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Machine Learning · head to head

Databricks vs Dundas BI

Databricks logo

Databricks

Machine Learning

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dundas BI logo

Dundas BI

Business Intelligence

Flexible business intelligence platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Databricks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Databricks cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges; 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: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Dundas BI covers White-labeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Databricks and Dundas BI differ
AttributeDatabricksDundas BI
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, Embedded, Mobile
CategoryMachine LearningBusiness Intelligence
Founded20131992

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 Databricks

  • Delta Lake
  • Apache Spark
  • MLflow
  • Unity Catalog
  • Photon Engine
  • Collaborative Notebooks
  • Auto-scaling
  • GCP

Only in Dundas BI

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

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Databricks

  • Running Spark data engineering pipelines on managed clustersnot Dundas BI
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Dundas BI
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Dundas BI

Dundas BI

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

Where each one falls short

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

Databricks

  • Cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges
  • The free trial lasts 14 days
  • Discounts require a Committed Use Contract, with larger commitments needed for larger discounts
  • Azure Databricks pricing is set by Microsoft rather than by Databricks
  • Security and compliance capabilities are sold as separate platform add ons rather than included in the base rate

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

Databricks

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Limited cluster
    • Notebook environment
    • Community support
  • Standard$0.07/DBU
    • Jobs compute
    • SQL compute
    • Standard support

Dundas BI

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Databricks if

  • You need delta lake.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
  • You also want apache spark.
Databricks review

Choose Dundas BI if

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

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Dundas BI better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks 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, Databricks or Dundas BI?
Databricks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databricks and $500/month for Dundas BI.
Does Databricks or Dundas BI run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Dundas BI runs on Web, Embedded, Mobile.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Yes. Databricks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dundas BI starts at $500/month.
What is Databricks best used for?
Databricks is most often used for running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters, building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage, training and serving machine learning models alongside the data. Of those, running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters and building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage are not what Dundas BI is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Dundas BI cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Dundas BI covers White-labeling, Embedded Analytics, Data Preparation, Custom Visualizations. Both handle AWS, Azure, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Databricks: How is Databricks priced?

Databricks bills pay as you go with no up front cost, charging per second for the products used. Consumption is measured in Databricks Units, a normalised unit of processing power on the platform.

Source
Dundas BI: How much does Dundas BI cost?

Dundas BI does not publish specific pricing. The vendor emphasizes 'smarter licensing models to scale appropriately and achieve ROI rapidly' and offers 'custom plans that fit your needs' rather than standardized tiers. Customers must contact Dundas directly for pricing quotes tailored to their enterprise or embedded analytics use case.

Source
Databricks: Does Databricks publish a per DBU price?

Not on its main pricing page. Rates vary by product and instance type, and Databricks directs buyers to individual product pricing pages and a calculator rather than listing a single figure.

Source
Dundas BI: What licensing options does Dundas BI offer?

Dundas BI describes their approach as flexible licensing designed to scale based on deployment needs. Specific licensing models and per-seat or concurrent-user costs are determined through custom quotes.

Source
Databricks: Does the Databricks price include cloud costs?

No. Databricks states that if you configure it to work with your own cloud account, your cloud provider still charges you separately for the underlying resources.

Source
Databricks: Can I get a discount on Databricks?

Databricks offers Committed Use Contracts, where larger usage commitments earn greater benefits, including options to use commitments flexibly across multiple clouds.

Source
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