Ask and analyze · Analysis
Which analytics tools let you ask questions in plain English?
14 of 15 tools do, according to their public docs.
Yes: Databricks, Snowflake, Omni, Hex, Sigma, BigQuery, Looker, Tableau, Power BI, Metabase, Alteryx, MotherDuck, Mode, Redshift.
The question we asked: Can you ask the built-in assistant a question in plain English?
Grading standard
Someone types a question the way they would say it out loud and the built-in assistant returns an answer or a working query against your data, without needing SQL or a dashboard someone built first. An assistant that only suggests or completes SQL the user is already writing is partly; one that writes the query from a plain-English description is yes, including inside a code editor.
Databricks
Yes
Quoted from Databricks’s docsEnables users to ask natural language questions to query enterprise data directly.
Source: docs.databricks.com/aws/en/genie-agents/talk-to-genie · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by GPT
Snowflake
Yes
Quoted from Snowflake’s docsWith Cortex Analyst, business users can ask questions in natural language and receive direct answers without writing SQL.
Source: docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/snowflake-cortex/cortex-analyst · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Gemini
Omni
Yes
Quoted from Omni’s docsAnswer natural-language questions about your data
Source: docs.omni.co/ai/chat · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Hex
Yes
Quoted from Hex’s docsWith Threads, users can ask natural language questions and get AI-powered insights based on semantic models and warehouse tables, all in a conversational interface.
Source: learn.hex.tech/docs/explore-data/threads · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Sigma
Yes
Quoted from Sigma’s docsSigma Assistant is a natural language query (NLQ) interface that allows you to ask questions about your data and interact with AI-generated responses.
Source: help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/ask-natural-language-queries-with-assistant · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
BigQuery
Yes
Quoted from BigQuery’s docsConversational analytics in BigQuery lets you chat with agents about your data using natural language.
Source: docs.cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/conversational-analytics · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Looker
Yes
Quoted from Looker’s docsGrounded in the Looker semantic modeling layer, Conversational Analytics empowers users in your organization to ask data-related questions in regular, natural (conversational) language for governed, trusted self-service BI.
Source: cloud.google.com/looker/docs/conversational-analytics-overview · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Tableau
Yes
Quoted from Tableau’s docsTableau Agent is a generative AI feature that helps you explore your data, create visualizations, and uncover insights with the help of a conversational assistant.
Source: help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/web_author_einstein.htm · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Gemini
Power BI
Yes
Quoted from Power BI’s docsCopilot for Power BI lets you ask natural-language questions about your data and summarize report content.
Source: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/copilot-ask-data-question · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Metabase
Yes
Quoted from Metabase’s docsMetabot helps you analyze your data by creating charts from natural language, generating SQL queries, fixing query errors, and analyzing existing visualizations.
Source: www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/metabot · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Alteryx
Yes
Quoted from Alteryx’s docsDescribe what you want in natural language, and Ask Alteryx finds the data in your workspace, builds a workflow, runs it, and reports the results in the chat.
Source: help.alteryx.com/aac/en/ask-alteryx/ask-alteryx-in-alteryx-one.html · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
MotherDuck
Yes
Quoted from MotherDuck’s docsMotherDuck's AI features help you fix broken queries, rewrite SQL in plain English, and generate queries from scratch — all without leaving the editor.
Source: motherduck.com/docs/getting-started/interfaces/motherduck-quick-tour · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Mode
Yes
Quoted from Mode’s docsUsing AI Assist does not require you to write full SQL queries from scratch.
Source: mode.com/help/articles/ai-assist · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Redshift
Yes
Quoted from Redshift’s docsYou provide questions in a prompt field and Amazon Q generative SQL responds with suggested SQL.
Source: docs.aws.amazon.com/redshift/latest/mgmt/query-editor-v2-generative-ai-interact.html · checked Oct 26, 2026 · quoted by Claude
Streamlit