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Machine Learning & Data Science · head to head

Databricks vs Open edX

Databricks logo

Databricks

Machine Learning & Data Science

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Open edX logo

Open edX

Education & E-Learning

Open-source platform powering online learning

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; Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Open edX covers Course authoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Open edX actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Open edX differ
AttributeDatabricksOpen edX
Pricing modelusage-basedfree
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, IOS, Android
CategoryMachine Learning & Data ScienceEducation & E-Learning
Founded20132012

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

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks

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

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Databricks
  • Corporate trainingnot Databricks
  • Blended learningnot Databricks
  • Degree programsnot 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

Open edX

  • Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

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 Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Open edX better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Open edX at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Open edX?
Databricks starts at Free and Open edX at Free.
Does Databricks or Open edX run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Open edX 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 Open edX is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Open edX cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Both handle Web support.
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