Shanc vs dbt MetricFlow

MetricFlow governs the metrics you write. Shanc discovers the ones you didn't.

MetricFlow is dependable for the metrics you define in YAML — and every one is hand-authored before it works. Shanc discovers what's already in your warehouse and code, keeps it current automatically, and answers beyond the definitions you had time to write.

Try Shanc

Side by side

Shancdbt MetricFlow

Source of the layerYour schema, logs and codeYAML you author

Built for youYesNo — nothing enters unless you typed it

Stays currentAutomaticallyOnly as current as you keep the YAML

Beyond your defined metricsAnswered from the live layerCan't — nothing outside the spec

Serves any agentAny agent, over MCPTied to the dbt workflow and YAML spec

What's different

Discovered, not hand-written

MetricFlow works entirely from YAML you author — nothing enters the layer unless you typed it, and the logic living in dashboards and marts stays outside the spec. Shanc reads your schema, logs and code and builds the layer from what's actually there.

Current without upkeep

YAML is only as fresh as the person maintaining it — no triggers, no auto-refresh, so it drifts from the warehouse the moment a definition changes. Shanc updates itself on every commit.

Answers outside the spec

MetricFlow governs the metrics you've defined, which is solid — but it can't answer anything you haven't written, and writing each one is on you. Shanc's layer covers the whole warehouse, so it handles questions beyond your defined set.

Open beyond dbt

MetricFlow is tied to the dbt workflow and its YAML spec. Shanc runs as an MCP server any custom or internal agent can plug into — it reads from dbt as a source without locking you to it.