Software · head to head
Pachyderm vs Apache Spark MLlib
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Pachyderm core software is Apache-2.0 licensed and free to self-host; 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: Pachyderm covers Data versioning, Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pachyderm and Apache Spark MLlib actually diverge.
| Attribute | Pachyderm | Apache Spark MLlib |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | Linux | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Founded | 2014 | 1999 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Pachyderm
- Data versioning
- Data-driven pipelines
- Automatic provenance
- Kubernetes-native
- Reproducibility
- Kubernetes
- S3
- GCS
Only in Apache Spark MLlib
- Classification
- Regression
- Clustering
- Collaborative filtering
- Feature engineering
- Apache Spark
- Hadoop
- Kafka
Both cover
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Pachyderm
- 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 Pachyderm
- Classification and regression with decision trees, random forests, gradient-boosted treesnot Pachyderm
- Clustering with K-means and Gaussian Mixture Modelsnot Pachyderm
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Pachyderm
- Core software is Apache-2.0 licensed and free to self-host
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
Pachyderm
Free- CommunityFree
- Core features
- Community support
- EnterpriseFree
- Advanced security
- Premium support
- SLAs
Apache Spark MLlib
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Apache Spark MLlib review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Pachyderm if
- You need data versioning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux.
- You also want data-driven pipelines.
Choose Apache Spark MLlib if
- You need classification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want regression.
Questions people ask
- Is Pachyderm or Apache Spark MLlib better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pachyderm 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, Pachyderm or Apache Spark MLlib?
- Pachyderm starts at Free and Apache Spark MLlib at Free.
- Does Pachyderm or Apache Spark MLlib run on more platforms?
- Pachyderm runs on Linux. Apache Spark MLlib runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Pachyderm for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Pachyderm best used for?
- Pachyderm 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 Pachyderm do that Apache Spark MLlib cannot?
- Pachyderm covers Data versioning, Data-driven pipelines, Automatic provenance, Kubernetes-native. Apache Spark MLlib covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Collaborative filtering. Both handle Linux support.
Related pages
More on Apache Spark MLlib
Keep looking
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