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Database & Data Management · head to head

FaunaDB vs Apache Pinot

FaunaDB logo

FaunaDB

Database & Data Management

The distributed serverless database for modern applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Pinot logo

Apache Pinot

Database & Data Management

Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FaunaDB the Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.; Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • They diverge on capability: FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FaunaDB and Apache Pinot actually diverge.

Attributes where FaunaDB and Apache Pinot differ
AttributeFaunaDBApache Pinot
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementUnknown
Founded20121999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 FaunaDB

  • ACID Transactions
  • Document-relational Model
  • GraphQL API
  • Global Distribution
  • Temporal Queries
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Serverless
  • GraphQL

Only in Apache Pinot

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Column-oriented
  • Distributed Processing
  • SQL Support
  • Pluggable Indexing
  • Star-tree Index
  • Upsert Support
  • Kafka

What people use each for

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

FaunaDB

  • Serverless applicationsnot Apache Pinot
  • Rapid prototypingnot Apache Pinot
  • Mobile backendsnot Apache Pinot
  • JAMstacknot Apache Pinot
  • Microservicesnot Apache Pinot

Apache Pinot

  • Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot FaunaDB
  • User-facing dashboards inside a productnot FaunaDB
  • Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot FaunaDB
  • Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot FaunaDB

Where each one falls short

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

FaunaDB

  • The Internet Archive's capture of FaunaDB's homepage on 5 January 2019 confirmed a free 'Try Cloud' tier alongside a self-hosted download, with a separate Pricing page linked but not itself retrievable from the archive within two attempts.

Apache Pinot

  • Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
  • Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
  • Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database

Pricing, plan by plan

FaunaDB

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100K read ops
    • 50K write ops
    • 1GB storage
  • Pro$25/month
    • Pay per use
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

Apache Pinot

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Real-time analytics
    • SQL queries
    • Horizontal scaling

Which should you pick?

Choose FaunaDB if

  • You need acid transactions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want document-relational model.
FaunaDB review

Choose Apache Pinot if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want column-oriented.
Apache Pinot review

Questions people ask

Is FaunaDB or Apache Pinot better?
Neither clearly leads. FaunaDB starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaunaDB or Apache Pinot?
FaunaDB starts at Free and Apache Pinot at Free.
Does FaunaDB or Apache Pinot run on more platforms?
FaunaDB runs on Web. Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use FaunaDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FaunaDB best used for?
FaunaDB is most often used for serverless applications, rapid prototyping, mobile backends, jamstack. Of those, serverless applications and rapid prototyping are not what Apache Pinot is typically brought in for.
What can FaunaDB do that Apache Pinot cannot?
FaunaDB covers ACID Transactions, Document-relational Model, GraphQL API, Global Distribution. Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support.
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