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Databases · head to head

Grist vs Presto

Grist logo

Grist

Databases

The evolution of spreadsheets

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Presto logo

Presto

Databases

The Meta-lineage distributed SQL query engine, distinct from the Trino fork

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grist business plan has minimum 5-user requirement; Presto the original creators and most of the active contributor base left for Trino in 2020, so Presto has the smaller community, fewer connectors and slower feature delivery of the two branches.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grist and Presto actually diverge.

Attributes where Grist and Presto differ
AttributeGristPresto
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebLinux, Docker, Kubernetes

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

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 Grist

Nothing recorded that Presto does not also cover.

Only in Presto

  • Federated querying
  • In-memory execution
  • Open table format support
  • Presto C++ workers
  • ANSI SQL
  • Pluggable connectors

What people use each for

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

Grist

  • Collaborative data and spreadsheet managementnot Presto
  • Database creation and automationnot Presto
  • Team data analysis and reportingnot Presto

Presto

  • An existing PrestoDB estate that needs continued upgrades rather than a migration to Trinonot Grist
  • A team buying IBM watsonx.data, where Presto is the underlying query enginenot Grist
  • Joining a Hive or Iceberg lake to an operational PostgreSQL database in one query without an ETL stepnot Grist
  • Very large scale interactive SQL where the Meta-tested branch is a specific requirementnot Grist

Where each one falls short

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

Grist

  • Business plan has minimum 5-user requirement
  • Enterprise self-hosted pricing not disclosed publicly
  • Annual billing discount only 20%, lower than some competitors

Presto

  • The original creators and most of the active contributor base left for Trino in 2020, so Presto has the smaller community, fewer connectors and slower feature delivery of the two branches.
  • Documentation, tutorials and Stack Overflow answers for the two projects are frequently mixed up, and a solution written for Trino often does not apply, which costs real debugging time.
  • It is a query engine with no storage of its own, so query performance is dictated by your file layout, partitioning and statistics, and a badly organised lake makes Presto look slow.
  • Memory-bound execution means a single large join can fail the whole query rather than spilling gracefully, and tuning cluster memory settings is a persistent operational chore.
  • Commercial support has consolidated into IBM since the Ahana acquisition, so the independent vendor market that once existed around Presto is largely gone.

Pricing, plan by plan

Grist

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited documents
    • Up to 5,000 records per document
    • 30-day snapshot history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Up to 100,000 records per document
    • 3-year snapshot history
    • 100+ AI credits monthly
  • Business$30/month
    • 150,000 records per document
    • 5-year snapshot history
    • 2,000 AI credits monthly

Presto

Free
  • PrestoFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Presto Foundation governance under the Linux Foundation
    • No node or query limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Grist if

  • You want to start without paying.
Grist review

Choose Presto if

  • You need federated querying.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want in-memory execution.
Presto review

Questions people ask

Is Grist or Presto better?
Neither clearly leads. Grist starts at Free and Presto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grist or Presto?
Grist starts at Free and Presto at Free.
Does Grist or Presto run on more platforms?
Grist runs on Web. Presto runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Grist for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Grist best used for?
Grist is most often used for collaborative data and spreadsheet management, database creation and automation, team data analysis and reporting. Of those, collaborative data and spreadsheet management and database creation and automation are not what Presto is typically brought in for.
What can Grist do that Presto cannot?
Presto covers Federated querying, In-memory execution, Open table format support, Presto C++ workers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grist: Does Grist have a free version?

Yes. Grist Free includes unlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 30-day snapshot history, and 100 AI Assistant credits. No credit card required.

Source
Presto: Is this Presto or Trino?

This is PrestoDB, the branch that stayed at Facebook and moved to the Linux Foundation. Trino is the 2020 fork by the original creators.

Grist: How much does Grist Pro cost?

Grist Pro is $10/user/month (billed monthly) or $8/user/month with annual billing. It includes up to 100,000 records per document and 3-year snapshot history.

Source
Presto: Which should I choose for a new project?

Trino, in most cases. It has the larger community, more connectors and more commercial options.

Grist: What does Grist's Business plan include?

Grist Business is $30/user/month ($24 annually) with a minimum of 5 users. It includes 150,000 records per document, 5-year snapshot history, 2,000 AI credits monthly, and automations with priority support.

Source
Presto: Who maintains Presto now?

Principally Meta, Uber and IBM, which acquired the Presto vendor Ahana in 2023.

Grist: Do nonprofits get discounts on Grist?

Yes. Nonprofits receive a 50% discount on the Pro plan with Letter of Determination verification.

Source
Presto: Is it still actively released?

Yes, releases continue on a regular cadence under the Presto Foundation.

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