open source; the managed dbt platform offers a free single-developer plan and paid per-seat team and enterprise plans.