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Machine Learning · head to head

Databricks vs Firebolt

Databricks logo

Databricks

Machine Learning

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Databases

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
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; 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: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Firebolt actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Firebolt differ
AttributeDatabricksFirebolt
Starting priceFree$1.84/hour
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryMachine LearningDatabases
Founded20132019

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), 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
  • AWS

Only in Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

Both cover

  • Tableau
  • Web support
  • Aws 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 Firebolt
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Firebolt
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Firebolt

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot Databricks
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot Databricks
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot 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

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

Databricks

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

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

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 Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Firebolt better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks 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, Databricks or Firebolt?
Databricks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databricks and $1.84/hour for Firebolt.
Does Databricks or Firebolt run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Yes. Databricks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour.
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 Firebolt is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Firebolt cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. Both handle Tableau, Web support, Aws 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
Firebolt: How does Firebolt's compute billing model work?

Firebolt uses per-second billing with scale-to-zero capability. The smallest S tier costs $1.84 per hour with 8 vCPU and 64GB memory, while the largest 4XL tier costs $58.88 per hour with 256 vCPU. Users only pay when compute is running.

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
Firebolt: What is the cost for data storage on Firebolt?

Storage costs $0.0264 per GB per month on object storage, billed as pass-through cost at cloud provider rates.

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
Firebolt: What free credits or trial does Firebolt offer new users?

New users receive $200 free credits to get started with the platform.

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
Firebolt: Does Firebolt publish pricing for commitment-based discounts?

The pricing FAQ lists a question about commitment-based discounts but does not provide published answers on the pricing page. This requires direct inquiry with sales.

Source
Firebolt: What deployment options does Firebolt offer besides managed service?

Firebolt offers self-hosted open source deployment (unlimited) and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) options in addition to managed service.

Source
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