Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Preset vs QuestDB

Preset logo

Preset

Business Intelligence

Managed Apache Superset

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuestDB logo

QuestDB

Databases

Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Preset limited SQL IDE advanced features compared to specialized query tools; QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • They diverge on capability: Preset covers Managed Superset, QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Preset and QuestDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Preset and QuestDB differ
AttributePresetQuestDB
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsWeb, CloudDocker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDatabases
Founded20192014

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 Preset

  • Managed Superset
  • Auto-scaling
  • Enterprise Security
  • Custom Branding
  • API Access
  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • Redshift

Only in QuestDB

  • High Throughput Ingestion
  • SQL Support
  • Time-series Optimization
  • SIMD Vectorization
  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Built-in Web Console
  • InfluxDB Line Protocol
  • Grafana

Both cover

  • PostgreSQL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Preset

  • Self-service analyticsnot QuestDB
  • Data explorationnot QuestDB
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot QuestDB
  • Collaborative analysisnot QuestDB
  • Embedded analyticsnot QuestDB

QuestDB

  • Time-series analytics ingesting up to 20M rows/second from IoT sensors or financial data feedsnot Preset
  • Real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analyticsnot Preset
  • Applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time SQL, cold Parquet archive)not Preset

Where each one falls short

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

Preset

  • Limited SQL IDE advanced features compared to specialized query tools
  • Viewer licenses add substantial cost for embedded analytics deployments
  • Dataset-centric approach requires preprocessing by data teams for some use cases

QuestDB

  • Open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • Enterprise edition pricing not published; requires contacting sales for custom quote
  • Ingestion limit of 20M rows/sec platform-dependent; may not scale to extreme throughput requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Preset

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Preset review.

QuestDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Preset if

  • You need managed superset.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want auto-scaling.
Preset review

Choose QuestDB if

  • You need high throughput ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • You also want sql support.
QuestDB review

Questions people ask

Is Preset or QuestDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Preset starts at Free and QuestDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Preset or QuestDB?
Preset starts at Free and QuestDB at Free.
Does Preset or QuestDB run on more platforms?
Preset runs on Web, Cloud. QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Can I use Preset for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Preset best used for?
Preset is most often used for self-service analytics, data exploration, ad-hoc reporting, collaborative analysis. Of those, self-service analytics and data exploration are not what QuestDB is typically brought in for.
What can Preset do that QuestDB cannot?
Preset covers Managed Superset, Auto-scaling, Enterprise Security, Custom Branding. QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, SQL Support, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization. Both handle PostgreSQL, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Preset: Is Preset free?

Preset offers a free tier for small teams called Starter with 5 users and no credit card required. Paid plans start at $25 per user per month.

Source
QuestDB: How much does QuestDB Enterprise cost?

QuestDB does not publish specific pricing for the Enterprise tier. Customers must contact QuestDB via their enterprise contact form to receive a custom quote.

Source
Preset: Can I export my data from Preset?

Yes. Preset uses Apache Superset and the founders contribute over 75% of commits to the open-source project, enabling migration to Superset without vendor lock-in.

Source
QuestDB: Does QuestDB offer a free version?

Yes, QuestDB Open Source is completely free and recommended for evaluation, prototyping, and pilot projects. Enterprise features, high availability, security, and dedicated support require the paid Enterprise tier.

Source
Preset: Does Preset include embedded analytics?

Yes. Embedded dashboards are available on Professional and Enterprise plans, with viewer licenses starting at $500 per month for 50 licenses.

Source
QuestDB: What deployment options does QuestDB offer?

QuestDB offers open source deployment, Enterprise deployment, and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) deployment. Pricing details for BYOC and Enterprise tiers are not published and require direct contact with sales.

Source
Preset: What is the enterprise pricing for Preset?

Enterprise plans are custom quoted. The median buyer pays $35,495 per year.

Source
Preset: Does Preset support AI-powered analytics?

Yes. As of 2026, Preset includes an AI Chatbot and MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration for building charts and dashboards via natural language.

Source
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