Mode Analytics is a collaborative SQL analytics platform. It’s also a SaaS product that requires uploading your data, managing connections, and paying per seat. PondPilot gives you SQL analytics for free — in your browser, on your data, with zero cloud dependency.
What You Get with PondPilot
- SQL editor with syntax highlighting and autocomplete
- Multi-file support — query CSV, Parquet, JSON, DuckDB files
- Cross-file JOINs — combine data from different sources
- Full DuckDB SQL — window functions, CTEs, pivots, the works
- CSV export — share results with your team
- Zero cost — free forever, open source
What You Don’t Get (By Design)
PondPilot intentionally skips some Mode features:
- No database connections: PondPilot works with local files, not remote databases. It’s for file-based analysis, not production DB querying.
- No built-in charts: PondPilot focuses on SQL and tabular results. Export to CSV and visualize in your preferred tool.
- No collaboration features: There’s no shared workspace or team permissions. Your analysis is local and private.
Why Skip the SaaS?
Privacy: Mode requires database credentials and processes your data on their servers. PondPilot processes nothing — your data stays in your browser.
Cost: Mode charges per user. PondPilot is free.
Speed: No waiting for cloud query execution. DuckDB WASM runs queries locally and returns results in milliseconds.
No approval process: You don’t need IT to approve a new SaaS vendor. PondPilot is a webpage.
Best For
PondPilot works best when you have data as files (CSV exports, Parquet dumps, JSON responses) and want to explore them with SQL quickly and privately. For teams that need shared dashboards and database connections, Mode or similar tools may still be the right choice.
Try It
Open PondPilot — free SQL analytics, no signup required.