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Hex

Collaborative data analytics notebooks for teams and analysts

Free | Freemium | Paid | Enterprise ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4.4/5 📊 Data & Analytics 🕒 Updated
Visit Hex ↗ Official website
Quick Verdict

Hex is a collaborative data & analytics notebook platform combining SQL, Python, and R in shareable interactive reports and dashboards; it suits data teams and analysts who need reproducible, query-first workflows and embedded apps. Hex offers a usable Free tier for personal projects and seat-based paid plans for teams (pricing scales per user), making it practical for small teams and enterprises alike.

Hex is a collaborative data & analytics notebook platform that blends SQL, Python, and R into interactive reports and dashboards. It lets analysts run warehouse-backed queries, build visualizations, and turn notebooks into shareable apps. Hex’s key differentiator is notebook-first collaboration with row-level permissioning and direct warehouse pushdown, making it well suited for data teams, product analysts, and analytics engineers. The platform offers a Free tier for personal use and paid, seat-based plans that scale to teams and enterprises, enabling predictable per-user pricing and admin controls.

About Hex

Hex is a data & analytics notebook and collaboration platform founded in 2020, positioned to bridge SQL-first analytics with modern data science workflows. Built for teams that rely on cloud data warehouses, Hex emphasizes reproducibility and operational analytics: notebooks can contain SQL queries, Python, and R cells that run against Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, and other warehouses. Hex’s product goal is to replace disconnected SQL editors, BI dashboards, and ad-hoc Python scripts with a single environment where analyses are versioned, documented, and easily shared with stakeholders.

Hex’s feature set focuses on pragmatic analytics capabilities. Notebooks support mixed-language cells (SQL, Python, R) and let users push SQL logic down to the warehouse for efficiency. Visualizations include a chart builder plus programmatic Vega support and the ability to create interactive parameterized components for end-users. Data connections include native connectors to Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Postgres and S3, with credential management and query profiling. Collaboration features include shared projects, per-notebook permissions, version history and snapshotting, embedded dashboards, and scheduled runs to operationalize reports. Hex also exposes API endpoints and run tokens to trigger notebooks programmatically for automation use cases.

Pricing is tiered: Hex offers a Free tier with core notebook features for individuals; paid plans move to per-seat pricing with team and enterprise controls. The Free tier supports limited projects and public sharing appropriate for experimentation. Paid tiers (team/business) add private projects, unlimited viewers on dashboards, scheduled jobs, SSO and role-based access; enterprise adds audit logs, dedicated support, and custom contracts. Exact paid prices vary by seat count and billing cadence; Hex lists contact options for enterprise negotiation and often requires annual commitments for larger deployments (prices noted here are approximate; consult hex.tech/pricing for current figures).

Hex is used by analytics engineers and data teams to produce reproducible analyses and production dashboards. Example users include a Product Analyst using Hex to deliver interactive cohort analyses and reduce ad-hoc report time from days to hours, and an Analytics Engineer using Hex to codify ETL validation checks and push query logic to Snowflake. Teams also embed Hex apps into internal portals for ops dashboards. In many workflows Hex competes with Mode for SQL-first analytics and Observable for interactive visual notebooks, but Hex skews toward warehouse pushdown and seat-based team governance.

What makes Hex different

Three capabilities that set Hex apart from its nearest competitors.

  • Notebook-first model that pushes SQL query execution down to the warehouse for efficiency and cost control.
  • Per-notebook permissions and snapshot versioning that enable secure sharing and reproducible audit trails.
  • Built-in embeddable apps and parameterized components to convert analyses into interactive internal tools directly.

Is Hex right for you?

✅ Best for
  • Analytics teams who need reproducible SQL + Python workflows
  • Product analysts who require interactive, shareable cohort dashboards
  • Analytics engineers who want warehouse pushdown and query profiling
  • Data teams that need embedable apps with role-based access
❌ Skip it if
  • Skip if you require low-cost BI for non-technical users only.
  • Skip if you need on-premise installation rather than cloud-hosted services.

✅ Pros

  • Combines SQL, Python, and R in one notebook for unified workflows
  • Native cloud warehouse connectors (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) with pushdown
  • Embeddable interactive apps and parameter controls for stakeholders

❌ Cons

  • Paid plans are seat-based and can become costly as headcount grows
  • Non-technical stakeholders may need guidance to use parameterized notebooks

Hex Pricing Plans

Current tiers and what you get at each price point. Verified against the vendor's pricing page.

