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Databases · head to head

Apache Pinot vs SingleStore

Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Databases

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SingleStore logo

SingleStore

Databases

The real-time distributed SQL database for data-intensive applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service; SingleStore high licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Pinot covers Column-oriented, SingleStore covers Fast Data Ingest.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apache Pinot and SingleStore differ
AttributeApache PinotSingleStore
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesCloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed
Founded19992011

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

  • Column-oriented
  • Distributed Processing
  • SQL Support
  • Pluggable Indexing
  • Star-tree Index
  • Upsert Support
  • Presto
  • Superset

Only in SingleStore

  • Fast Data Ingest
  • In-memory Processing
  • Distributed Architecture
  • MySQL Compatible
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vector Search
  • Tableau
  • Looker

Both cover

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Kafka
  • Spark
  • Linux support
  • Docker support
  • Kubernetes support

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

SingleStore

  • Transaction processingnot Apache Pinot
  • Data storagenot Apache Pinot
  • Application backendnot Apache Pinot
  • Reportingnot Apache Pinot
  • Data analyticsnot 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

SingleStore

  • High licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
  • Eventual consistency in replication: secondary replicas may lag during high write loads
  • Complex operational setup requiring specialized knowledge for optimization
  • Vendor lock-in due to proprietary technology without open-source alternatives
  • Disorganized documentation and lack of online training resources

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Pinot

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

SingleStore

Free
  • Free Tier$0.99/month
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Limited resources

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Pinot if

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

Choose SingleStore if

  • You need fast data ingest.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed.
  • You also want in-memory processing.
SingleStore review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Pinot or SingleStore better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Pinot starts at Free and SingleStore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Pinot or SingleStore?
Apache Pinot starts at Free and SingleStore at Free.
Does Apache Pinot or SingleStore run on more platforms?
Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. SingleStore runs on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed.
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 SingleStore is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Pinot do that SingleStore cannot?
Apache Pinot covers Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support, Pluggable Indexing. SingleStore covers Fast Data Ingest, In-memory Processing, Distributed Architecture, MySQL Compatible. Both handle Real-time Analytics, Kafka, Spark, Linux 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
SingleStore: Does SingleStore offer a free tier?

Yes, SingleStore offers a free tier starting from $0.99/month with usage-based pricing. The free tier allows developers to evaluate the platform with limited resources before scaling to production workloads.

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
SingleStore: Can SingleStore handle both transactional and analytical workloads?

Yes, SingleStore is a hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) database that combines operational (OLTP) and analytical (OLAP) workloads in a single unified engine, eliminating the need for separate systems.

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
SingleStore: Does SingleStore integrate with Apache Spark?

Yes, SingleStore provides the Spark Connector 3.0 for bidirectional data integration with Apache Spark. The connector supports SQL, Python, Scala, Java, and R for data loading and extraction.

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
SingleStore: Can SingleStore ingest data from Kafka?

Yes, SingleStore supports high-throughput streaming ingestion from Apache Kafka and other sources, enabling millions of events per second without requiring ETL pipelines or data movement.

Source
SingleStore: Is SingleStore available as cloud or self-managed?

SingleStore offers both deployment options: SingleStoreDB Cloud (managed service) and SingleStore Self-Managed for on-premises or private cloud deployments. The managed service handles infrastructure, scaling, and maintenance automatically.

Source
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