MCP Servers · open-metadata

OpenMetadata

OpenMetadata is an open-source metadata and data catalog platform that connects technical metadata, data quality, lineage, ownership, and business semantics into a unified knowledge graph. It provides 130+ connectors, semantic search, APIs, and an MCP server to help data teams and AI systems discover, understand, and trust enterprise data.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata

14.4k

GitHub stars

2.2k

Forks

TypeScript

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	open-metadata/OpenMetadata
Owner	open-metadata
Primary language	TypeScript
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	14.4k
Forks	2.2k
Open issues	968
Latest release	1.13.1-release (2026-06-27)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata

What OpenMetadata is

TypeScript-based metadata management system built on a schema-first graph architecture that normalizes and connects metadata from warehouses, lakes, BI tools, pipelines, and ML platforms. Supports OpenLineage, DCAT, JSON-LD, and other open standards; exposes REST APIs, SDKs, and MCP server for programmatic access and AI integration.

Quickstart

Get the OpenMetadata source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata.git2cd OpenMetadata3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Enterprise Data Governance & Lineage Tracking

Unified metadata layer for tracking data ownership, quality, lineage (table and column-level), and policies across heterogeneous data infrastructure. Essential for regulated industries requiring audit trails, data contracts, and stewardship workflows.

AI Context & Memory for Data Assistants

MCP server and semantic search enable AI agents to retrieve governed context—business definitions, quality signals, classifications, conversational memory, and relationships—reducing hallucinations and enabling policy-aware AI decisions over enterprise data.

Data Discovery & Semantic Cataloging

Connect business glossaries, metrics, domains, and data products to technical assets; enable semantic search and cross-asset relationship discovery for data analysts, engineers, and product teams to self-serve data understanding.

Implementation considerations

Requires deployment infrastructure: backend service, database (PostgreSQL/MySQL), search index, and ingestion orchestration. Plan for production monitoring, backups, and high-availability configuration.
Connector selection and configuration is critical; 130+ connectors exist but not all may be fully maintained. Prioritize and validate connectors for your tech stack early in POC.
Metadata ingestion is asynchronous and event-driven. Plan ingestion frequency, freshness SLAs, and conflict resolution for assets updated in multiple source systems.
Graph model is extensible but requires schema design upfront. Decisions on custom entity types, relationships, classifications, and lineage rules should be made early to avoid rework.
Team skill requirements span backend engineering (TypeScript/Java), database administration, data engineering, and data governance expertise. Underestimate at risk of stalled rollout.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Simple Single-Source Metadata Needs — If your metadata lives in one warehouse or BI tool and does not require cross-platform lineage or governance, simpler, lighter catalogs may suffice. OpenMetadata's complexity may exceed your operational overhead.
Zero Operational Budget for Graph Infrastructure — OpenMetadata requires deployment infrastructure (database, backend, ingestion pipelines). If you cannot allocate DevOps resources, maintenance, and operational monitoring, adoption will strain your team.
Requirement for Proprietary Vendor Lock-in & SaaS Exclusivity — OpenMetadata is open-source and self-hosted by design. If your organization mandates SaaS-only solutions with vendor support guarantees and uptime SLAs, consider commercial data catalog vendors.
Very Large-Scale Metadata Graphs (Billions of Assets) — Performance and scalability characteristics for extreme metadata volume (billions of assets, petabyte-scale lineage graphs) are not clearly documented. Requires testing and potential custom optimization.

License & commercial use

Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0), a permissive OSI-approved open-source license.

Apache-2.0 is a permissive license that allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution. However, commercial use does not include vendor support, SLAs, or indemnification unless a separate commercial agreement is negotiated. Verify with legal counsel if your use case requires liability protection or support guarantees.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	High
DEV.co fit	Strong
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Apache-2.0 license and open-source architecture enable code review and custom hardening. Consider: (1) Access control and RBAC model for sensitive metadata; (2) Encryption in transit and at rest for lineage, classifications, and conversational data; (3) Audit logging for metadata mutations; (4) Network isolation and TLS/mTLS for inter-component communication; (5) Regular dependency updates and vulnerability scanning. No security certification, penetration test results, or threat model documentation provided. Security posture depends on your deployment, configuration, and operational practices.

Alternatives to consider

Apache Atlas

Open-source metadata and governance platform with strong lineage and classification support. Smaller ecosystem and fewer connectors than OpenMetadata; primarily Java-based. Choose if you prefer mature Java stacks or tighter Hadoop integration.

Collibra

Commercial data catalog and governance SaaS platform with extensive feature set, vendor support, and SLAs. Choose if you require vendor accountability, managed infrastructure, and enterprise support; higher cost, no open-source option.

Alation

Commercial SaaS data catalog emphasizing collaboration, curation, and AI-powered search. Strong in self-service discovery and stewardship workflows. Choose if you prioritize user adoption and want outsourced operations; vendor lock-in and licensing costs apply.

Software development agency

Build on OpenMetadata with DEV.co software developers

Evaluate OpenMetadata's fit for your governance, discovery, and AI integration goals. Our team can help scope deployment, assess connector fit, and design your metadata strategy.

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OpenMetadata FAQ

Can I deploy OpenMetadata in a cloud-agnostic, on-premise, or hybrid manner?

Yes. OpenMetadata is self-hosted and cloud-agnostic. Deploy on Kubernetes, Docker, or VMs on AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premise infrastructure. Flexibility is a key feature; operational burden remains yours.

Does OpenMetadata support real-time lineage updates from data pipelines?

Yes, via OpenLineage event integration. Pipelines (Airflow, dbt, Spark, etc.) can emit lineage events that OpenMetadata consumes asynchronously. Full real-time guarantees depend on your infrastructure and event routing configuration.

What is the cost of running OpenMetadata in production?

No license fees for open-source use. Costs are operational: cloud infrastructure (compute, storage, database), monitoring, backups, and engineering time for deployment, maintenance, and connector configuration. Budget varies widely by scale and complexity.

Can OpenMetadata be used as a backend for AI agents and LLM applications?

Yes. MCP server, REST APIs, semantic search, and SDKs enable integration with AI agents and applications. OpenMetadata acts as a context and memory layer, providing governed, retrievable metadata for agentic workflows.

Software developers & web developers for hire

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like OpenMetadata. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across mcp servers and beyond.

Ready to Unify Your Data Metadata?

Evaluate OpenMetadata's fit for your governance, discovery, and AI integration goals. Our team can help scope deployment, assess connector fit, and design your metadata strategy.

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