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Databricks vs Redash

Databricks logo

Databricks

Software

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redash logo

Redash

Software

Connect and visualize your data

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; Redash a basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Redash covers SQL Query Editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Redash actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Redash differ
AttributeDatabricksRedash
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2013).

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 Redash

  • SQL Query Editor
  • Multiple Data Sources
  • Visualizations
  • Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • BigQuery

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

Redash

  • Self-hosted SQL query editor and dashboarding over existing databasesnot Databricks
  • Sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a BI licencenot 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

Redash

  • A basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
  • The official Docker images were not updated for V10, so the documented route is to deploy a V8 instance and then upgrade it
  • Anyone not using a provided cloud image has to configure the environment variables and secrets by hand

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Redash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full Features
    • Self-hosted
    • Community Support
  • Cloud$49/month
    • Managed Hosting
    • Automatic Updates
    • Support

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 Redash if

  • You need sql query editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Redash review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Redash better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Redash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Redash?
Databricks starts at Free and Redash at Free.
Does Databricks or Redash run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
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 Redash is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Redash cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards. Both handle Web support.
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