Assembly Line

dbt Semantic Layer

Define metrics once and deliver consistent, governed insights across tools with dbt’s Semantic Layer, powered by MetricFlow.

dbt Semantic Layer is commercial semantic layer software made by dbt Labs.

Made by
dbt Labs
Source code
Closed

Website

Judgement

What it is
Building block
What it does
Metric definitions written in dbt projects using MetricFlow and served through APIs to BI tools and applications.
Adopt it when
Your data team already models in dbt and wants metric definitions in the same codebase.
Watch out
Serving metrics requires a paid dbt Cloud plan, and BI tool support varies.
Ready for
Usable
Runs as
Cloud service
Built with
SQL, YAML and Python
What the license allows
Closed source: you use it under the maker's terms and cannot change or resell the code.

Judged on 2026-11-03 from the maker's description and Wikipedia. The license and age lines are worked out directly.

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Other commercial semantic layers and metrics stores

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    AtScale AtScale

    One metric, defined once, computed in your warehouse and served the same way to every AI, BI tool, and team. AtScale is the semantic layer for trusted analytics.

    Building block Production-ready An enterprise uses several BI tools, including Excel and Power BI, and wants the same metric definitions in all of them.

    Commercial

Under it

Every program, dbt Semantic Layer included, runs on a microchip.

How compilers were built, back to punched paper tape

The description is the maker's own, quoted as written.