Mage
Feature releases every two months in 2024; one bugfix release in the last twelve.
Comparison · Analytics
Hex vs dbt Core
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Hex and dbt Core — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Hex vs dbt Core: at a glance
| Feature | Hex | dbt Core |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Analytics | Analytics |
| Velocity score | 6.3 | 7.5 |
| Sparks · 30d | 1 | 2 |
| Top themes | agents, cli, generative-apps, model-choice | data-transformation, lakehouse, iceberg, dual-engine |
| Last editorial update | 16h ago | 3h ago |
| Website | — | Visit → |
What is Hex?
Hex pulls its agent out of the notebook and into a CLI and API
Hex ships weekly and the last two months read as one project: making the agent a surface in its own right rather than a feature living inside the notebook. The newest release exposes the agent through a CLI and an API, prints cell outputs in the terminal, and lists which resources each run touched. Generative apps got the same treatment slightly earlier, with editable app code, CSV downloads on every chart and table, and a signed embedding path.
What is dbt Core?
Two engines in one repo: the Python 1.x line tightens while Fusion 2.0 goes lakehouse-catalog native
dbt-core is releasing on two tracks at once. The Python line reached 1.12.0 on 16 July after three release candidates, and it is a tightening release: the experimental `dbt login` command and the bundled dbt-state plugin were removed outright, and flags introduced in 1.9 and 1.10 now default to true. The 2.0.0 alpha track is the Fusion engine, and its work is almost entirely about catalogs — read-write Horizon and Unity access over Iceberg REST via DuckDB, a catalogs.yml v2 covering DuckLake, Iceberg REST and local filesystem, plus catalog_database overrides and Redshift catalog generation through SHOW TABLES and SVV_REDSHIFT_COLUMNS.
Hex vs dbt Core: editorial side-by-side
Hex
6.3ANALYTICS
Hex pulls its agent out of the notebook and into a CLI and API
◆ Current state
Hex ships weekly and the last two months read as one project: making the agent a surface in its own right rather than a feature living inside the notebook. The newest release exposes the agent through a CLI and an API, prints cell outputs in the terminal, and lists which resources each run touched. Generative apps got the same treatment slightly earlier, with editable app code, CSV downloads on every chart and table, and a signed embedding path.
◆ Where it's heading
Two things are converging: an agent that can be driven from anywhere, and generative apps as the artifact it produces. The model layer is deliberately swappable, with Claude Opus 5, Kimi K2.7, Fable 5 and an admin-set default all landing inside eight weeks, so Hex is not tying its product to one provider. Governance is arriving in step with the capability work, through spend limits, credit controls, enterprise role requests and IAM support, which is the sequence a tool follows when its buyers become platform teams.
◆ Prediction
The next move is likely unattended agent runs on a schedule or in CI, since the CLI and API remove the last reason a person has to be sitting in the notebook while it works.
dbt Core
7.5ANALYTICS
Two engines in one repo: the Python 1.x line tightens while Fusion 2.0 goes lakehouse-catalog native
◆ Current state
dbt-core is releasing on two tracks at once. The Python line reached 1.12.0 on 16 July after three release candidates, and it is a tightening release: the experimental `dbt login` command and the bundled dbt-state plugin were removed outright, and flags introduced in 1.9 and 1.10 now default to true. The 2.0.0 alpha track is the Fusion engine, and its work is almost entirely about catalogs — read-write Horizon and Unity access over Iceberg REST via DuckDB, a catalogs.yml v2 covering DuckLake, Iceberg REST and local filesystem, plus catalog_database overrides and Redshift catalog generation through SHOW TABLES and SVV_REDSHIFT_COLUMNS.
◆ Where it's heading
The division of labour between the two tracks is clear from the entries: 1.x is consolidating and removing experiments, while 2.0 is where the new surface area lands. The 2.0 surface is specifically the lakehouse catalog layer — dbt is moving from a tool that writes to a warehouse toward one that binds to open table catalogs directly, with materialization made catalog-aware. Notably 1.12.0rc1 also teaches the Python engine to tolerate Fusion-specific warn_error_options rather than erroring, so the two engines are being made to coexist in the same projects rather than fork.
◆ Prediction
The alphas are still expanding catalog coverage adapter by adapter, so expect further catalog integrations and continued catalogs.yml v2 work before 2.0 leaves alpha. On the Python side, with the deprecated flags now defaulted and the experimental commands removed, 1.12 looks like a stabilization point rather than a base for new features.
Alternatives to Hex and dbt Core
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Hex or dbt Core.
OpenMetadata
MCP servers became first-class governed assets in 1.13.0 — and 2.0 is now in release candidate.
TimescaleDB
Every release in this window is columnstore work — compression is where TimescaleDB is spending
Polars
The streaming engine is stable and the API is being narrowed — Polars is clearing ground for a breaking release
DuckDB
Six releases, all patches — this window shows DuckDB's maintenance machine, not its roadmap
Basedash
Basedash turned its AI analyst into an API, then spent two weeks making it auditable
See all Hex alternatives → · See all dbt Core alternatives →
Recent activity from Hex and dbt Core
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoHexHex Agent gets a CLI and API ⚡
- 11d agoHexGet hands-on with your generative apps
- 12d agodbt CoreFusion alpha 5: Redshift datasharing catalogs and job-specific deferral
- 15d agodbt Coredbt-core 1.12.0 drops `dbt login` and the dbt-state plugin ⚡
- 17d agodbt Core1.12.0 release candidate 3
- 18d agoHexMore control over credits, thread metadata, and role requests
- 22d agodbt Core1.12.0 release candidate 2
- 24d agoHexTwo new models and more controls over generative apps
- 25d agodbt Core1.12.0 release candidate 1
- 26d agodbt CoreFusion gains read-write Iceberg REST catalogs and catalogs.yml v2 ⚡
- 1mo agoHexHex in Figma, IAM role support for AWS, and schema refresh history!
- 1mo agoHexAgent web search, model picker, and Fable 5 support
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Hex and dbt Core?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. dbt Core is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 2 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Hex better than dbt Core?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dbt Core is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 2 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 1. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Hex?
Top Hex alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Hex alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hex for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to dbt Core?
Top dbt Core alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dbt Core alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dbt-core for the full list with editorial commentary on each.