View all Data Lakehouse / AI Alternatives
Best Free Alternatives to Databricks
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Category: Data Lakehouse / AIVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
Apache Spark (Self-Managed / OSS)
FREEBest Direct Compute Swap
Why we like it
The core engine behind Databricks; completely free; you can run it on your own Kubernetes clusters (K8s) or local machines; zero vendor markup on compute.
Keep in mind
Requires significant DevOps effort to manage, scale, and secure clusters; lacks the polished 'Databricks Notebooks' and 'Photon' acceleration.
Trino
FREEBest for Query Performance
Why we like it
The 'SQL Engine of the Lakehouse'; designed for sub-second interactive queries; queries data directly on S3/MinIO without needing to move it; outperforms standard Spark for BI and ad-hoc analysis.
Keep in mind
Not a processing engine like Spark; not ideal for complex iterative machine learning.
DuckDB / MotherDuck
FREEBest for Local Dev & Small Data
Why we like it
The 'SQLite for Analytics'; runs inside your Python process; zero cluster startup time; handles millions of rows on a laptop faster than a small Databricks cluster; MotherDuck provides a serverless cloud version.
Keep in mind
Single-node focus; not for petabyte-scale distributed processing.
StarRocks / Apache Doris
FREEBest for Real-Time Lakehouse
Why we like it
Next-gen OLAP engines that query Iceberg/Delta files with sub-second speed; replaces 'Databricks SQL' for a fraction of the cost; supports high-concurrency BI dashboards natively.
Keep in mind
Operational complexity of managing a dedicated OLAP cluster.
Glance
FREEBest for Instant Visualization
Why we like it
A 2025 standout for 'Unbundled BI'; provides instant dashboards over local Parquet or S3 data using DuckDB; bypasses the need for a persistent 'Warehouse' for exploration.
Keep in mind
Newer tool; limited enterprise governance features.
Apache Iceberg + Polaris Catalog
FREEBest for Governance
Why we like it
Polaris is the open-source answer to Databricks' Unity Catalog; provides cross-engine governance and security for Iceberg tables; prevents vendor lock-in completely.
Keep in mind
Requires more manual configuration than the 'one-click' Unity Catalog.
Dremio
FREEBest 'Easy' Alternative
Why we like it
Provides a polished, Databricks-like UI for your data lake; features 'Data Reflections' for acceleration; handles SQL and semantic layers beautifully.
Keep in mind
Proprietary features in the Enterprise version.
DataHub
FREEBest for Metadata/Lineage
Why we like it
The leading open-source data catalog from LinkedIn; visualizes lineage and metadata across your entire stack (not just the lakehouse).
Keep in mind
Complex to deploy and maintain.
Hydra
FREEBest Columnar Postgres
Why we like it
If you use Postgres, Hydra turns it into a columnar warehouse; avoids the need for a 'Big Data' platform for medium-scale analytics.
Keep in mind
Scale-up limits compared to Spark/Trino.
Livedocs
FREEBest Notebook Alternative
Why we like it
A 2025 lightweight alternative to Databricks notebooks; uses DuckDB/Polars for instant performance without waiting for clusters to spin up.
Keep in mind
Focused on analysis, not heavy ETL pipelines.
Dagster / Airflow
FREEBest for Orchestration
Why we like it
Replaces Databricks Workflows; offers superior local development, unit testing, and asset-based orchestration.
Keep in mind
Requires separate hosting/management.
Ray
FREEBest for AI/ML Scaling
Why we like it
The modern replacement for Spark in ML workloads; used by OpenAI; more efficient for deep learning and distributed Python apps.
Keep in mind
Not as mature as Spark for traditional SQL/ETL.
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