Plan Price What you get Best for
Free Free Limited projects, public sharing, personal workspace, community support Individuals experimenting and learning Hex
Team $18/mo/user (approx.) Private projects, scheduled runs, SSO, 5GB storage per user (approx.) Small analytics teams needing governance
Business $45/mo/user (approx.) Unlimited viewers, audit logs, priority support, larger storage Mid-size teams with security needs
Enterprise Custom Custom SLA, dedicated support, SSO & SCIM, advanced compliance Large orgs requiring contract terms

Best Use Cases

  • Product Analyst using it to deliver interactive cohort dashboards within hours
  • Analytics Engineer using it to codify ETL tests and run nightly validations
  • Data Scientist using it to prototype models and share parameterized model outputs

Integrations

Snowflake Google BigQuery GitHub

How to Use Hex

  1. 1
    Create a new project
    Click New Project in the Hex dashboard, enter a project name, and pick a template (Blank or SQL-first). Success looks like an empty notebook canvas titled with your project name visible in the left sidebar.
  2. 2
    Add a data connection
    Open the Data tab, choose Add Connection, select Snowflake/BigQuery/Postgres, and enter credentials or use your cloud role. A successful connection shows tables in the Data pane.
  3. 3
    Write and run a query cell
    Insert a SQL cell, run it with the Run button to inspect results, then convert the output into a chart using the Chart button. Success is a returned result set and an interactive chart in-cell.
  4. 4
    Publish and share your notebook
    Click Publish, set visibility (Private/Link/Public), optionally create a dashboard page, and copy the share link. A working share link displays the interactive notebook or dashboard for viewers.

Ready-to-Use Prompts for Hex

Copy these into Hex as-is. Each targets a different high-value workflow.

Generate Weekly Active Users SQL
Compute weekly DAU/WAU metrics from events
Role: You are an SQL engineer writing a warehouse-efficient query for Hex. Constraints: 1) Input table name events with columns user_id, event_time (timestamp), event_name; 2) Use a single SQL cell, avoid CTEs that prevent pushdown when possible; 3) Week starts on Monday, UTC. Output format: Provide a single parameterized SQL query that returns week_start (date), weekly_active_users, daily_active_users (optional column showing max DAU in that week). Example comment: -- replace events with my_schema.events. Include brief one-line explanation of counting approach and performance tip.
Expected output: One SQL query that returns week_start, weekly_active_users, and a max_daily_active_users column, with a one-line explanation.
Pro tip: Add a date filter placeholder like {{start_date}}/{{end_date}} to limit scanned partitions and keep the query interactive.
Create Parameterized Date-Range SQL
Parameterized query template for Hex reports
Role: You are a product analyst preparing a reusable Hex SQL cell. Constraints: 1) Provide a safe, parameterized SQL template using {{start_date}} and {{end_date}} placeholders; 2) Validate casting and default values so empty parameters fall back to last 30 days; 3) Include LIMIT and ordering to keep quick previews. Output format: Return only the ready-to-paste SQL with a short comment header explaining parameters and defaults. Example: -- start_date: 2024-01-01, end_date: 2024-01-31. No extra prose, only SQL and header comments.
Expected output: A single SQL template with {{start_date}}/{{end_date}} placeholders, comments explaining defaults, and a LIMIT for fast previews.
Pro tip: Also include a safe_cast/try_cast around date parsing and a hint to set a partition filter to reduce cost on large tables.
Build 12-Week Cohort Dashboard
Create cohort retention table and visualization
Role: You are a product analyst building a 12-week retention cohort for Hex. Constraints: 1) Input table events(user_id, event_time, event_name); cohort defined by first purchase event named 'purchase'; 2) Output weekly cohorts for 12 weeks post-cohort; 3) Optimize for pushdown aggregation. Output format: Provide (A) SQL that produces columns: cohort_week_start, week_number, users_in_cohort, returning_users, retention_rate; (B) Example Hex Python/SQL cell snippet that renders a heatmap with cohort_week_start on y and week_number on x; (C) brief note about index/partition recommendations. Include one small example row set.
Expected output: SQL to produce cohort retention table, a Hex-rendering cell snippet for a heatmap, and a short performance recommendation.
Pro tip: Precompute cohort membership and weekly counts in a materialized table or nightly job to make interactive exploration sub-second in Hex.
Generate Nightly ETL Test Suite
Create SQL tests and alerts for nightly jobs
Role: You are an analytics engineer authoring a repeatable ETL test suite for Hex-run validations. Constraints: 1) Accept a single variable table_name; 2) Produce 6 tests: row_count change threshold, null-rate per critical column, unique key violation, referential integrity sample, column type drift, and max-lag check; 3) Format tests so they can be scheduled nightly and return rows when failing. Output format: JSON array where each element has keys: test_name, sql_query, failure_condition_description, severity. Include one concrete example using table_name=my_schema.orders and thresholds.
Expected output: JSON array of six test objects containing test_name, SQL to detect failures, failure description, and severity.
Pro tip: Normalize timestamps and compare against a moving baseline (median of last N runs) to reduce false positives from seasonality.
Generate Row-Level Permission Policies
Create role-specific row filters for Hex datasets
Role: You are an analytics/security engineer drafting row-level permission policies for Hex dataset access. Instructions: 1) Given roles: admin, data_analyst, sales_rep, and finance, and sample table schema orders(order_id, account_id, region, amount, owner_id), provide SQL filter expressions per role; 2) Admin sees all rows; data_analyst sees region IN (...) OR owner_id IS NULL; sales_rep sees owner_id = CURRENT_USER_ID placeholder; finance sees amount > 0 and region IN finance_regions; 3) Output format: JSON with role, sql_filter_expression, example_evaluation (one sample row and whether it would be visible). Provide two few-shot examples demonstrating evaluation. Also supply deployment steps for Hex dataset row-filter configuration.
Expected output: JSON object mapping roles to SQL filter expressions, two example evaluations, and concise deployment steps for Hex.
Pro tip: Include a CURRENT_USER_ID substitution pattern and test policies by impersonating sample users against representative rows to validate edge cases.
Build Parameterized Model Explorer App
Interactive app to explore and share model predictions
Role: You are a data scientist building a Hex app to explore model predictions with live parameters. Multi-step instructions: 1) Provide a multi-cell Hex notebook blueprint: SQL cell to fetch feature rows with {{sample_date}} and {{customer_id}} parameters; Python cell to load model artifact from S3 and run predictions; Python cell to compute SHAP-like feature importances for a selected row; visualization cell to show prediction, probability, and feature contribution bar chart; deployment cell to expose parameters as app inputs. Output format: return numbered cells with code, parameter declarations, and a small example using customer_id=123 and sample_date=2025-01-01.
Expected output: A multi-cell Hex notebook blueprint with SQL fetch, Python predict and explain cells, visualization code, and app parameter declarations, plus an example run.
Pro tip: Keep an optimized feature SQL that returns only required columns and cache a light sample model locally for interactive testing before pointing to large production artifacts.

