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Databases · head to head

Apache Pinot vs Evidence

Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Databases

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Evidence logo

Evidence

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence as code for teams and AI agents

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apache Pinot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service; Evidence high starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Evidence covers Analytics Agent.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apache Pinot and Evidence differ
AttributeApache PinotEvidence
Starting priceFree$2500/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceFlat team pricing with no per-user fees
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesCloud, Embedded
CategoryDatabasesBusiness Intelligence
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Evidence

  • Analytics Agent
  • Code-based infrastructure
  • Development environment
  • Visualization tools
  • Embedded analytics
  • Enterprise security
  • Multi-channel access

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 Evidence
  • User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Evidence
  • Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Evidence
  • Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Evidence

Evidence

  • Building version-controlled analytics infrastructurenot Apache Pinot
  • Enabling AI agents to answer business questionsnot Apache Pinot
  • Delivering analytics through multiple channels (web, Slack, ChatGPT)not Apache Pinot
  • Embedding white-labeled analytics in productsnot 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

Evidence

  • High starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption
  • No freemium option for evaluation or learning
  • Code-based approach has steeper learning curve than visual tools
  • AI credits limited on Team plan; additional credits cost extra
  • Requires Git workflow familiarity for effective collaboration

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Pinot

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

Evidence

$2500/month
  • Team$2500/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Monthly billing
    • Analytics Agent
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • All Team features
    • SSO/SAML authentication
    • SCIM directory sync

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Evidence if

  • You need analytics agent.
  • You work on Cloud, Embedded.
  • You also want code-based infrastructure.
Evidence review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Pinot or Evidence better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Pinot starts at Free and Evidence at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Pinot or Evidence?
Apache Pinot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apache Pinot and $2500/month for Evidence.
Does Apache Pinot or Evidence run on more platforms?
Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Evidence runs on Cloud, Embedded.
Can I use Apache Pinot for free?
Yes. Apache Pinot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Evidence starts at $2500/month.
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 Evidence is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Pinot do that Evidence cannot?
Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support. Evidence covers Analytics Agent, Code-based infrastructure, Development environment, Visualization tools.

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
Evidence: Does Evidence have per-user pricing?

No, Evidence offers one flat price for unlimited users at $2,500/month on the Team plan with a 30-day free trial.

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
Evidence: How many AI credits come with Team plan?

Team plan includes 20,000 AI credits monthly at $0.01 per additional credit. Enterprise offers custom credit packages.

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
Evidence: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise adds SSO/SAML, SCIM directory sync, row-level access rules, embedding capabilities, and custom deployment options at custom pricing.

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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