Software · head to head
Apache Druid vs Apache Pinot
Apache Druid
Software
Real-time analytics database for sub-second OLAP queries
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Apache Pinot
Software
Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apache Druid open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features; Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
- They diverge on capability: Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apache Druid and Apache Pinot actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apache Druid | Apache Pinot |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based) | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1999).
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 Druid
- Real-time Ingestion
- Sub-second Queries
- Column-oriented Storage
- Streaming Integration
- Approximate Algorithms
- Flexible Schemas
- Time-based Partitioning
- Hadoop
Only in Apache Pinot
- Real-time Analytics
- Column-oriented
- Distributed Processing
- SQL Support
- Pluggable Indexing
- Star-tree Index
- Upsert Support
- Presto
Both cover
- Kafka
- Spark
- Superset
- Linux support
- Docker support
- Kubernetes support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apache Druid
- Real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sourcesnot Apache Pinot
- Applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows)not Apache Pinot
- Time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiencynot Apache Pinot
Apache Pinot
- Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot Apache Druid
- User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Apache Druid
- Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Apache Druid
- Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Apache Druid
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apache Druid
- Open-source offering lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
- Requires native integration with Apache Kafka or Amazon Kinesis for real-time ingestion; custom integrations need development
- High-concurrency query support (hundreds of thousands QPS) requires significant cluster infrastructure investment
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 Druid
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Apache Druid review.
Apache Pinot
Free- Open SourceFree
- Real-time analytics
- SQL queries
- Horizontal scaling
Which should you pick?
Choose Apache Druid if
- You need real-time ingestion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based).
- You also want sub-second queries.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Apache Druid or Apache Pinot better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apache Druid 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 Druid or Apache Pinot?
- Apache Druid starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free.
- Does Apache Druid or Apache Pinot run on more platforms?
- Apache Druid runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Native deployment (Java-based). Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use Apache Druid for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apache Druid best used for?
- Apache Druid is most often used for real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sources, applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows), time-series and event analysis at massive scale with columnar storage efficiency. Of those, real-time analytics platforms ingesting millions of events per second from streaming sources and applications requiring sub-second queries over high-cardinality datasets (billions to trillions of rows) are not what Apache Pinot is typically brought in for.
- What can Apache Druid do that Apache Pinot cannot?
- Apache Druid covers Real-time Ingestion, Sub-second Queries, Column-oriented Storage, Streaming Integration. Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support. Both handle Kafka, Spark, Superset, Linux support.