EVALUATION GUIDE

Data Catalog Comparison Guide

Most teams choosing a data catalog in 2026 shortlist from three groups:

Enterprise governance suitesCollibra, Alation

Modern SaaS catalogsAtlan, Secoda, data.world

Open sourceOpenMetadata

Dawiso sits between the first two: governance for the whole business that people outside the data team actually use, live in weeks, with public pricing and a context layer for AI.

Book a Demo

Samuel Nagy VP of Strategic Growth Updated October 12, 2026 Published March 25, 2026 Competitor data verified as of October 2026

Trusted by leading enterprises

SHORTLIST IN 60 SECONDS

Which data catalog is right for you?

Seven data catalog tools, one question each: who is it built for? Start here, then check the details in the comparison matrix below.

Choose Dawiso if…

Your data catalog should double as a context layer for AI, with a knowledge graph, data modeling and MCP built in
You want one place for data assets, business terms, metrics and AI use cases, not just metadata tables
People outside the data team need to find and trust data, not only engineers
Transparent, user-based pricing matters to you, with no hidden fees or mandatory implementation costs
You need to go live in weeks, with a tool your team picks up without a training army

Look elsewhere if…

You want a free, self-hosted open-source tool that your engineers will run themselves, and you are ready to budget for the hosting, upgrades and engineering time that come with it
Your catalog only has to serve engineers inside one platform and is not meant for the wider business. A native catalog such as Unity Catalog or Purview may be enough
You only need to document a handful of tables for a small team, and your BI tool or a shared spreadsheet already does the job

Considering another tool?

Choose Collibra if…

You run a large, process-heavy governance program with formal stewardship workflows, and you have the budget and partner support for a multi-month implementation.

See the full Dawiso vs Collibra comparison →

How we built this comparison

I put this comparison together with the Dawiso team, so read it knowing who wrote it. The criteria come from the questions buyers ask us in real evaluations, and the competitor cells are based on each vendor's public documentation. "Partially" means the capability exists but needs an add-on, a partner or custom work. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

Samuel Nagy, VP of Strategic Growth

Coverage at a Glance

98%

58/59 features

63%

37/59 features

64%

38/59 features

69%

41/59 features

58%

34/59 features

54%

32/59 features

63%

37/59 features

Core Comparison

Key differentiators across all platforms

Data Catalog

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Business Glossary

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Data Modeling

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

Knowledge Graph

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

AI Chatbot

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata No

AI-driven Domain Creation

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata No

On-premises Support

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

EU AI Act Compliance

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world No

Open Metadata No

ISO 27001 Certificate

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Transparent Pricing

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Yes

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Built for Business Users

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Partial

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

Fast Adoption

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation Partial

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

Low-code Experience

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
Data Catalog	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Business Glossary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes
Data Modeling	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Partially
Knowledge Graph	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Partially
AI Chatbot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
AI-driven Domain Creation	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
On-premises Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
EU AI Act Compliance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	No	No
ISO 27001 Certificate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Transparent Pricing	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Built for Business Users	Yes	No	No	No	Partially	No	Partially
Fast Adoption	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Low-code Experience	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No

Features

Core capabilities for metadata management, data modeling, and governance.

Data Catalog

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Business Glossary

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Interactive Data Lineage

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Automated Metadata Scanning

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Role-based control / ownership

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Collaboration & commenting

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Custom workflows

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

API availability

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Data product support

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Data modeling

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

Conceptual modeling

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

AI models governance

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Partial

Data quality integration

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Knowledge graph

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
Data Catalog	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Business Glossary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes
Interactive Data Lineage	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
Automated Metadata Scanning	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Role-based control / ownership	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Collaboration & commenting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
Custom workflows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
API availability	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Data product support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Partially	Yes
Data modeling	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Partially
Conceptual modeling	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Partially
AI models governance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Partially	Partially
Data quality integration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
Knowledge graph	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Partially

AI & Automation

AI-powered features that accelerate documentation, discovery, and workflows.

AI-assisted documentation

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Partial

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

AI search / recommendation

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

AI Chatbot

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata No

AI-driven domain creation

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata No

Fully customizable automated workflow notifications

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation Partial

Atlan Partial

Secoda Partial

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

Automatically ingest metadata

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Automated impact analysis

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
AI-assisted documentation	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AI search / recommendation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AI Chatbot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
AI-driven domain creation	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Fully customizable automated workflow notifications	Yes	No	Partially	Partially	Partially	Yes	Partially
Automatically ingest metadata	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Automated impact analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Deployment & Integration

Cloud, on-prem, and hybrid options plus connectors to your data stack.

