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Databases · head to head

DataStax vs Immuta

DataStax logo

DataStax

Databases

The real-time data company for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Immuta logo

Immuta

Databases

Attribute-based access control and masking applied inside Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DataStax has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DataStax dataStax's own Astra DB documentation states the Enterprise plan is an annual, contract-based plan with negotiated pricing, meaning list prices are not published for that tier; Immuta contracts commonly start around one hundred to two hundred thousand US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and exceed five hundred thousand at enterprise scale, which excludes most data teams without a regulatory mandate.
  • They diverge on capability: DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible, Immuta covers Attribute-based policy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DataStax and Immuta actually diverge.

Attributes where DataStax and Immuta differ
AttributeDataStaxImmuta
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, API, Cloud
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 DataStax

  • Cassandra Compatible
  • Vector Search
  • Serverless
  • Multi-cloud
  • Streaming
  • CDC
  • GraphQL API
  • LangChain

Only in Immuta

  • Attribute-based policy
  • Native enforcement
  • Dynamic masking
  • Row-level filtering
  • Purpose-based access
  • Sensitive data tagging
  • Audit logging
  • Multi-platform

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DataStax

  • Real-time applicationsnot Immuta
  • Content managementnot Immuta
  • User profilesnot Immuta
  • Mobile backendsnot Immuta
  • Cachingnot Immuta

Immuta

  • A bank whose Snowflake estate has grown to tens of thousands of roles that no one can review before an auditnot DataStax
  • A healthcare analytics team that must let researchers query patient data with identifiers masked unless a specific purpose is recordednot DataStax
  • A multinational applying different residency and access rules per jurisdiction to the same tables without duplicating datasetsnot DataStax
  • An organisation running both Snowflake and Databricks that wants one policy set rather than two divergent implementationsnot DataStax

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DataStax

  • DataStax's own Astra DB documentation states the Enterprise plan is an annual, contract-based plan with negotiated pricing, meaning list prices are not published for that tier
  • DataStax's Astra DB documentation directs Standard plan customers to IBM's watsonx.data pricing for exact consumption-based rates following the DataStax/IBM deal, rather than publishing them on DataStax's own site

Immuta

  • Contracts commonly start around one hundred to two hundred thousand US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and exceed five hundred thousand at enterprise scale, which excludes most data teams without a regulatory mandate.
  • Policy is only as good as the data classification underneath it, so an organisation with poorly tagged columns will spend months on classification before Immuta enforces anything useful.
  • Native enforcement means capability varies by platform, and a feature available on Snowflake may be absent or behave differently on BigQuery, which undermines the promise of one policy set everywhere.
  • Adding an access governance layer creates a new dependency in the path to data: a misconfigured policy silently returns fewer rows rather than erroring, and analysts can act on incomplete results without noticing.
  • It governs cloud data platforms, so personal data in operational databases, files and SaaS applications sits outside its scope and needs separate controls, meaning Immuta is rarely the whole answer.

Pricing, plan by plan

DataStax

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5GB storage
    • 40M read/write ops
    • Vector search
  • Pay As You GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Multi-region
    • Enterprise support

Immuta

On request
  • Immuta Platform$undefined/year
    • Attribute-based policy authoring
    • Native enforcement in supported data platforms
    • Dynamic masking and row-level security

Which should you pick?

Choose DataStax if

  • You need cassandra compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
  • You also want vector search.
DataStax review

Choose Immuta if

  • You need attribute-based policy.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want native enforcement.
Immuta review

Questions people ask

Is DataStax or Immuta better?
Neither clearly leads. DataStax starts at Free and Immuta at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DataStax or Immuta?
DataStax has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DataStax and On request for Immuta.
Does DataStax or Immuta run on more platforms?
DataStax runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Immuta runs on Web, API, Cloud.
Can I use DataStax for free?
Yes. DataStax has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Immuta starts at On request.
What is DataStax best used for?
DataStax is most often used for real-time applications, content management, user profiles, mobile backends. Of those, real-time applications and content management are not what Immuta is typically brought in for.
What can DataStax do that Immuta cannot?
DataStax covers Cassandra Compatible, Vector Search, Serverless, Multi-cloud. Immuta covers Attribute-based policy, Native enforcement, Dynamic masking, Row-level filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DataStax: Is DataStax available as a managed service?

Yes, DataStax is available as Astra DB, a managed database service. Users can sign up for Astra DB directly to create accounts and access the platform.

Source
Immuta: Does Immuta sit in the query path?

No. It compiles policies into the data platform's own native controls, so queries run at normal speed through your existing tools.

DataStax: How is DataStax priced?

DataStax (now part of IBM) does not publish pricing on its documentation homepage. Pricing information would need to be obtained through the Astra DB signup page or by contacting IBM directly.

Source
Immuta: What does it cost?

Not published. Market data suggests roughly 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and considerably more at enterprise scale.

DataStax: Is there an enterprise licensing option?

DataStax is now part of IBM. Enterprise customers should contact IBM directly for licensing agreements and enterprise-specific pricing.

Source
Immuta: Is Immuta still independent?

Yes. It remains independently owned, unlike several competitors in data access governance that have been acquired.

DataStax: Can I try DataStax without an account?

To use DataStax Astra DB, account creation is required. The documentation does not mention a free trial or demonstration environment that does not require signup.

Source
Immuta: Does it work across more than one warehouse?

Yes, one policy set can target Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and Starburst, though enforcement capability varies by platform.

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