Comparing Hex vs. Sigma
See why modern data teams choose Hex over Sigma to drive faster insights and greater impact through connected, AI-powered analytics.
Trusted by leading data companies
"Our vision for Notion’s data team is that anyone, regardless of technical proficiency, is comfortable using data to answer their own questions – and Hex enables that."
Abhishek Modi, Software Engineer
"We like to embed Hex dashboards where teams work."
Ian Macomber, Head of Data and Analytics Engineering
"We’re regarded as top performers because the work we are doing is deemed more credible and more widely surfaced than before Hex."
Kate Urquiola, Director, Go-to-Market Analytics
"Hex has helped us empower business analysts to explore and dig into data on their own"
Meghana Reddy, Head of Data at Stubhub
Why companies choose Hex over Sigma
A toolkit for data teams to explore any question
Hex gives data teams everything they need to answer any question—from quick lookups to deep analysis. Agentic notebooks blend SQL, Python, no-code, and visualization with AI for fast, reproducible results.
Sigma works for basic metric slicing and simple queries, but users hit a wall when questions go deeper.
Compare features
Features
Hex
Sigma
SQL + Python exploration
Code-first analysis with seamless language switching
Hex
Notebooks let you mix SQL, Python, and no-code cells interchangeably; a reactive graph engine keeps analyses clear, connected, and reproducible.
Sigma
Python runs only on a limited set of supported warehouse runtimes, with no unified execution model between SQL and Python for seamless workflows.
Visualizations
Charts and plots to explore and share insights
Hex
Native charts and Python libraries (Plotly, Matplotlib, Altair) in one place.
Sigma
Native charts with plugin support for custom visuals.
Agentic analytics
AI agent for helping data teams query, analyze, and visualize data
Hex
Built-in AI agents assist directly in the notebook—writing and editing SQL, Python, charts, and multi-step analyses.
Sigma
No built-in AI assistance for code or analysis creation.
Agentic modeling
AI-assisted modeling for curated, reusable metrics
Hex
AI modeling agent helps build and edit semantic models that can be used across notebooks, apps, and Threads.
Sigma
Modeling must be authored manually; no AI support for creation or editing.
Business users self-serve in plain language
Sigma constrains business users to clicking through spreadsheets or one-shot AI interfaces. It’s fine for showing what happened, but rarely answers why or what’s next.
With Hex, stakeholders use Threads to ask questions in plain language and get rich answers they can refine through follow-ups.
Compare features
Features
Hex
Sigma
Conversational AI
Converse in natural language, get instant insights
Hex
Threads supports true back-and-forth Q&A with live data; context persists and any Thread can open as a notebook for deeper analysis/inspection.
Sigma
Ask Sigma handles single-turn natural language questions but doesn’t maintain conversational context or multi-step follow ups.
No code exploration
Spreadsheet-style analysis with pivots and drag-and-drop
Hex
Combine spreadsheets, pivots, and visualizations in drag & drop explorations.
Sigma
Spreadsheet-like Workbooks for slicing, filtering, and pivoting data tables without SQL.
Interactive data apps
Outputs accessible and explorable by every user type
Hex
First-class data apps with inputs, pages, and controls, driven by live projects.
Sigma
App-like Workbooks with parameters and actions.
Connected workflows unlock collaboration and context
In Hex, every workflow stays connected. Whether analyzing in Notebooks, exploring in Threads, or interacting with Apps—data teams and business users all work from the same project. Updates flow automatically, keeping everyone in sync.
In Sigma, follow-ups mean switching tools or rebuilding logic, siloing context and slowing down analysis.
Compare features
Features
Hex
Sigma
Real-time collaboration
Live sharing and iteration across code, queries, and results
Hex
True multiplayer editing in notebooks and apps, with built-in comments and snapshots that keep feedback in context.
Sigma
Teams can edit and comment together in Workbooks, mainly when building or reviewing dashboards.
Connected workflows
Stay in one context across modes of work
Hex
All parts of Hex--Notebooks, Threads, and Apps--run from the same live project, so teams can collaborate back and forth on the same shared context.
Sigma
Workbooks, dashboards, and Ask Sigma are connected by lineage but run separately. Each re-runs its own query, so context doesn't persist between them.
Compounding context
AI that gets smarter with every project
Hex
Every project in Hex can be referenced by AI, so future analyses gain more context over time. Threads and the Notebook Agent build on past work to improve suggestions and reasoning.
Sigma
No shared AI memory or project context; each chat or query starts from scratch without awareness of prior analyses.
Unify the full cycle of data work with Hex.
Leave disconnected workflows behind.
Hear from data teams that chose Hex
Learn how the best companies in the world increase team efficiency using Hex.
FAQ
Hex gives business users approachable ways to engage with data, like interactive apps and natural-language queries, while still offering the depth analysts need for technical work. Both groups share the same workspace, which means stakeholders get answers faster and data teams don’t have to rework analysis across multiple tools.
BI dashboards are built to show what happened—fixed KPIs and standard cuts of the data. Hex is built to answer how it happened, why it happened, and what if it changes. With data-team-first workflows in a notebook that supports SQL, Python, and no-code, teams can move quickly from simple KPI lookups to deep, iterative analysis, without bouncing between tools.
Business questions come in all shapes and forms. Sometimes it’s a simple KPI trend, other times it’s “why is this happening?” or “what can we expect next?”, which requires deeper analysis. Splitting BI and technical analysis across different tools creates friction, duplicate effort, and inconsistent answers. Hex unifies it all in one place so the workflow stays connected.
Yes. Hex supports traditional dashboards, but also goes further, letting teams build interactive data apps, parameterized views, and even workflows with predictive models. That flexibility means you can cover executive reporting and deeper analysis in the same place, instead of maintaining separate tools.
Yes. Hex lets users self-serve insights with natural language Q&A, interactive charts, pivot tables, spreadsheet-style views, and simple formula-based calculations—all without writing SQL or Python.
Semantic models in Hex bring speed and trust together. You can define metrics and relationships where analysis already happens, using autocomplete, validation, and AI help, without learning a new language or starting from scratch. Because models live alongside notebooks, apps, and agents, exploration turns into governed definitions that power self-serve, improve AI accuracy, and keep business logic consistent.
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