Hex vs Alternatives

Bottom line

Choose Hex over Mode if you need notebook-style SQL+Python collaboration and embeddable parameterized apps for internal tooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Hex cost?+
Hex has a Free tier; paid plans start ~$18/mo. Paid plans are seat-based and add private projects, scheduled runs, SSO, and admin controls. Enterprise contracts provide audit logs, dedicated support, and custom SLAs. Pricing can vary by billing cadence and user count, so check hex.tech/pricing for current, region-specific rates and any promotional discounts.
Is there a free version of Hex?+
Yes — Hex offers a Free tier for individuals. The Free tier includes basic notebook editing, public sharing, and limited projects suitable for prototyping and learning. It does not include SSO, enterprise audit logs, or some team governance features. For private team projects and scheduled production runs you’ll need a paid Team or Business plan.
How does Hex compare to Mode Analytics?+
Hex emphasizes mixed-language notebooks and embeddable apps versus Mode’s SQL-first reports. Hex is better when you need SQL, Python, and R in a single document plus parameterized apps; Mode is stronger for SQL-centric reporting and BI workflows. Evaluate based on required languages, embedding needs, and governance (SSO/audit) for your team.
What is Hex best used for?+
Hex is best for reproducible, warehouse-backed analyses and internal analytics apps. Use it to combine SQL queries with Python or R, build interactive dashboards, and create embeddable parameterized apps for stakeholders. It fits workflows like cohort analysis, ETL validation, and operational dashboards that need versioning and programmatic runs.
How do I get started with Hex?+
Sign up on hex.tech and start a New Project from the dashboard. Add a Data connection (Snowflake/BigQuery/Postgres), write a SQL or Python cell, run it, and use the Chart button to visualize results. Publish the notebook and share the link to validate your first interactive report.
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