Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Compass for data teams. Can't find what you're looking for? Reach out to our team.
General
Core questions about what Compass is and how it works.
Compass is a chat-native data assistant built by Dagster Labs. It helps data teams deliver fast, trusted answers where internal teams already work, so people can move faster without waiting on an analyst for every recurring question.
Teams typically start with a short demo. We help connect your data, shape the right context, review the initial admin setup, and get Compass working in the collaboration channels where recurring questions already happen.
Compass supports Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, PostgreSQL, Athena, MotherDuck, Trino, and CSV files, with additional source options depending on your setup.
No. Compass is built for data teams: it combines warehouse access with shared business context, visible Q&A in chat, and governed definitions so answers are more useful than raw query generation.
Data Teams
How Compass helps data teams maintain control while expanding access.
It routes common stakeholder questions, such as MRR trends, active user counts, and feature engagement, directly into shared channels where Compass answers them automatically. Teams report up to 80% fewer interruptions.
Compass works in shared channels, not just DMs, so your team sees the questions being asked and the answers being delivered. That keeps the data team close to quality without making them the bottleneck.
Compass is built to keep definitions and business context in data-team-controlled workflows. Teams can manage reusable context, keep shared and channel-specific guidance separate, and review changes through the workflows they already trust.
Compass gives admins control over connections, datasets, context, and access scope. That means the data team can decide what Compass can access, where it is available, and how definitions evolve as adoption expands.
Compass includes admin tools for reviewing conversations and feedback so data teams can spot weak answers, identify missing context, and improve quality before expanding to more teams.
No. It uses a read-only connection to your existing warehouse. No ETL, data movement, or copies, which also keeps security reviews simple.
Others can contribute, but the data team retains final approval through the PR review process.
Data Consumers
How Compass serves product, marketing, and other internal teams after adoption begins.
Compass is built for data teams first. Data admins and producers set up definitions, context, and guardrails, then product, marketing, RevOps, sales, and other internal consumers use Compass to get faster answers in the collaboration tools they already use.
Most BI tools require people to know where to look and how to interpret what they find. Compass lives in the collaboration layer, keeps questions and answers visible in channels, and lets the data team govern the definitions behind what people see.
The strongest early use cases usually come from product analytics, marketing analytics, and shared business questions where teams need speed but still depend on the data team for trusted definitions. RevOps and GTM are also valid downstream use cases once the first data-team-led use cases are working.
Yes. Compass works in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Pricing
Plans, billing, and how answers are counted.
Three plans: Free ($0/mo, 20 answers, 1 channel), Team ($499/mo, 125 answers, 3 channels), and Pro (custom pricing, unlimited channels, dedicated support, custom annual volume).
No, pricing scales with answers and channels, not seats. All plans include unlimited users. Inviting teammates actually earns you bonus answers.
One live Q&A turn (one question + one Compass reply), or one scheduled answer delivery. If a scheduled answer posts to multiple channels, each delivery counts separately.
No. It includes 20 answers per month indefinitely, plus you can earn more through invites and referrals.
On the Team plan, Compass keeps answering and bills overage at $3.99 per answer. On the Free plan, answers stop until you upgrade.
Invite teammates (+5 answers per person who joins and runs at least one answer, up to +100 per workspace) or refer a company that becomes a paying customer (+100 answers). Bonus answers expire after 3 months.
Pro handles this with a custom annual plan that pools answers across the full year so quarter-end reviews don't trigger overage surprises.
Evaluating solo or in one channel? Start with the free trial. Collaborating across multiple channels? Team is the sweet spot. Company-wide adoption or variable usage? Talk to sales about a custom annual plan.
Security
Learn how Compass handles data privacy, access controls, and compliance.
View security documentation →