Software · head to head
ClickHouse vs Firebolt
ClickHouse
Software
Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Firebolt
Software
Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale
- From
- $1.84/hour
- 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; Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
- They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and Firebolt actually diverge.
| Attribute | ClickHouse | Firebolt |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $1.84/hour |
| Pricing model | Unknown | usage-based |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker) | Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes |
| Founded | 2021 | 2019 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Linear Scalability
- Data Compression
- Vectorized Query Execution
- Approximate Calculations
- Kafka
- S3
Only in Firebolt
- Sub-second Queries
- Sparse Indexes
- Data Pruning
- Decoupled Storage/Compute
- Semi-structured Data
- Workload Isolation
- Airflow
- dbt
Both cover
- SQL Support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ClickHouse
- Business intelligencenot Firebolt
- Data warehousingnot Firebolt
- Real-time analyticsnot Firebolt
- Reportingnot Firebolt
- Machine learningnot Firebolt
Firebolt
- Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot ClickHouse
- Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot ClickHouse
- Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot 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
Firebolt
- Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
- Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
- Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
- Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
- Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use
Pricing, plan by plan
ClickHouse
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.
Firebolt
$1.84/hourNo published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.
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 Firebolt if
- You need sub-second queries.
- You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want sparse indexes.
Questions people ask
- Is ClickHouse or Firebolt better?
- Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and Firebolt at $1.84/hour, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or Firebolt?
- ClickHouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickHouse and $1.84/hour for Firebolt.
- Does ClickHouse or Firebolt run on more platforms?
- ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use ClickHouse for free?
- Yes. ClickHouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour.
- 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 Firebolt is typically brought in for.
- What can ClickHouse do that Firebolt cannot?
- ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, Linear Scalability, Data Compression. Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. Both handle SQL Support, 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.
SourceClickHouse: 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.
SourceClickHouse: 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