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Software · head to head

Google Vertex AI vs Apache Spark MLlib

Google Vertex AI logo

Google Vertex AI

Software

Unified ML platform to build, deploy, and scale AI models

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Spark MLlib logo

Apache Spark MLlib

Software

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: Google Vertex AI vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult; 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: Google Vertex AI covers AutoML, Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Vertex AI and Apache Spark MLlib actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Vertex AI and Apache Spark MLlib differ
AttributeGoogle Vertex AIApache Spark MLlib
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, WebLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded20081999

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 Google Vertex AI

  • AutoML
  • Custom training
  • Feature Store
  • Model monitoring
  • Prediction serving
  • BigQuery
  • Cloud Storage
  • TensorFlow

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.

Google Vertex AI

  • Machine learningnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Data analysisnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Model trainingnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Predictive analyticsnot Apache Spark MLlib

Apache Spark MLlib

  • Large-scale distributed machine learning on Spark clustersnot Google Vertex AI
  • Classification and regression with decision trees, random forests, gradient-boosted treesnot Google Vertex AI
  • Clustering with K-means and Gaussian Mixture Modelsnot Google Vertex AI

Where each one falls short

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

Google Vertex AI

  • Vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult
  • Requires familiarity with Google Cloud Platform infrastructure and concepts
  • Cost can escalate quickly with large training and inference workloads

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

Google Vertex AI

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Vertex AI review.

Apache Spark MLlib

Free

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Vertex AI if

  • You need automl.
  • You work on Cloud, Web.
  • You also want custom training.
Google Vertex AI 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 Google Vertex AI or Apache Spark MLlib better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Vertex AI 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, Google Vertex AI or Apache Spark MLlib?
Apache Spark MLlib has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Google Vertex AI and Free for Apache Spark MLlib.
Does Google Vertex AI or Apache Spark MLlib run on more platforms?
Google Vertex AI runs on Cloud, Web. 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. Google Vertex AI starts at On request.
What is Google Vertex AI best used for?
Google Vertex AI is most often used for machine learning, data analysis, model training, predictive analytics. Of those, machine learning and data analysis are not what Apache Spark MLlib is typically brought in for.
What can Google Vertex AI do that Apache Spark MLlib cannot?
Google Vertex AI covers AutoML, Custom training, Feature Store, Model monitoring. Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Collaborative filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Vertex AI: What is the pricing model for Google Vertex AI?

Vertex AI uses a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront costs or lock-in fees. Costs vary by service: training is billed by compute resources and time (30-second increments), online predictions by machine type per hour, and batch predictions by compute time or per-record for specific AutoML types.

Source
Google Vertex AI: What types of data can Vertex AI handle?

Vertex AI supports image, video, text, and tabular data types with tools for uploading, storing, and managing large datasets.

Source
Google Vertex AI: Does Vertex AI support custom model training?

Yes. Vertex AI supports both AutoML for automated machine learning and custom training code in Python, R, and other languages.

Source
Google Vertex AI: What deployment options are available in Vertex AI?

Vertex AI supports online predictions for real-time use cases and batch predictions for large-scale processing.

Source
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