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Database & Data Management · head to head

ClickHouse vs Dundas BI

ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Database & Data Management

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Dundas BI logo

Dundas BI

Business Intelligence

Flexible business intelligence platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only ClickHouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems; Dundas BI the published Embedded BI Package starts from about $4,738.70 USD per month billed annually for 8 core capacity
  • They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Dundas BI covers White-labeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and Dundas BI actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickHouse and Dundas BI differ
AttributeClickHouseDundas BI
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)Web, Embedded, Mobile
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementBusiness Intelligence
Founded20211992

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 ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Real-time Analytics
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka

Only in Dundas BI

  • White-labeling
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Data Preparation
  • Custom Visualizations
  • API
  • SQL Server
  • Oracle
  • Azure

Both cover

  • MySQL
  • PostgreSQL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Dundas BI
  • Data warehousingnot Dundas BI
  • Real-time analyticsnot Dundas BI
  • Reportingnot Dundas BI
  • Machine learningnot Dundas BI

Dundas BI

  • Embedding dashboards and analytics inside another applicationnot ClickHouse
  • Self service business intelligence and ad hoc reportingnot ClickHouse
  • Building custom data visualisations against open BI APIsnot ClickHouse

Where each one falls short

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

ClickHouse

  • Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
  • Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
  • Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
  • Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
  • Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation

Dundas BI

  • The published Embedded BI Package starts from about $4,738.70 USD per month billed annually for 8 core capacity
  • That figure reflects a limited time 35 percent promotional discount rather than list price
  • Licensing is by CPU core capacity rather than by user, so cost scales with server hardware
  • Dundas is now part of insightsoftware following acquisition
  • The page states that a pricing plan is worked out together with the vendor rather than published as a rate card

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Dundas BI

$500/month
  • Professional$500/month
    • Full Platform
    • Embedding
    • Support
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Unlimited Users
    • Multi-tenant
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickHouse if

  • You need column-oriented storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
  • You also want real-time analytics.

Choose Dundas BI if

  • You need white-labeling.
  • You work on Web, Embedded, Mobile.
  • You also want embedded analytics.

Questions people ask

Is ClickHouse or Dundas BI better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and Dundas BI at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or Dundas BI?
ClickHouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickHouse and $500/month for Dundas BI.
Does ClickHouse or Dundas BI run on more platforms?
ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). Dundas BI runs on Web, Embedded, Mobile.
Can I use ClickHouse for free?
Yes. ClickHouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dundas BI starts at $500/month.
What is ClickHouse best used for?
ClickHouse is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what Dundas BI is typically brought in for.
What can ClickHouse do that Dundas BI cannot?
ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Dundas BI covers White-labeling, Embedded Analytics, Data Preparation, Custom Visualizations. Both handle MySQL, PostgreSQL, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?

ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.

Source
ClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?

ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.

Source
ClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?

ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.

Source

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