Are you considering Alation as a data catalog for your company? Alation is recognized as a leader in the data catalog space, but if you're looking for an agile, AI-ready, and cost-effective alternative, there is definitely a better choice. In this article, we will dive deeper into the total cost of ownership of a data catalog and how much you would spend when choosing Alation.
Alation's pricing structure encompasses several factors that significantly impact the total cost of ownership. Understanding these elements is essential for organizations evaluating Alation as their data catalog solution. Key considerations include licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing support expenses, all of which can vary based on organizational needs and scale. Taking these factors into account enables businesses to make informed decisions and effectively budget for their data management initiatives.
Alation, founded in 2012, was an early entrant in the modern data catalog market. Today, it positions itself as a data intelligence platform that combines cataloging, governance, lineage, collaboration, and AI-assisted automation to help organizations discover, manage, and use their data. Its capabilities range from metadata search and policy management to broad integrations with data warehouses, lakes, and analytics tools.
Features of Alation
A common misconception among buyers is that higher-priced data catalogs automatically offer better value. It’s hard to navigate in a crowded market with inconsistent pricing pages and tiered feature sets. But license cost rarely reflects total cost.
The pricing structures can hide a lot. Some catalogs introduce usage-based charges that scale aggressively.
To properly assess data catalog pricing, you need to look beyond the surface and evaluate three key cost drivers:
When comparing data catalogs, consider how its pricing is structured. Most solutions align with common SaaS enterprise pricing approaches (subscription-based, consumption-based, or a hybrid…), but the cost dynamics can differ greatly between product types.
These vendors typically use a tiered subscription model based on the number of users (or user roles), plus additional fees for connectors, advanced governance modules, or AI features. Pricing is often negotiated and can involve significant customization and implementation costs, making the total cost of ownership much higher than the base license.
Often priced with more transparent per-user or per-feature tiers, these platforms aim to deliver enterprise-grade capabilities at a lower entry point. They usually bundle essential features in the base subscription, reducing the need for costly add-ons, and keep implementation times shorter.
These follow a usage-based model, charging for the number of scanned assets, API calls, data processing hours, or similar metrics. They can be cost-efficient for smaller deployments or occasional use, but costs may scale rapidly in high-volume environments.
Free to license but not “free” to run. These rely on in-house teams for hosting, configuration, and maintenance. While there’s no subscription fee, the cost is in engineering time and infrastructure, making them viable mainly for organizations with strong technical resources.
Though Alation does not publish flat-rate pricing online, several insights help us infer its approach:
Together, these clearly indicate that Alation employs a tiered subscription model alongside various add-ons for:
That aligns with enterprise SaaS norms: a fixed base package, scaled by user count and enhanced through optional add-ons or professional services.
A procurement document from the State of Maryland evaluates Alation alongside other platforms and includes a concrete cost estimate for Alation:
This provides a rare, real-world example of what a substantial enterprise deployment might cost, much higher than the “entry-level” figures often quoted in marketing materials.
Another example offers a look at this table. Public procurement frameworks like the UK’s G Cloud 14 occasionally provide rare, granular pricing breakdowns that are invaluable when assessing vendor models. The FY23 Price List (02/01/22) includes the following illustrative rates:
From a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, Alation’s pricing structure can pose challenges for some organizations. Deployments often require specialist support rather than a straightforward self-service setup, which can extend implementation timelines and delay time-to-value. Customer feedback also points to additional charges for essential connectors or governance features, which can significantly increase the final bill.
While Alation has explored new models such as asset-based pricing to lower entry costs, scaling the platform’s use can still lead to higher ongoing expenses. For enterprises with complex and evolving tech stacks, the platform’s flexibility and speed of adoption are key factors to weigh alongside the headline license cost.
Dawiso can fulfill the same requirements as Alation and more. That means you get the same functional value as with established vendors.
There is a big difference in the pricing. Dawiso uses a transparent, user-based model where everything is included in the per-user price. That means no extra charges for connectors, governance modules, or AI features. This makes budgeting predictable and eliminates the surprise add-on costs that can inflate the total cost of ownership with other platforms.
Full details on Dawiso’s pricing plans are available at dawiso.com/pricing.
While both platforms provide enterprise-grade features such as data cataloging, governance, and lineage, Alation’s pricing is typically structured as a tiered enterprise subscription with potential add-on costs for connectors and advanced modules. Dawiso, on the other hand, offers a straightforward per-user price with all features included, making the total cost of ownership more predictable.
Key drivers include the number of users or seats, the volume and type of data sources integrated, the need for specialized connectors, and the level of implementation and support required. Usage-based models may also increase costs as the data environment grows.
No. Higher pricing can reflect brand reputation, implementation complexity, or bundled services, but it doesn’t always equate to greater business value. It’s important to assess feature coverage, adoption speed, and ongoing costs rather than focusing on license fees alone.
Dawiso’s per-user model includes all features, connectors, and governance capabilities in the listed price. This reduces complexity in budgeting and avoids unexpected costs as the platform scales.
Keep reading and take a deeper dive into our most recent content on metadata management and beyond:
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