Softwr

Software · head to head

Databricks vs Minitab

Databricks logo

Databricks

Software

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Minitab logo

Minitab

Software

Statistical software for quality improvement

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; Minitab pricing is by quote only: the pricing page is an inquiry form and publishes no rate, no seat price and no minimum
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Minitab covers Statistical analysis.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Minitab actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Minitab differ
AttributeDatabricksMinitab
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpMac, Windows, Web
Founded20131972

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 Minitab

  • Statistical analysis
  • Quality tools
  • Regression analysis
  • Control charts
  • Design of experiments
  • Excel
  • Python
  • R

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

Minitab

  • Statistical analysis and hypothesis testing for quality engineeringnot Databricks
  • Six Sigma and process improvement studies with control chartsnot Databricks
  • Design of experiments and capability analysisnot 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

Minitab

  • Pricing is by quote only: the pricing page is an inquiry form and publishes no rate, no seat price and no minimum
  • Obtaining a price requires submitting contact details and waiting for a sales representative

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Minitab

Free
  • TrialFree
    • 7-day trial
    • Full features
  • Single User$29/month
    • Full Minitab
    • All features

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 Minitab if

  • You need statistical analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web.
  • You also want quality tools.
Minitab review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Minitab better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Minitab at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Minitab?
Databricks starts at Free and Minitab at Free.
Does Databricks or Minitab run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Minitab runs on Mac, Windows, Web.
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 Minitab is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Minitab cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Minitab covers Statistical analysis, Quality tools, Regression analysis, Control charts. Both handle Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Databricks

More on Minitab

Keep looking

Other head to heads