Last updated: 2026-09-23
Secoda is an AI data catalog founded in 2021 that automates lineage, documentation, and PII scanning across a company's data stack, rated 4.5 out of 5 across 56 combined G2 and Capterra reviews. It ships a native Model Context Protocol server so Claude and Cursor can query lineage and SQL context directly, and Atlassian acquired it in December 2025.
About Secoda
Secoda is an AI-powered data catalog built by the Toronto-based, YC-backed company of the same name, founded in 2021. It turns a company's scattered analytics tables, dashboards, and pipelines into one searchable knowledge layer, so a data analyst or a business user can ask a plain-English question about a metric and get a sourced answer instead of hunting through Slack threads or stale wikis.
Under the hood, Secoda automates column- and table-level lineage across the full data stack, auto-generates documentation from schema and query history, and runs a Data Quality Score plus automated PII scanning on Premium and above. It also ships a native Model Context Protocol server, so an AI coding tool like Claude or Cursor can ask the catalog for schema and query context on demand instead of an engineer exporting metadata by hand, a capability most legacy data-catalog vendors have not shipped yet.
Data engineers and analytics engineers use it to maintain trustworthy lineage as pipelines change, governance and compliance teams use its PII tagging and access policies to track sensitive data, and business or ops staff use the AI search bar to self-serve answers without writing SQL. Its connector library spans the modern data and BI stack, from cloud warehouses through transformation tools to dashboarding platforms.
Secoda now sells in three quote-based tiers, Core, Premium, and Enterprise, through a sales-led contact-sales flow; its pricing page no longer lists the self-serve monthly plans that older third-party listings still show. It runs as a web-based SaaS platform, with Enterprise customers able to self-host on Kubernetes or Docker Compose inside their own VPC.
Atlassian acquired Secoda in December 2025 for an undisclosed sum, folding its data discovery and lineage capabilities into Atlassian's Rovo AI platform while Secoda continues to operate under its own brand with its founding team in place.
Pricing
Secoda sells three quote-based tiers via a sales-led contact-sales flow: Core (full catalog, lineage, automations, API, RBAC, SAML, SSH tunnels), Premium (adds Data Quality Score, PII scanning, guest accounts, single-tenant deployment, VPC peering), and Enterprise (self-hosted deployment, SIEM logging, unlimited integrations, dedicated account manager). co/pricing.
Key Features
- AI Search & Q&A: Ask Secoda's AI a plain-English question about any table, metric, or dashboard and get a sourced answer pulled from lineage and documentation instead of a generic chatbot guess.
- Automated Lineage: Column- and table-level lineage is generated automatically across the full data stack, so a schema change surfaces every downstream dashboard or model it touches.
- Model Context Protocol Server: A native MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, and other AI coding tools query lineage, glossary terms, and SQL context directly against the catalog.
- Data Quality Score & PII Scanning: Premium and Enterprise tiers add an automated Data Quality Score plus PII scanning that flags sensitive columns before they reach an unauthorized report.
- 20+ Native Integrations: Out-of-the-box connectors cover Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, dbt, Tableau, Looker, and Power BI, so most mid-size data stacks are catalogued without custom code.
- Governed Access: RBAC, SAML/SSO, and guest accounts let data teams open specific catalog views to cross-functional stakeholders without handing out warehouse credentials.
- Self-Hosted Enterprise Option: Enterprise customers can deploy Secoda inside their own VPC via Kubernetes or Docker Compose instead of using the multi-tenant SaaS.
Pros
- Rated 4.5/5 across a combined 56 reviews on G2 (55) and Capterra (1), with G2 Top Rated, Momentum Leader, and Best Support badges.
- Native MCP server queries lineage and SQL context directly from Claude or Cursor, ahead of most legacy data catalogs that still require manual metadata exports.
- Ships 20+ integrations out of the box (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, dbt, Tableau, Looker, Power BI), so most teams go live without custom connector work.
- Backed by Atlassian since its December 2025 acquisition, which is feeding Secoda's catalog and lineage data into Atlassian's Rovo AI platform.
Cons
- All three tiers (Core, Premium, Enterprise) are quote-based; the pricing page no longer publishes a self-serve rate, unlike the Free plus $99/month Starter plan some third-party listings still show from before the pricing model changed.
- G2 reviewers cite occasional bugs and product immaturity as the platform evolves, reflected in the small share of three- and one-star reviews behind its otherwise high average.
- Self-hosted deployment via Kubernetes or Docker Compose needs DevOps support from both the customer and Secoda, adding setup cost enterprise buyers should budget for.
- The deep dbt integration only works with a paying dbt Cloud plan; teams on dbt Core get a thinner metadata pull.
Data Handling
- Compliance
- SOC 2 Type I · SOC 2 Type II
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you pay for Secoda?
Secoda sells three tiers, Core, Premium, and Enterprise, all quote-based through a contact-sales flow; no self-serve monthly rate is published on its current pricing page. Core includes the full catalog, lineage, and API access; Premium adds Data Quality Score, PII scanning, and single-tenant deployment; Enterprise adds self-hosting, SIEM logging, and unlimited integrations. Some older third-party listings still show a Free plan plus a $99/month Starter tier that no longer appears on secoda.co.
Is Secoda free to use?
No. As of this review, Secoda's pricing page shows only quote-based Core, Premium, and Enterprise tiers with no free plan or public trial signup; every plan links to a sales conversation instead. Teams wanting to test data cataloging without a sales call should expect to evaluate a self-serve open-source alternative like OpenMetadata or DataHub instead.
What should you use instead of Secoda?
Glean is a stronger fit for teams that want AI search across documents, tickets, and wikis rather than a data-warehouse-first catalog. Databricks suits teams that want cataloging built into the same platform that runs their pipelines and ML workloads. ThoughtSpot fits teams that want AI-driven search built directly into BI dashboards rather than a standalone metadata layer.
Is Secoda better than Alation?
Alation has a longer enterprise track record and a larger library of pre-built connectors, which larger regulated enterprises often prefer. Secoda's edge is its native MCP server, which lets Claude and Cursor query lineage and SQL context directly, plus a roadmap now backed by Atlassian's Rovo integration. Smaller, engineering-led teams already using Claude or Cursor daily tend to prefer Secoda; large regulated enterprises with an existing Alation deployment have little reason to switch.
How long does it take to get going with Secoda?
There is no self-serve signup: a prospective customer books a sales call via the contact-sales link on secoda.co/pricing before getting access. Once a workspace is provisioned, connecting the first data source, commonly Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks, and generating initial lineage typically happens within the same onboarding session, since the connectors are pre-built. Teams choosing the self-hosted Enterprise option should budget extra time for the Kubernetes or Docker Compose deployment.
Top Alternatives
- Glean: Pick Secoda if your search target is warehouse tables and lineage; pick Glean if it's documents, tickets, and wikis across the whole company.
- ThoughtSpot: Pick Secoda if you need a standalone metadata catalog and lineage graph; pick ThoughtSpot if you want AI search built directly into BI dashboards.
- Databricks: Pick Databricks if you want cataloging built into the same platform running your pipelines; pick Secoda if you need one catalog spanning multiple warehouses and BI tools.