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Databases · head to head

Apache Pinot vs Cody

Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Databases

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Cody logo

Cody

Developer Tools

AI coding assistant powered by code search

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Apache Pinot is a real-time distributed OLAP datastore.
  • Both are free.
  • Where Apache Pinot falls short: self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service.
  • Where Cody falls short: sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apache Pinot and Cody differ
AttributeApache PinotCody
Pricing modelOpen-sourceFreemium
PlatformsLinux, Self-hostedWeb
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools
Founded19992013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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 Pinot

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

Only in Cody

Nothing recorded that Apache Pinot does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Apache Pinot

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

Cody

  • Code completion and intelligent autocomplete in IDEsnot Apache Pinot
  • Developer chat with codebase context awarenessnot Apache Pinot
  • Automated debugging and error identificationnot Apache Pinot
  • Customizable prompts for workflow automationnot Apache Pinot

Where each one falls short

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

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

Cody

  • Sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page
  • sourcegraph.com/cody redirects to the documentation rather than a Cody product or pricing page
  • AI features are metered as credits included per user, and exceeding the allocation requires buying a higher volume bucket
  • Volume credit buckets are sold as an add-on rather than included
  • A customer success manager and premium support are optional paid extras on top of the Enterprise plan
  • Standard support is 24x5 rather than 24x7, with round-the-clock coverage sold as an upgrade
  • The published $16K figure is a starting price that scales with team size, so the actual cost is quoted rather than listed

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Pinot

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

Cody

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cody review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Pinot if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want column-oriented.

Choose Cody if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Apache Pinot or Cody better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Pinot starts at Free and Cody at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Pinot or Cody?
Apache Pinot starts at Free and Cody at Free.
Does Apache Pinot or Cody run on more platforms?
Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Self-hosted. Cody runs on Web.
Can I use Apache Pinot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Pinot best used for?
Apache Pinot is most often used for sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data, user-facing dashboards inside a product, real-time metrics at high ingest rates, petabyte-scale analytics as run at linkedin and uber. Of those, sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested data and user-facing dashboards inside a product are not what Cody is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Pinot do that Cody cannot?
Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Cody: Is Cody free?

Cody offers a free tier for individual developers via VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, and the web app. Unlimited free usage is available for solo developers.

Source
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
Cody: What does Cody Enterprise cost?

Cody Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting Sourcegraph sales. It is available for Sourcegraph Enterprise customers and must be quoted based on your deployment and usage needs.

Source
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
Cody: What LLMs does Cody use?

Cody uses the latest large language models for code completions, chat, and debugging. It leverages Sourcegraph's advanced Search API to pull codebase context from local and remote repositories.

Source
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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