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Elastic Stack vs Apache Spark MLlib

Elastic Stack logo

Elastic Stack

Logging

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Spark MLlib logo

Apache Spark MLlib

Machine Learning

Scalable machine learning on Apache Spark

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apache Spark MLlib has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Elastic Stack self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage; Apache Spark MLlib apache Spark MLlib is Apache 2.0 licensed and free with no paid tier from the Apache project itself; SLA-backed support has to be sourced from a third party such as a managed Spark vendor rather than from Apache.
  • They diverge on capability: Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elastic Stack and Apache Spark MLlib actually diverge.

Attributes where Elastic Stack and Apache Spark MLlib differ
AttributeElastic StackApache Spark MLlib
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK)Linux, macOS, Windows
CategoryLoggingMachine Learning
Founded20111999

Identical on both: 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 Elastic Stack

  • Full-text search
  • Log analytics
  • Security monitoring
  • Alerting
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Apache Spark MLlib

  • Classification
  • Regression
  • Clustering
  • Collaborative filtering
  • Feature engineering
  • Apache Spark
  • Hadoop
  • Kafka

What people use each for

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

Elastic Stack

  • Distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloadsnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour supportnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Security event tracking with field-level and document-level access controlnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecastingnot Apache Spark MLlib

Apache Spark MLlib

  • Machine learningnot Elastic Stack
  • Data sciencenot Elastic Stack
  • Distributed computingnot Elastic Stack

Where each one falls short

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

Elastic Stack

  • Self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
  • Serverless option has pending features including traffic filtering and bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Hosted deployment requires custom resource configuration for cluster management
  • Pricing models differ significantly across Hosted, Serverless, and Self-managed options

Apache Spark MLlib

  • Apache Spark MLlib is Apache 2.0 licensed and free with no paid tier from the Apache project itself; SLA-backed support has to be sourced from a third party such as a managed Spark vendor rather than from Apache.

Pricing, plan by plan

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

Apache Spark MLlib

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Apache Spark MLlib review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Elastic Stack if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
  • You also want log analytics.
Elastic Stack review

Choose Apache Spark MLlib if

  • You need classification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want regression.
Apache Spark MLlib review

Questions people ask

Is Elastic Stack or Apache Spark MLlib better?
Neither clearly leads. Elastic Stack starts at On request and Apache Spark MLlib at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elastic Stack or Apache Spark MLlib?
Apache Spark MLlib has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Elastic Stack and Free for Apache Spark MLlib.
Does Elastic Stack or Apache Spark MLlib run on more platforms?
Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK). Apache Spark MLlib runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Apache Spark MLlib for free?
Yes. Apache Spark MLlib has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Elastic Stack starts at On request.
What is Elastic Stack best used for?
Elastic Stack is most often used for distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloads, full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour support, security event tracking with field-level and document-level access control, machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecasting. Of those, distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloads and full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour support are not what Apache Spark MLlib is typically brought in for.
What can Elastic Stack do that Apache Spark MLlib cannot?
Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Collaborative filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elastic Stack: How much does Elastic Stack cost?

Elastic does not publish specific pricing on the Elastic Stack product page. Users can start a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, but ongoing subscription pricing requires contacting their sales team.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: How much does Apache Spark MLlib cost?

MLlib is completely free and open source, licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. There are no subscription, licensing, or usage fees.

Source
Elastic Stack: What deployment options are available for Elastic Stack?

Users can deploy Elastic Stack on Elastic Cloud (hosted on AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) or download it for self-managed deployment. Pricing for managed cloud hosting must be obtained by starting a trial or contacting sales.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: What licensing does MLlib use?

MLlib is licensed under Apache License Version 2.0, making it freely available for all users regardless of organization size or use case.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: How do I use MLlib?

MLlib is built into Apache Spark. Download Spark, which includes MLlib as a module, and deploy on your choice of infrastructure including Hadoop, Mesos, Kubernetes, standalone, or cloud.

Source
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