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Software · head to head

Elasticsearch vs Periscope Data

Elasticsearch logo

Elasticsearch

Software

The heart of the Elastic Stack for search and analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Periscope Data logo

Periscope Data

Software

SQL and Python analytics platform

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Elasticsearch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Elasticsearch eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements; Periscope Data the periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search, Periscope Data covers SQL Editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elasticsearch and Periscope Data actually diverge.

Attributes where Elasticsearch and Periscope Data differ
AttributeElasticsearchPeriscope Data
Starting priceFree$1000/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, Docker, KubernetesWeb, Cloud
Founded20102012

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 Elasticsearch

  • Full-text Search
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Distributed Architecture
  • RESTful API
  • Schema-free JSON
  • Aggregations
  • Machine Learning
  • Kibana

Only in Periscope Data

  • SQL Editor
  • Python/R Integration
  • Version Control
  • Caching
  • Dashboards
  • Redshift
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Elasticsearch

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

Periscope Data

  • SQL-based analytics and dashboards over a data warehousenot Elasticsearch
  • Python and R analysis alongside SQL in one workflownot Elasticsearch
  • Shared dashboards for data teamsnot Elasticsearch

Where each one falls short

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

Elasticsearch

  • Eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements
  • No support for ACID transactions or rollbacks; updates delete and re-insert documents
  • JVM-dependent architecture requires careful memory management and monitoring to prevent garbage collection issues at scale

Periscope Data

  • The periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
  • No Periscope Data pricing, plan or seat rate remains published at the original domain
  • Buyers must now purchase through Sisense, whose own pricing is not published as a rate card

Pricing, plan by plan

Elasticsearch

Free
  • Self-ManagedFree
    • Open source
    • Self-hosted
  • Elasticsearch Cloud$16.4/month
    • Managed service
    • 14-day free trial

Periscope Data

$1000/month
  • Team$1000/month
    • SQL Analytics
    • Python/R
    • Dashboards
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced Features
    • Custom Integrations
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Elasticsearch if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
Elasticsearch review

Choose Periscope Data if

  • You need sql editor.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want python/r integration.
Periscope Data review

Questions people ask

Is Elasticsearch or Periscope Data better?
Neither clearly leads. Elasticsearch starts at Free and Periscope Data at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elasticsearch or Periscope Data?
Elasticsearch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elasticsearch and $1000/month for Periscope Data.
Does Elasticsearch or Periscope Data run on more platforms?
Elasticsearch runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes. Periscope Data runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Elasticsearch for free?
Yes. Elasticsearch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Periscope Data starts at $1000/month.
What is Elasticsearch best used for?
Elasticsearch 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 Periscope Data is typically brought in for.
What can Elasticsearch do that Periscope Data cannot?
Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search, Real-time Analytics, Distributed Architecture, RESTful API. Periscope Data covers SQL Editor, Python/R Integration, Version Control, Caching. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elasticsearch: Is Elasticsearch free?

Yes, Elasticsearch can be deployed as free and open-source software for self-managed installations. Elastic Cloud managed service starts at $16.40 per month, with a free 14-day trial available.

Source
Elasticsearch: Can I use Elasticsearch without Kibana?

Yes, Elasticsearch is a search engine independent of Kibana. Kibana is a visualization and analytics tool that works with Elasticsearch but is optional. You can use the Elasticsearch API directly for searching.

Source
Elasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support real-time indexing?

Elasticsearch indexes data with a refresh interval, typically 1 second. Data becomes searchable after the refresh cycle, making it near-real-time but not instantaneous. This can be configured but impacts performance.

Source
Elasticsearch: What are Elasticsearch's scaling limitations?

Elasticsearch requires careful operational management at scale, including shard balancing, heap sizing, and monitoring. Large clusters can suffer from garbage collection issues and become expensive to operate.

Source
Elasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support transactions and rollbacks?

No, Elasticsearch does not support ACID transactions or rollbacks. Updates are expensive operations that delete and re-insert documents, making it unsuitable for transactional workloads.

Source
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