At a glance
| Metadata ingestion and connectors | Warehouses, databases, ELT and BI tools (for example Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, dbt, Tableau, Looker, Power BI) |
| Lineage | Column-level, cross-platform |
| Business glossary | Mentioned on the site; details not documented in the pages checked |
| Stewardship and workflows | Not documented in the pages checked |
| Access policies | Data access control listed; not described in the pages checked |
| Classification | Tagging; automated classification not documented in the pages checked |
| Search and discovery | Catalog search, popularity from usage, Ask AI and MCP server |
| Deployment | SaaS |
| Licensing | Proprietary; no published prices; standalone sales status unclear |
Select Star built its reputation on automated cataloguing and column-level lineage with little manual setup. It is now part of Snowflake, and its technology is heading into Horizon Catalog, so treat it as a product for existing customers and Snowflake-centred teams; confirm with Snowflake whether it can still be bought on its own.
Overview
Select Star describes itself as a metadata context platform for data and AI. It builds an automated data catalog, column-level lineage across platforms, entity-relationship diagrams inferred from SQL joins and existing keys, and semantic models generated by reverse-engineering BI dashboard logic. An MCP server exposes metadata, lineage and semantic models to LLMs and agents.
On 24 November 2025 Snowflake announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Select Star team and platform technology, with founder Shinji Kim leading work on Horizon Catalog. Select Star said its existing integrations would come into Horizon Catalog. Its site still presents the product and now states that Select Star is part of Snowflake.
Key features
- Automated data catalog for finding, tagging and documenting datasets
- Column-level lineage across warehouses, ELT tools and BI dashboards, with downstream impact analysis
- Entity-relationship diagrams inferred from SQL queries, joins and existing keys
- Semantic model generation from BI dashboard logic, aimed at AI and text-to-SQL use
- MCP server giving LLMs and agents access to metadata, lineage and semantic models
- Integrations with Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, PostgreSQL, dbt, Fivetran, AWS Glue and major BI tools
Integrations and ecosystem
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong automation: lineage and ER diagrams derived from query activity
- Semantic model generation and an MCP server aimed at AI use
- Broad coverage of warehouses, ELT and BI tools
Cons
- Ownership moved to Snowflake; no statement on standalone sales or long-term roadmap
- No published pricing
- Lighter on documented stewardship workflows and policy enforcement than governance-led catalogs
Pricing
Select Star's pricing page shows no tiers or prices, only a banner saying Select Star is now part of Snowflake. Neither Select Star nor Snowflake says whether new customers can still buy it standalone, so ask before planning a purchase.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Existing Select Star customers and Snowflake-centred teams that want automated lineage and catalog context across their BI and ELT tools.
Typical use cases
- Finding which dashboards break if a warehouse column changes
- Documenting a warehouse automatically from query logs
- Generating semantic models from BI logic for AI assistants
- Giving agents access to lineage and metadata through MCP
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who need a product with a clear, independent standalone roadmap: compare Atlan or Secoda.
- Organisations needing formal governance workflows: see Collibra.
Verdict
Select Star offers well-automated cataloguing and column-level lineage with AI-oriented features such as semantic models and an MCP server. Since Snowflake agreed to acquire it in November 2025, its future is tied to Horizon Catalog, so new buyers should confirm availability and terms with Snowflake before choosing it.
Frequently asked questions
Did Snowflake buy Select Star?
Snowflake announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Select Star team and platform technology on 24 November 2025, and Select Star's site now says it is part of Snowflake. We found no official closing date.
Can I still buy Select Star?
Its site remains live, but neither company has stated whether new customers can buy it standalone. Ask Snowflake or Select Star directly.
What does Select Star do differently?
It derives much of its metadata automatically: column-level lineage, ER diagrams inferred from SQL joins, and semantic models from BI dashboard logic.
Sources
- Select Star home page
- Select Star pricing page
- Snowflake to acquire Select Star (Snowflake blog)
- Select Star announcement on joining Snowflake
Checked November 2026.
Listed in: Data Catalog & Governance.
How we research reviews and what star ratings mean: our editorial method.