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Machine Learning · head to head

Databricks vs Google Vertex AI

Databricks logo

Databricks

Machine Learning

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Vertex AI logo

Google Vertex AI

Machine Learning

Unified ML platform to build, deploy, and scale AI models

From
On request
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; Google Vertex AI vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Google Vertex AI covers AutoML.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Google Vertex AI actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Google Vertex AI differ
AttributeDatabricksGoogle Vertex AI
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpCloud, Web
Founded20132008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning).

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 Google Vertex AI

  • AutoML
  • Custom training
  • Feature Store
  • Model monitoring
  • Prediction serving
  • BigQuery
  • Cloud Storage
  • TensorFlow

Both cover

  • 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 Google Vertex AI
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Google Vertex AI
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Google Vertex AI

Google Vertex AI

  • Machine learningnot Databricks
  • Data analysisnot Databricks
  • Model trainingnot Databricks
  • Predictive analyticsnot 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

Google Vertex AI

  • Vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult
  • Requires familiarity with Google Cloud Platform infrastructure and concepts
  • Cost can escalate quickly with large training and inference workloads

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Google Vertex AI

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Vertex AI 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 Google Vertex AI if

  • You need automl.
  • You work on Cloud, Web.
  • You also want custom training.
Google Vertex AI review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Google Vertex AI better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Google Vertex AI at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Google Vertex AI?
Databricks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databricks and On request for Google Vertex AI.
Does Databricks or Google Vertex AI run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Google Vertex AI runs on Cloud, Web.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Yes. Databricks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Google Vertex AI starts at On request.
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 Google Vertex AI is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Google Vertex AI cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Google Vertex AI covers AutoML, Custom training, Feature Store, Model monitoring. Both handle 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
Google Vertex AI: What is the pricing model for Google Vertex AI?

Vertex AI uses a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront costs or lock-in fees. Costs vary by service: training is billed by compute resources and time (30-second increments), online predictions by machine type per hour, and batch predictions by compute time or per-record for specific AutoML types.

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
Google Vertex AI: What types of data can Vertex AI handle?

Vertex AI supports image, video, text, and tabular data types with tools for uploading, storing, and managing large datasets.

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
Google Vertex AI: Does Vertex AI support custom model training?

Yes. Vertex AI supports both AutoML for automated machine learning and custom training code in Python, R, and other languages.

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
Google Vertex AI: What deployment options are available in Vertex AI?

Vertex AI supports online predictions for real-time use cases and batch predictions for large-scale processing.

Source
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