Software · head to head
Amazon Redshift vs DataGrip

DataGrip
Software
Cross-platform database IDE from JetBrains for SQL and NoSQL databases
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Redshift on-demand pricing runs up to 75% higher than competitors like Snowflake and BigQuery; DataGrip commercial use requires a paid subscription; the free tier is non-commercial only.
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Redshift covers Columnar Storage, DataGrip covers Intelligent SQL Completion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Redshift and DataGrip actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Redshift | DataGrip |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Platforms | Web | windows, mac, linux |
| Founded | 2012 | 2000 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Amazon Redshift
- Columnar Storage
- Massively Parallel
- Machine Learning
- AQUA Acceleration
- Data Sharing
- Federated Query
- Concurrency Scaling
- S3
Only in DataGrip
- Intelligent SQL Completion
- Schema Navigation
- Data Editor
- Version Control for Scripts
- Multi-database Support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Redshift
- Business intelligencenot DataGrip
- Data warehousingnot DataGrip
- Real-time analyticsnot DataGrip
- Reportingnot DataGrip
- Machine learningnot DataGrip
DataGrip
- Writing and running SQL queries across multiple database enginesnot Amazon Redshift
- Browsing and editing schema and table data visuallynot Amazon Redshift
- Version-controlling database migration scriptsnot Amazon Redshift
- Standardizing database tooling across a JetBrains-based teamnot Amazon Redshift
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amazon Redshift
- On-demand pricing runs up to 75% higher than competitors like Snowflake and BigQuery
- Requires significant manual tuning including managing concurrency scaling costs and configuring Workload Management queues
- Performance degrades without proper design of distribution keys and sort keys
- Limited elastic resize options - can only halve or double current cluster size
- AWS lock-in makes it unsuitable for multi-cloud architectures
DataGrip
- Commercial use requires a paid subscription; the free tier is non-commercial only.
- No built-in database administration features like backup scheduling found in dedicated DBA tools.
- Heavier resource footprint than lightweight single-purpose SQL clients.
- NoSQL support (e.g. MongoDB) is less mature than its relational database tooling.
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon Redshift
Free- Free TrialFree
- 750 DC2.Large hours
- 2 months free
- Full features
- On-Demand$0.25/hour
- Pay per node hour
- All features
- Standard support
DataGrip
Free- Free (non-commercial)Free
- Personal, non-commercial use only
- Individual - Year 1$99/year
- Full DataGrip license
- Free updates during subscription
- Individual - Year 2+$79/year
- Continuity discount from second year onward
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon Redshift if
- You need columnar storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want massively parallel.
Choose DataGrip if
- You need intelligent sql completion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on windows, mac, linux.
- You also want schema navigation.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Redshift or DataGrip better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Redshift starts at Free and DataGrip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Redshift or DataGrip?
- Amazon Redshift starts at Free and DataGrip at Free.
- Does Amazon Redshift or DataGrip run on more platforms?
- Amazon Redshift runs on Web. DataGrip runs on windows, mac, linux.
- Can I use Amazon Redshift for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Amazon Redshift best used for?
- Amazon Redshift is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what DataGrip is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Redshift do that DataGrip cannot?
- Amazon Redshift covers Columnar Storage, Massively Parallel, Machine Learning, AQUA Acceleration. DataGrip covers Intelligent SQL Completion, Schema Navigation, Data Editor, Version Control for Scripts.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon Redshift: What deployment options does Amazon Redshift offer?
Redshift offers Provisioned Cluster (with RA3 or DC2 nodes) and Serverless options to match varying workloads. The new Redshift RG instance family, powered by Graviton, delivers 2.4x faster performance than RA3 at 30% lower cost per vCPU.
SourceDataGrip: Is DataGrip free for personal use?
JetBrains introduced a free non-commercial license for DataGrip in October 2025, allowing personal use, while commercial use still requires a paid annual or monthly subscription.
SourceAmazon Redshift: What does Amazon Redshift cost?
Provisioned cluster pricing: RA3 on-demand starts at $1.086/hour for ra3.xlplus. Serverless costs approximately $0.375 per RPU-hour with 4-RPU minimum (roughly $1.50/hour active workload). Managed storage costs $0.024/GB-month.
SourceDataGrip: Who qualifies for the free non-commercial license?
Only individuals are eligible, for uses like learning, open-source work, or content creation. Anyone paid by an employer, including at a non-profit, must use a commercial license instead.
SourceAmazon Redshift: Does Redshift work with data lakes?
Yes, Redshift's integrated data lake query engine processes workloads on Apache Iceberg tables and other supported formats in Amazon S3, allowing you to run SQL analytics across your data warehouse and data lake from the same engine.
SourceDataGrip: How long does the free non-commercial license last?
It lasts one year and auto-renews if DataGrip was used at least once in the final six months; otherwise you can simply reapply for a new license.
SourceAmazon Redshift: Is there a free tier for Amazon Redshift?
AWS offers a free trial with $300 USD in Serverless credits valid for 90 days, but Redshift is not part of the permanent AWS Free Tier.
SourceDataGrip: Does the free license have fewer features than the paid version?
No, it is a full-featured IDE identical to the paid version, though it requires anonymized telemetry sharing that cannot be opted out of under the non-commercial agreement.
SourceDataGrip: Can I use DataGrip offline with the free license?
No, activation requires logging into a JetBrains Account; offline activation codes are not available for the free non-commercial license.
SourceRelated pages
More on Amazon Redshift
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