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Databricks vs Stata

Databricks logo

Databricks

Software

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stata logo

Stata

Software

Data science software for research professionals

From
$48/year
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; Stata the entry Stata/BE edition is capped at 2,048 variables and 798 independent variables in a model
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Stata covers Statistical analysis.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Stata actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Stata differ
AttributeDatabricksStata
Starting priceFree$48/year
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpLinux, Mac, Windows
Founded20131985

Identical on both: 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 Stata

  • Statistical analysis
  • Data management
  • Graphics
  • Econometrics
  • Survey analysis
  • Python
  • ODBC
  • Excel

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

Stata

  • Statistical analysis and econometrics on panel and survey datanot Databricks
  • Reproducible research with do files and logsnot Databricks
  • Teaching quantitative methods to studentsnot 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

Stata

  • The entry Stata/BE edition is capped at 2,048 variables and 798 independent variables in a model
  • Raising the variable limit to 32,767 requires Stata/SE and 120,000 requires Stata/MP
  • Stata/MP is licensed by core count, so 2 core and 4 core licences are priced separately
  • Student licences require proof of enrolment at a degree granting institution
  • Stata/MP is not sold on a 6 month student term
  • Perpetual student licences cost several times the annual price, for example $298 against $94 for Stata/BE

Pricing, plan by plan

Databricks

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

Stata

$48/year
  • Stata/BE$48/year
    • Basic edition
    • Core features
  • Stata/SE$295/year
    • Standard edition
    • Larger datasets

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 Stata if

  • You need statistical analysis.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want data management.
Stata review

Questions people ask

Is Databricks or Stata better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks starts at Free and Stata at $48/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databricks or Stata?
Databricks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databricks and $48/year for Stata.
Does Databricks or Stata run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Stata runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Yes. Databricks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stata starts at $48/year.
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 Stata is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Stata cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Stata covers Statistical analysis, Data management, Graphics, Econometrics.
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