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Machine Learning · head to head

KNIME vs Ray

KNIME logo

KNIME

Machine Learning

Open source data analytics and integration platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ray logo

Ray

Machine Learning

Scale AI and Python applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: KNIME the free Analytics Platform runs locally only, so anything shared or scheduled requires a paid Hub; Ray windows support is beta and multi node Ray clusters are untested on Windows
  • They diverge on capability: KNIME covers Visual workflows, Ray covers Distributed computing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KNIME and Ray actually diverge.

Attributes where KNIME and Ray differ
AttributeKNIMERay
Founded20042019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning).

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 KNIME

  • Visual workflows
  • Data preprocessing
  • Machine learning
  • Visualization
  • Reporting
  • Python
  • R
  • Spark

Only in Ray

  • Distributed computing
  • Ray Train
  • Ray Tune
  • RLlib
  • Ray Serve
  • PyTorch
  • Hugging Face
  • scikit-learn

Both cover

  • TensorFlow
  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

KNIME

  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot Ray
  • ETL and data pipeline automationnot Ray
  • Predictive analytics and modelingnot Ray

Ray

  • Distributed AI model training and servingnot KNIME
  • Large-scale data processingnot KNIME
  • Reinforcement learning workloadsnot KNIME
  • ML inference servingnot KNIME

Where each one falls short

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

KNIME

  • The free Analytics Platform runs locally only, so anything shared or scheduled requires a paid Hub
  • The free AI assistant is limited to 20 interactions a month
  • Paid workflow runtime is metered in credits, with 120 included on Pro and overage at $0.025 per vCore minute
  • The Team plan at $99 a month includes 3 members, with additional seats at $49 a month each
  • Business Hub pricing is on request, and its tiers are capped at 4, 8 and 16 vCores with 5, 5 and 20 users

Ray

  • Windows support is beta and multi node Ray clusters are untested on Windows
  • Windows lacks copy on write forking, which raises memory requirements, and Ray code assumes UNIX filenames
  • Multi node clusters are untested on Apple Silicon Macs
  • The Java API is experimental and community supported only, and requires matching Java and Python versions
  • Python 3.13 support is beta

Pricing, plan by plan

KNIME

Free
  • Analytics PlatformFree
    • 300+ data sources
    • Unlimited local processing
    • K-AI assistant (20 interactions/month)
  • Pro$19/month
    • 120 workflow runtime credits
    • Data app deployment
    • K-AI (500 interactions/month)
  • Team$99/month
    • All Pro features
    • Collaboration spaces for up to 3 team members
    • Additional members: $49/month each
  • Business Hub$null/month
    • Enterprise automation and governance
    • LDAP/OAuth authentication
    • Staged deployment

Ray

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full Ray framework
    • All libraries
    • Community support
  • Anyscale PlatformFree
    • Managed infrastructure
    • Enterprise support
    • SLAs

Which should you pick?

Choose KNIME if

  • You need visual workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want data preprocessing.
KNIME review

Choose Ray if

  • You need distributed computing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want ray train.
Ray review

Questions people ask

Is KNIME or Ray better?
Neither clearly leads. KNIME starts at Free and Ray at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KNIME or Ray?
KNIME starts at Free and Ray at Free.
Does KNIME or Ray run on more platforms?
Both run on Linux, Mac, Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use KNIME for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is KNIME best used for?
KNIME is most often used for data science and machine learning workflows, etl and data pipeline automation, predictive analytics and modeling. Of those, data science and machine learning workflows and etl and data pipeline automation are not what Ray is typically brought in for.
What can KNIME do that Ray cannot?
KNIME covers Visual workflows, Data preprocessing, Machine learning, Visualization. Ray covers Distributed computing, Ray Train, Ray Tune, RLlib. Both handle TensorFlow, Linux support, Mac support, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KNIME: Is KNIME free?

Yes, KNIME Analytics Platform is free with 300+ data sources, unlimited local processing, and 20 K-AI assistant interactions per month.

Source
Ray: Is Ray free?

Yes. Ray is free and open source software with over 34,800 GitHub stars and 1,000+ contributors. Users can download and use the Ray framework at no cost.

Source
KNIME: What do KNIME paid plans cost?

Pro plan starts at $19/month with 120 runtime credits. Team plan starts at $99/month for up to 3 members, with additional members at $49/month each.

Source
Ray: Is there a paid option for Ray?

Yes. Anyscale, the managed platform built by Ray's creators, offers paid tiers with enterprise features like governance and advanced tooling. Specific Anyscale pricing details are not listed on the Ray website.

Source
KNIME: What is KNIME's runtime credit system?

Pro and Team plans include runtime credits for workflow execution. Additional runtime beyond included credits costs $0.025 per vCore minute.

Source
Ray: Can I try Ray with credits?

Yes. New users can try Ray with $100 credit on Anyscale's managed platform to explore the service.

Source
KNIME: Does KNIME offer enterprise pricing?

Yes, Business Hub is available for enterprises needing automation, governance, LDAP/OAuth auth, and dedicated resources. Pricing available on request.

Source
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