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Databases · head to head

Apache Doris vs Apache Pinot

Apache Doris logo

Apache Doris

Databases

MPP analytical database with a MySQL wire protocol and sub-second aggregation on wide tables

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Databases

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Doris two competing commercial vendors, VeloDB and SelectDB, were founded by overlapping core contributors, which makes the long-term governance and roadmap of the project harder to predict than a single-sponsor project.; Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Doris covers MySQL wire protocol, Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Doris and Apache Pinot actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Doris and Apache Pinot differ
AttributeApache DorisApache Pinot
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Linux, Docker, Kubernetes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 Apache Doris

  • MySQL wire protocol
  • Aggregate and unique key models
  • Materialised views
  • Multi-catalogue federation
  • Routine load from Kafka
  • Compute storage separation
  • Inverted indexes
  • Workload groups

Only in Apache Pinot

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Column-oriented
  • Distributed Processing
  • SQL Support
  • Pluggable Indexing
  • Star-tree Index
  • Upsert Support
  • Kafka

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apache Doris

  • A team whose MySQL read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an OLAP engine its existing drivers already speaknot Apache Pinot
  • A real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent usersnot Apache Pinot
  • An ad or ecommerce platform that needs updates and deletes on analytical tables, which append-only OLAP engines handle badlynot Apache Pinot
  • A data team that wants one SQL endpoint over both internal tables and existing Hive or Iceberg tables in the lakenot Apache Pinot

Apache Pinot

  • Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot Apache Doris
  • User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Apache Doris
  • Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Apache Doris
  • Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Apache Doris

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apache Doris

  • Two competing commercial vendors, VeloDB and SelectDB, were founded by overlapping core contributors, which makes the long-term governance and roadmap of the project harder to predict than a single-sponsor project.
  • A large share of design discussion, issue reports and documentation detail originates in Chinese, so teams that do not read it get a thinner picture of known problems and workarounds.
  • Operating a cluster means managing frontend and backend node roles, tablet balancing and compaction tuning, and compaction backlogs under heavy upsert load are a recurring production complaint.
  • The MySQL protocol compatibility is at the wire level, not full MySQL semantics, so queries and functions still need porting and the familiarity can mislead.
  • Managed cloud availability outside China and major clouds is limited compared with ClickHouse or Snowflake, so many Western adopters end up self-hosting whether they wanted to or not.

Apache Pinot

  • Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
  • Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Doris

Free
  • Apache DorisFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence with no usage restrictions
    • All engine features included
    • Community support via mailing list and Slack

Apache Pinot

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Real-time analytics
    • SQL queries
    • Horizontal scaling

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Doris if

  • You need mysql wire protocol.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want aggregate and unique key models.
Apache Doris review

Choose Apache Pinot if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want column-oriented.
Apache Pinot review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Doris or Apache Pinot better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Doris starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Doris or Apache Pinot?
Apache Doris starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free.
Does Apache Doris or Apache Pinot run on more platforms?
Both run on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Apache Doris for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Doris best used for?
Apache Doris is most often used for a team whose mysql read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an olap engine its existing drivers already speak, a real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent users, an ad or ecommerce platform that needs updates and deletes on analytical tables, which append-only olap engines handle badly, a data team that wants one sql endpoint over both internal tables and existing hive or iceberg tables in the lake. Of those, a team whose mysql read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an olap engine its existing drivers already speak and a real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent users are not what Apache Pinot is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Doris do that Apache Pinot cannot?
Apache Doris covers MySQL wire protocol, Aggregate and unique key models, Materialised views, Multi-catalogue federation. Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Doris: Is Apache Doris really free?

Yes, it is Apache 2.0 with no usage restrictions. The commercial products are managed services from VeloDB and SelectDB.

Apache Pinot: How much does Apache Pinot cost?

Apache Pinot is free and open-source. It is provided under the Apache License, which allows free use, modification, and distribution.

Source
Apache Doris: Can I use my MySQL tools with it?

Yes, it implements the MySQL wire protocol, so clients and BI connectors attach without a new driver, though SQL semantics differ.

Apache Pinot: Is Apache Pinot free for commercial use?

Yes. Apache Pinot is licensed under the Apache License, which explicitly permits commercial use at no cost.

Source
Apache Doris: How does it compare with ClickHouse?

Doris handles updates and high concurrency more comfortably; ClickHouse is generally faster on raw single-query scan throughput and has far wider Western support.

Apache Pinot: Can I run Apache Pinot locally or with Docker?

Yes. Apache Pinot offers a Docker quickstart and free downloads of the latest version (1.5.1 at the time of the page). You are responsible for hosting and infrastructure.

Source
Apache Doris: Who maintains it?

The Apache Software Foundation project, with most committers employed by VeloDB or SelectDB.

Apache Pinot: Are there restrictions on how I can use Apache Pinot?

The Apache License permits unrestricted use, but requires retention of license notices and statements. No usage limits or feature restrictions are enforced.

Source
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