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Databases · head to head

Firebolt vs Holistics

Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Databases

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Holistics logo

Holistics

Business Intelligence

Self-service BI for data teams

From
$800/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop; Holistics the entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • They diverge on capability: Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Holistics covers Data Modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebolt and Holistics actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebolt and Holistics differ
AttributeFireboltHolistics
Starting price$1.84/hour$800/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, KubernetesWeb, Cloud
CategoryDatabasesBusiness Intelligence
Founded20192015

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

Only in Holistics

  • Data Modeling
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Caching
  • Embedding
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot Holistics
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot Holistics
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot Holistics

Holistics

  • Modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with Git version controlnot Firebolt
  • Self-service exploration and dashboards for non-SQL usersnot Firebolt
  • Embedding analytics into a customer-facing productnot Firebolt

Where each one falls short

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

Firebolt

  • Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
  • Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
  • Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
  • Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use

Holistics

  • The entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • Every plan includes only the first 10 users, with additional users charged at $15 per month each on Entry and Standard and $18 on the Security Compliance Suite
  • The Entry plan caps reports at 100, and each additional 100 reports costs $120 per month
  • Google SSO requires the Standard plan at $1,200 per month; enterprise SSO with SAML and SCIM provisioning requires the Security Compliance Suite at $2,400 per month
  • Row-based access control, IP whitelisting, pass-through authentication and user activity monitoring are all Security Compliance Suite features
  • Connecting Git version control to your own repository requires Standard; Entry only gets Holistics-hosted Git
  • White labelling, dynamic row-level permissions and unlimited dashboard viewers for embedded analytics are Custom Plan only, with no published price
  • Bank payments and custom payment terms are Custom Plan only, and custom infosec or legal paperwork is Enterprise plan only
  • The two months off discount requires yearly billing

Pricing, plan by plan

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

Holistics

$800/month
  • Entry$800/month
    • 100 reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Core self-service analytics
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Custom charts
  • Security Compliance Suite$2000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Granular access controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

Choose Holistics if

  • You need data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want version control.
Holistics review

Questions people ask

Is Firebolt or Holistics better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and Holistics at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firebolt or Holistics?
Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and Holistics at $800/month.
Does Firebolt or Holistics run on more platforms?
Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes. Holistics runs on Web, Cloud.
What is Firebolt best used for?
Firebolt is most often used for data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements, real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation, applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queries. Of those, data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements and real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation are not what Holistics is typically brought in for.
What can Firebolt do that Holistics cannot?
Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. Holistics covers Data Modeling, Version Control, Scheduling, Caching. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firebolt: How does Firebolt's compute billing model work?

Firebolt uses per-second billing with scale-to-zero capability. The smallest S tier costs $1.84 per hour with 8 vCPU and 64GB memory, while the largest 4XL tier costs $58.88 per hour with 256 vCPU. Users only pay when compute is running.

Source
Holistics: How much do additional Holistics users cost?

Additional users cost $12.50 per month (yearly billing) or $15 per month (monthly billing) for Entry/Standard plans, and $15-18 per month for Security Suite.

Source
Firebolt: What is the cost for data storage on Firebolt?

Storage costs $0.0264 per GB per month on object storage, billed as pass-through cost at cloud provider rates.

Source
Holistics: Can I purchase additional reports on Holistics?

Yes, additional 100-report blocks cost $100 per month (yearly) or $120 per month (monthly billing).

Source
Firebolt: What free credits or trial does Firebolt offer new users?

New users receive $200 free credits to get started with the platform.

Source
Holistics: Does Holistics support multiple data centers?

Yes, Holistics supports multiple data centers in US, EU, and APAC regions with pricing available for embedded analytics with unlimited dashboard viewers.

Source
Firebolt: Does Firebolt publish pricing for commitment-based discounts?

The pricing FAQ lists a question about commitment-based discounts but does not provide published answers on the pricing page. This requires direct inquiry with sales.

Source
Firebolt: What deployment options does Firebolt offer besides managed service?

Firebolt offers self-hosted open source deployment (unlimited) and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) options in addition to managed service.

Source
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