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Databricks vs Khan Academy

Databricks logo

Databricks

Software

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Khan Academy logo

Khan Academy

Software

Free world-class education for anyone, anywhere

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Databricks cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges; Khan Academy the Internet Archive's capture of Khan Academy's homepage on 1 January 2021 stated it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and that its full library of practice and lessons 'is all free for learners and teachers', funded by donations rather than subscriptions.
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Khan Academy covers Video lessons.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Khan Academy actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Khan Academy differ
AttributeDatabricksKhan Academy
Pricing modelusage-basedfree
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20132008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Databricks

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

Only in Khan Academy

  • Video lessons
  • Practice exercises
  • Mastery system
  • Progress tracking
  • Personalized learning
  • Teacher tools
  • Parent dashboard
  • Test prep

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 Khan Academy
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Khan Academy
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Khan Academy

Khan Academy

  • Free self paced learning across maths, science and humanitiesnot Databricks
  • Assigning practice and tracking student progress in a classroomnot 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

Khan Academy

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Khan Academy's homepage on 1 January 2021 stated it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and that its full library of practice and lessons 'is all free for learners and teachers', funded by donations rather than subscriptions.

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Khan Academy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Video lessons
    • Practice exercises
    • Progress tracking

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 Khan Academy if

  • You need video lessons.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want practice exercises.
Khan Academy review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Khan Academy better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Khan Academy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Khan Academy?
Databricks starts at Free and Khan Academy at Free.
Does Databricks or Khan Academy run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Khan Academy runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Khan Academy is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Khan Academy cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Khan Academy covers Video lessons, Practice exercises, Mastery system, Progress tracking. Both handle Web support.
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