Custom scanner development

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

SaaS/cloud deployment

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

On-premises support

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Hybrid deployment

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with Snowflake

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with Azure

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with dbt

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with BI tools (e.g.,Tableau, Power BI)

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with Keboola

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Integration with Jira

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with Slack

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Integration with Teams

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
Custom scanner development	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Partially	Yes
SaaS/cloud deployment	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
On-premises support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
Hybrid deployment	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with Snowflake	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with Azure	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes
Integration with dbt	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with BI tools (e.g.,Tableau, Power BI)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with Keboola	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Integration with Jira	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with Slack	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with Teams	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Usability & Adoption

How quickly teams can onboard, customize, and see real value.

Built for business users in mind

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Partial

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

Ease of Use

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation Partial

Atlan Partial

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Partial

Highly customizable

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Partial

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Yes

Customer support

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Partial

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Custom apps development

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

Fast adoption

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation Partial

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

Marketplace availability

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Academy, training, guidance

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
Built for business users in mind	Yes	No	No	No	Partially	No	Partially
Ease of Use	Yes	No	Partially	Partially	Yes	Partially	Partially
LLM powered search functionality	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	No
Search by customizable tags	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Data dictionary component	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slack integration	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Modern UI	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ability to create nested documents and establish folder hierarchy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	No	No
Ability to implement immediately	Yes	Partially	Partially	Partially	Yes	Yes	No
Live support and training	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Highly customizable	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes
Low-code experience	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Custom attributes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Configurable workflows	Yes	Partially	Partially	Partially	Yes	Partially	Partially
UI customization	Yes	Partially	Partially	Partially	No	Partially	Partially
Custom apps or modules	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Access control customization	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom integrations	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Automation & scripting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	Partially	Yes
Out of the box integrations with modern cloud warehouses	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Out of the box integrations with modern data stack tooling	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
API access to create custom integrations	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
API access to build data discovery process into existing workflows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customer support	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom apps development	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Fast adoption	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Low setup / implementation time (weeks, not months)	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Minimal training needed (intuitive UI, simple onboarding)	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Prebuilt connectors and automations (plug-and-play data integration)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
No-code or low-code configurability (doesn't require heavy IT support)	Yes	Partially	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Role-specific experiences (clear value for business users and data teams alike)	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Quick time-to-value (organizations can start seeing impact within 30-60 days)	Yes	No	Partially	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
Marketplace availability	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Academy, training, guidance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	Yes	Yes

Ready to see Dawiso in action?

See how Dawiso compares in a live, personalized walkthrough.

Compliance & Governance

Regulatory frameworks, certifications, and security standards.

EU AI Act compliance

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Partial

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Other compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, BCBS 239)

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

SOC 2 Type II Cybersecurity compliance

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata No

ISO 27001 Security Certificate

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

ISO 27018 Security Certificate

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation No

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
EU AI Act compliance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially	No	No
Other compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, BCBS 239)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partially
SOC 2 Type II Cybersecurity compliance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
ISO 27001 Security Certificate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
ISO 27018 Security Certificate	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No

Pricing & Scalability

Pricing transparency, SME suitability, and hidden cost comparison.

Transparent pricing

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Yes

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Base plan price up to 445€/month

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Yes

data.world No

Open Metadata No

Suitable for SMEs

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Yes

data.world Partial

Open Metadata Partial

Implementation fees

Dawiso No

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda No

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Partial

Unlimited integrations

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

Unlimited data sets

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda Yes

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

Flexible, user-based pricing

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Partial

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
Transparent pricing	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Base plan price up to 445€/month	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Suitable for SMEs	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Partially	Partially
Implementation fees	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partially
Unlimited integrations	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Unlimited data sets	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Flexible, user-based pricing	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Partially

Export Capabilities

Supported formats for exporting data, diagrams, and documentation.

MS Excel

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

REST API

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation Yes

Atlan Yes

Secoda Yes

data.world Yes

Open Metadata Yes

DB API

Dawiso Yes

Collibra Yes

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

Word

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata No

PDF

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

PNG (diagrams)

Dawiso Yes

Collibra No

Alation No

Atlan No

Secoda No

data.world No

Open Metadata Yes

Feature	Dawiso	Collibra	Alation	Atlan	Secoda	data.world	Open Metadata
MS Excel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
REST API	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DB API	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Word	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
PDF	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
PNG (diagrams)	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes

PROOF BEHIND THE CHECKMARKS

Results from real data catalog rollouts

A table can only say yes or no. These numbers come from our customers' own case studies.

Live in weeks 78 days from kickoff to a fully operational solution, moving data governance off spreadsheets.

Read the case study → Business adoption Bank-wide Employees across the bank work with its ~4,000 internal standards in Dawiso, and the vast majority come back regularly. AI Search answers their questions in plain language, with cited sources.

