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Machine Learning & Data Science · head to head

LlamaIndex vs Apache Spark MLlib

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Machine Learning & Data Science

Data framework for LLM applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apache Spark MLlib logo

Apache Spark MLlib

Machine Learning & Data Science

Scalable machine learning on Apache Spark

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LlamaIndex the free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out; 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: LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where LlamaIndex and Apache Spark MLlib differ
AttributeLlamaIndexApache Spark MLlib
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsLinux, Mac, WindowsLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded20221999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning & Data Science).

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 LlamaIndex

  • Data connectors
  • Indexing
  • Query engine
  • RAG pipelines
  • Agents
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Pinecone

Only in Apache Spark MLlib

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

Both cover

  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

LlamaIndex

  • Parsing PDFs and complex documents into structured text for RAGnot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private datanot Apache Spark MLlib
  • Indexing and querying enterprise documents from an LLM applicationnot Apache Spark MLlib

Apache Spark MLlib

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

Where each one falls short

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

LlamaIndex

  • The free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out
  • Concurrent parse jobs are capped at 5 on Free and Starter, 20 on Pro and 100 on Enterprise
  • Pay as you go spend is capped at $500 per month on Starter and $5,000 per month on Pro
  • Enterprise SSO is Enterprise plan only
  • Volume discounts on credits and 5x higher rate limits are Enterprise only
  • SaaS or hybrid cloud deployment choice and a dedicated account manager are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

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

LlamaIndex

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • All connectors
  • LlamaCloudFree
    • Managed parsing
    • Enterprise features

Apache Spark MLlib

Free

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

Which should you pick?

Choose LlamaIndex if

  • You need data connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want indexing.
LlamaIndex 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 LlamaIndex or Apache Spark MLlib better?
Neither clearly leads. LlamaIndex 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, LlamaIndex or Apache Spark MLlib?
LlamaIndex starts at Free and Apache Spark MLlib at Free.
Does LlamaIndex or Apache Spark MLlib run on more platforms?
LlamaIndex runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. Apache Spark MLlib runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use LlamaIndex for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LlamaIndex best used for?
LlamaIndex is most often used for parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag, building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data, indexing and querying enterprise documents from an llm application. Of those, parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag and building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data are not what Apache Spark MLlib is typically brought in for.
What can LlamaIndex do that Apache Spark MLlib cannot?
LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Indexing, Query engine, RAG pipelines. Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Collaborative filtering. Both handle Linux support, Mac support, Windows support.
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