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InfluxDB vs Apache Spark MLlib

InfluxDB logo

InfluxDB

Logging

Purpose-built time series database for metrics and events

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Spark MLlib logo

Apache Spark MLlib

Machine Learning

Scalable machine learning on Apache Spark

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: InfluxDB high-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation; 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: InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which InfluxDB and Apache Spark MLlib actually diverge.

Attributes where InfluxDB and Apache Spark MLlib differ
AttributeInfluxDBApache Spark MLlib
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsCloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, AzureLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryLoggingMachine Learning
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 InfluxDB

  • Time-series Storage
  • Flux Query Language
  • High Write Throughput
  • Data Compression
  • Retention Policies
  • Continuous Queries
  • Built-in Dashboards
  • Telegraf

Only in Apache Spark MLlib

  • Classification
  • Regression
  • Clustering
  • Collaborative filtering
  • Feature engineering
  • Apache Spark
  • Hadoop
  • Kafka

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

What people use each for

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

InfluxDB

  • Monitoringnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • IoT datanot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Financial datanot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Log analyticsnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Observabilitynot Apache Spark MLlib

Apache Spark MLlib

  • Machine learningnot InfluxDB
  • Data sciencenot InfluxDB
  • Distributed computingnot InfluxDB

Where each one falls short

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

InfluxDB

  • High-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • No support for joins or transactions like relational databases
  • Queries limited to 72-hour window in InfluxDB 3 OSS Core
  • Clustering and authentication features absent from community version

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

InfluxDB

Free
  • Cloud Serverless FreeFree
    • 5 MB writes per 5 minutes
    • 300 MB queries per 5 minutes
    • 30 day retention
  • Cloud Serverless Usage-Based$undefined/mo
    • 0.0025 USD per MB ingested
    • 0.012 USD per 100 queries
    • 0.002 USD per GB-hour storage

Apache Spark MLlib

Free

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

Which should you pick?

Choose InfluxDB if

  • You need time-series storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure.
  • You also want flux query language.
InfluxDB 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 InfluxDB or Apache Spark MLlib better?
Neither clearly leads. InfluxDB starts at Free and Apache Spark MLlib at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, InfluxDB or Apache Spark MLlib?
InfluxDB starts at Free and Apache Spark MLlib at Free.
Does InfluxDB or Apache Spark MLlib run on more platforms?
InfluxDB runs on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure. Apache Spark MLlib runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use InfluxDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is InfluxDB best used for?
InfluxDB is most often used for monitoring, iot data, financial data, log analytics. Of those, monitoring and iot data are not what Apache Spark MLlib is typically brought in for.
What can InfluxDB do that Apache Spark MLlib cannot?
InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Flux Query Language, High Write Throughput, Data Compression. Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Collaborative filtering. Both handle Linux support, Windows support, Mac support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

InfluxDB: Is there a free tier and what are the limits?

InfluxDB 3 Core OSS is free forever for local development and prototyping. Cloud Serverless free tier includes 5 MB writes per 5 minutes, 300 MB queries per 5 minutes, 30 day retention, and 2 databases.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: How much does Apache Spark MLlib cost?

MLlib is completely free and open source, licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. There are no subscription, licensing, or usage fees.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I self-host InfluxDB?

Yes, InfluxDB 3 Core is fully open source and can be self-hosted with no license required. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is self-managed and includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: What licensing does MLlib use?

MLlib is licensed under Apache License Version 2.0, making it freely available for all users regardless of organization size or use case.

Source
InfluxDB: What are the series cardinality limitations?

InfluxDB is sensitive to high-cardinality data. High cardinality increases RAM usage and can trigger out-of-memory errors, making it unsuitable for some workloads with many unique tag combinations.

Source
Apache Spark MLlib: How do I use MLlib?

MLlib is built into Apache Spark. Download Spark, which includes MLlib as a module, and deploy on your choice of infrastructure including Hadoop, Mesos, Kubernetes, standalone, or cloud.

Source
InfluxDB: Does InfluxDB support SQL queries?

InfluxDB has limited SQL support. Full SQL is available in InfluxDB 3, but earlier versions support only specific SQL commands and use InfluxQL as the primary query language.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I export my data from InfluxDB?

Yes, data can be exported from InfluxDB using query results. However, the process and supported formats depend on the version and deployment type you are using.

Source
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