Best Data Catalog for Small and Medium Businesses 2026
Data Catalog software provides essential tools for teams managing small-and-medium-businesses. The right solution depends on team size, technical requirements, budget constraints, and integration needs with existing workflows. Modern Data Catalog platforms balance powerful features with intuitive interfaces that minimize training time.
We evaluated 5 Data Catalog solutions for small-and-medium-businesses, examining pricing models, core features, ease of use, and scalability. Our analysis includes free tiers, entry-level paid plans, and enterprise options, considering total cost of ownership including implementation, training, and ongoing support costs.
The best data catalog for small and medium businesses in 2026 is Select Star because it offers automated cataloging, end-to-end lineage, and modern integrations starting at just $300/month - a fraction of enterprise competitors. For growing teams with larger budgets, Atlan provides enterprise-ready features at $30K-150K/year with better user experience and automation than legacy platforms.
Our Rankings
Select Star
Select Star leads the pack for small-and-medium-businesses with its comprehensive feature set at Contact sales for pricing. The platform offers excellent balance between affordability and functionality, making it ideal for teams that need reliable performance without breaking the budget. Strong ecosystem and proven track record seal the deal.
- Comprehensive feature set covers all Select Star needs
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio at Contact sales for pricing
- Strong integrations and ecosystem
- Premium features require higher-tier plans
Atlan
Atlan delivers exceptional value for small-and-medium-businesses at Contact sales for pricing. While not the cheapest option, it provides the best price-to-feature ratio with robust capabilities that justify the investment. Teams get enterprise-grade features without enterprise pricing, plus reliable support and regular updates.
- Competitive pricing at Contact sales for pricing
- Feature-rich without premium price tag
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
- Interface could be more modern
data.world
Accessible enterprise features starting at $90K/year with collaborative workspace and knowledge graph
- Built for collaboration with real-time features
- Intuitive interface requires minimal training
- Flexible permissions and role management
- Enterprise features limited on lower tiers
Alation
Alation ranks #4 for small-and-medium-businesses with pricing at Contact sales for pricing. It offers a solid feature set appropriate for this use case with good user experience and reliable support. The platform provides good value for teams looking for a dependable solution without excessive complexity or cost.
- Competitive pricing at Contact sales for pricing
- Solid core feature set
- Reliable platform and support
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Collibra
Collibra ranks #5 for small-and-medium-businesses with pricing at $14167/user/month. It offers a solid feature set appropriate for this use case with good user experience and reliable support. The platform provides good value for teams looking for a dependable solution without excessive complexity or cost.
- Competitive pricing at $14167/user/month
- Solid core feature set
- Reliable platform and support
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Evaluation Criteria
- price
- ease of implementation
- automation
- time to value
How We Picked These
We evaluated 5 products (last researched 2026-01-30).
Total cost including hidden fees and per-user pricing
Learning curve, onboarding time, and user interface quality
Core functionality required for small-and-medium-businesses
Compatibility with existing tools and workflows
Documentation, customer service, and community resources
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What's the cheapest data catalog for SMB?
Select Star offers the most affordable data catalog starting at $300/month ($3,600/year) with automated cataloging, lineage tracking, and one-click integrations for Snowflake, BigQuery, and BI tools. This is significantly cheaper than alternatives like data.world ($90K/year), Atlan ($30K+/year), or enterprise platforms.
02 How much should an SMB budget for data catalog software?
Small and medium businesses typically spend $3,600-$90,000 annually on data catalog software. Select Star starts at $3,600/year, Atlan ranges $30,000-150,000/year, and data.world begins at $90,000/year. Budget for implementation costs which can add 20-50% to first-year expenses.
03 What data catalog offers the fastest time-to-value for SMBs?
Select Star and Atlan offer the fastest implementation for SMBs with automated metadata discovery and one-click integrations. Both platforms reduce setup time compared to legacy tools like Alation or Collibra which require 3-6 months implementation and dedicated data governance teams.
04 Do SMBs need enterprise data catalog features?
Most SMBs don't need advanced governance workflows from Collibra or Alation. Focus on automated cataloging, data lineage, and search capabilities from Select Star or Atlan. Upgrade to enterprise features only when facing compliance requirements or managing 50+ data sources.
05 What's the best Data Catalog for small-and-medium-businesses?
Based on our evaluation of 5 options, Select Star leads for small-and-medium-businesses due to its balance of features, pricing, and ease of use. It offers Contact sales for pricing with strong capabilities for this use case.
06 How much should I budget for Data Catalog software?
For small-and-medium-businesses, budget $0-$0 per user/month. Free tiers are available from several vendors but typically limit users, features, or usage. Paid plans offer more flexibility and are necessary as teams scale beyond 5-10 users.
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