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Databases · head to head

StarRocks vs Weka

StarRocks logo

StarRocks

Databases

Apache 2.0 MPP analytical database built for joins on open table formats

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weka logo

Weka

Machine Learning

Collection of machine learning algorithms

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: StarRocks self-hosting is a genuine operations job: frontend and backend node roles, tablet distribution, compaction and materialised view refresh all need an owner, and there is no small-team-friendly single-binary mode.; Weka the package management system needs an internet connection to download and install packages, so an air-gapped install gets only the core distribution
  • They diverge on capability: StarRocks covers Cost-based optimiser, Weka covers Classification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which StarRocks and Weka actually diverge.

Attributes where StarRocks and Weka differ
AttributeStarRocksWeka
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesLinux, Mac, Windows
CategoryDatabasesMachine Learning
FoundedUnknown1993

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 StarRocks

  • Cost-based optimiser
  • Lakehouse query engine
  • Primary key tables
  • Materialised views
  • Shared-data mode
  • MySQL wire protocol

Only in Weka

  • Classification
  • Regression
  • Clustering
  • Association rules
  • Feature selection
  • Java
  • R
  • Python

What people use each for

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

StarRocks

  • Customer-facing analytics where queries join a fact table to several dimensions and must return in well under a secondnot Weka
  • Querying an Iceberg lakehouse directly without copying data into a proprietary warehouse formatnot Weka
  • Replacing a ClickHouse deployment that has become unmanageable because every new question needs another denormalised tablenot Weka
  • Real-time analytics fed by change data capture where rows must be updated in place rather than appendednot Weka

Weka

  • Teaching and exploring classic machine learning algorithms through a GUInot StarRocks
  • Running data mining experiments and preprocessing without writing codenot StarRocks

Where each one falls short

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

StarRocks

  • Self-hosting is a genuine operations job: frontend and backend node roles, tablet distribution, compaction and materialised view refresh all need an owner, and there is no small-team-friendly single-binary mode.
  • CelerData is by far the dominant contributor despite Linux Foundation stewardship, so the practical roadmap risk is the same as any single-vendor open source project.
  • It inherits a MySQL-flavoured SQL dialect from its Doris ancestry, so queries written for PostgreSQL, Snowflake or Trino need rewriting rather than porting.
  • Ecosystem support is thinner than ClickHouse or Trino: fewer client libraries, fewer managed hosting options and a much smaller pool of engineers who have run it in production.
  • Memory pressure under concurrent large joins is a common production failure, and the tuning knobs for query memory limits are unforgiving compared with a cloud warehouse that just scales.

Weka

  • The package management system needs an internet connection to download and install packages, so an air-gapped install gets only the core distribution
  • Weka is split into a stable 3.8 branch that receives only bug fixes and compatibility-safe upgrades and a 3.9 development branch that may receive features that break compatibility
  • Weka requires a 64-bit Java VM; the bundled installers ship Bellsoft OpenJDK 25 per platform and architecture

Pricing, plan by plan

StarRocks

Free
  • StarRocksFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Linux Foundation governance
    • No usage or node limits
  • CelerData Cloud$undefined/year
    • Managed StarRocks from the primary contributor
    • BYOC and serverless deployment options
    • Enterprise support and SLAs

Weka

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • All ML algorithms
    • GUI and CLI
    • Java API

Which should you pick?

Choose StarRocks if

  • You need cost-based optimiser.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want lakehouse query engine.
StarRocks review

Choose Weka if

  • You need classification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want regression.
Weka review

Questions people ask

Is StarRocks or Weka better?
Neither clearly leads. StarRocks starts at Free and Weka at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, StarRocks or Weka?
StarRocks starts at Free and Weka at Free.
Does StarRocks or Weka run on more platforms?
StarRocks runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Weka runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
Can I use StarRocks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is StarRocks best used for?
StarRocks is most often used for customer-facing analytics where queries join a fact table to several dimensions and must return in well under a second, querying an iceberg lakehouse directly without copying data into a proprietary warehouse format, replacing a clickhouse deployment that has become unmanageable because every new question needs another denormalised table, real-time analytics fed by change data capture where rows must be updated in place rather than appended. Of those, customer-facing analytics where queries join a fact table to several dimensions and must return in well under a second and querying an iceberg lakehouse directly without copying data into a proprietary warehouse format are not what Weka is typically brought in for.
What can StarRocks do that Weka cannot?
StarRocks covers Cost-based optimiser, Lakehouse query engine, Primary key tables, Materialised views. Weka covers Classification, Regression, Clustering, Association rules.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

StarRocks: Is StarRocks open source?

Yes, Apache 2.0, governed under the Linux Foundation since 2023.

Weka: What is the cost of Weka software?

Weka is provided at no cost as open-source software released under the GNU General Public License, making it freely available for download and use.

Source
StarRocks: How does it differ from ClickHouse?

StarRocks is built for joins across a star schema with a cost-based optimiser; ClickHouse is fastest on denormalised single tables.

Weka: Are there commercial licensing options available?

Yes, the project offers information about commercial licenses for organizations requiring non-GPL terms, which can be found in their commercial applications documentation.

Source
StarRocks: Who maintains it?

CelerData, formerly StarRocks Inc, is the dominant contributor and sells the managed service.

Weka: What support resources are available to users?

Multiple support avenues exist including comprehensive documentation, frequently asked questions, dedicated help resources, and access to courses for learning the platform.

Source
StarRocks: Can it query Iceberg tables directly?

Yes, along with Hudi, Delta Lake, Hive and Paimon, with a local cache for repeat queries.

Weka: Is source code access provided?

Yes, developers have full access to source code through the Git repository, along with development documentation and code credits for contributors.

Source
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