Read the case study → Context layer for AI 9,000+ MCP calls during implementation, across 681,000 governed objects priced per user, not per object.

Read the case study → Out of open source ~60 days to move from DataHub, with 100,000+ Databricks objects and 300+ bilingual business terms.

Read the case study →

Why Dawiso stands out

Key capabilities that set Dawiso apart from other data catalogs.

Context Layer for AI

Connect data assets, business terms, metrics and AI use cases in one place. Knowledge graph, data modeling, and MCP built in.

Transparent Pricing

User-based pricing with unlimited connectors and tables included. Plans start from 445€/month and scale without budget surprises.

Fast Adoption

Go live in weeks, not months. Intuitive UI, low-code customization, and minimal training needed for both business and technical users.

One-on-one comparisons

Go beyond the overview. Each guide breaks down the differences that matter most for your team.

Dawiso vs Collibra

Starting your search or stuck with a heavy solution? Compare before costly complexity sets in.

See comparison →

Dawiso vs Alation

Find out why teams choose Dawiso for easier setup, transparent pricing, and better ease of use.

See comparison →

Dawiso vs OpenMetadata

Open-source sounds appealing until hidden costs kick in. See why teams choose Dawiso.

See comparison →

Frequently Asked Questions

Cost, implementation time, open source and AI: the questions buyers ask when comparing data catalogs. Can't find yours? Contact us.

How much does a data catalog cost?

It depends less on the tool than on how it is priced. Enterprise governance suites are sold through custom quotes and services-led rollouts, and six-figure annual contracts are common. Modern SaaS catalogs usually price by tier, with the advanced AI features in the top tier. Open-source catalogs are free to license, but you pay in hosting, upgrades and engineering time. Native catalogs such as Microsoft Purview are billed by consumption on top of your cloud bill.

Ask every vendor the same three questions: what does one user cost, what makes the bill grow (sources, assets, tables or connectors), and what will the implementation cost? Dawiso publishes its pricing. Plans start from 445€ a month, priced per user, with unlimited connectors and tables included. See Dawiso pricing.

How long does it take to implement a data catalog?

Anything from a few weeks to more than a year. Large enterprise governance programs often run 6 to 12 months before the wider business uses the catalog, because the rollout depends on services, workflow design and stakeholder sign-off. Modern SaaS catalogs and Dawiso usually show first value within weeks. P3 Parks went from kickoff to a fully operational Dawiso in 78 days, and Bertel O. Steen moved over from DataHub in about 60 days. With open source, the timeline depends on your own engineering capacity.

Whatever you choose, start with one or two use cases that have a clear owner, rather than trying to catalog everything at once.

Open source or commercial data catalog: what is the real difference?

Mostly where the cost sits. OpenMetadata and DataHub are free to download and powerful in the hands of a strong engineering team. You then host and scale a multi-service stack, apply upgrades, maintain connectors and support users yourself, and several advanced and AI features, including managed MCP and agents, sit in the vendors' paid cloud editions. A commercial catalog includes hosting, support, onboarding for business users and a roadmap you do not have to staff.

If your catalog mainly serves engineers and you have the people to run it, open source can be the right call. If it has to serve the wider business, the total cost of ownership usually favors a managed product.

Do we need a data catalog if we already have Microsoft Purview or Unity Catalog?

Not always. If your data lives almost entirely in one platform and the catalog only has to serve engineers there, the native catalog may be enough, and it is a good one. Two things usually tip the balance. The first is reach: most estates mix platforms, with Databricks or Snowflake next to Power BI, dbt and an SAP or Oracle system of record, and a native catalog governs only its own slice. The second is ownership: business definitions that matter need a named owner, an approval and a version history, and they should not be locked into one vendor's platform. Dawiso works alongside native catalogs rather than replacing them, and on Databricks it writes governed metadata back into Unity Catalog.

Which data catalogs support MCP and AI agents?

In 2026 most of them do, in different ways. Dawiso ships a managed, production MCP server with read and write access from the Corporate plan, and AI agents for documentation and stewardship in every plan. Atlan, Alation, Collibra and Secoda have each released an MCP server, and their more advanced agentic features tend to sit in higher tiers or separate modules. OpenMetadata and DataHub offer open-source MCP servers that you host yourself, with managed versions in their paid clouds.

When you compare, ask three things: can the MCP server write back as well as read, who hosts and maintains it, and which plan includes it?

Where should we start if we are new to data governance?

With the problem you have today, not the one you expect in three years. Teams early in their governance maturity often buy the most complex suite on the shortlist and then struggle to get anyone to use it. A simpler tool that people actually adopt will take you further than a powerful one that stays empty.

Before you compare features, answer four questions. Who needs access, and how many people is that? Which two or three use cases come first? What does your data stack look like? Can your team carry the implementation you are considering?