--- title: "Databricks vs Dremio: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder" description: "Databricks vs Dremio compared for 2026: pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which data lakehouse platforms tool is the better fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/databricks-vs-dremio retrieved: 2026-11-10 --- ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=databricks.com&sz=128) vs ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=dremio.com&sz=128) # Databricks vs Dremio: Which is Better in 2026? Data Lakehouse Platforms [Databricks](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/databricks) and [Dremio](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dremio) are both Data Lakehouse Platforms tools, made for different people. Databricks is for data and ML teams that want ETL, SQL, streaming and model work on one platform over open table formats. Dremio is for teams with Apache Iceberg tables in object storage that want fast SQL and a shared catalog without moving data. Quick verdict There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Databricks if you want data engineering and machine learning in the same workspace. Choose Dremio if you have standardised on Apache Iceberg. ## Databricks vs Dremio: Side by Side | | Databricks | Dremio | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Category | Data Lakehouse Platforms | Data Lakehouse Platforms | | What it is | Data and AI lakehouse platform | Iceberg lakehouse query platform | | How you pay | Per DBU, per second | $0.20 per DCU on Dremio Cloud | | Free access | Free Edition (non-commercial) and a credit-based trial | Community Edition; $400 cloud trial | | Table formats | Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg | Apache Iceberg | | Where it runs | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud | Dremio Cloud or your own servers | | Pricing | Free · then usage-based | Free · paid from $0.2/mo | | Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available | | Free tier | ✓ | ✓ | | Rating | 4.6 | 4.3 | | Best for | Data Lakehouse Platforms: data and AI, Spark, open formats | Data Lakehouse Platforms: Iceberg, semantic layer, self-hosted option | Ratings are App Stack Builder’s editorial score out of 5, not an average of user reviews. ## Pros & Cons ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=databricks.com&sz=128) [Databricks](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/databricks) * ✓One platform for ETL, SQL and ML * ✓Data stays in open formats in your storage * ✓Runs on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud * ✓Free Edition for learning * ✗DBU pricing is hard to forecast * ✗A lot of platform for a small team * ✗Rates live in a separate price list ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=dremio.com&sz=128) [Dremio](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dremio) * ✓Iceberg-native with an open catalog * ✓Data never leaves your storage * ✓Free self-hosted edition * ✓Published cloud rate * ✗Narrower than a full data platform * ✗Reflections need understanding to tune * ✗Enterprise pricing by quote ## Key Features Compared ### Databricks * ✓Pay-as-you-go with no up-front cost, billed per second of usage * ✓Rates are in DBUs by product and cloud, listed in a separate price list * ✓Free trial runs until its credits are used * ✓Free Edition: free forever for personal learning, smaller compute, not for commercial use * ✓Runs on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud ### Dremio * ✓Dremio Cloud: $0.20 per Dremio Compute Unit, pay-as-you-go; annual commitments available * ✓$400 credit for 30 days, no card * ✓Enterprise: self-hosted, priced by sales * ✓Community Edition: free engine for your own machines or servers * ✓Open Catalog built on Apache Polaris; Reflections speed up repeated queries automatically ### Choose Databricks if… * ✓You want data engineering and machine learning in the same workspace. * ✓Your data should stay in open formats in your own cloud storage. * ✓You want to learn the platform for free before paying. [Databricks review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/databricks) ### Choose Dremio if… * ✓You have standardised on Apache Iceberg. * ✓You want a catalog other Iceberg engines can read and write. * ✓You want a free self-hosted edition to start. [Dremio review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dremio) ## Frequently Asked Questions Is Databricks better than Dremio?⌄ There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Databricks if you want data engineering and machine learning in the same workspace. Choose Dremio if you have standardised on Apache Iceberg. What is the difference between Databricks and Dremio?⌄ What it is. Databricks: Data and AI lakehouse platform. Dremio: Iceberg lakehouse query platform. How you pay. Databricks: Per DBU, per second. Dremio: $0.20 per DCU on Dremio Cloud. Free access. Databricks: Free Edition (non-commercial) and a credit-based trial. Dremio: Community Edition; $400 cloud trial. Table formats. Databricks: Delta Lake and Apache Iceberg. Dremio: Apache Iceberg. Where it runs. Databricks: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud. Dremio: Dremio Cloud or your own servers. Databricks vs Dremio: which is cheaper?⌄ Databricks pricing: Free · then usage-based. Dremio pricing: Free · paid from $0.2/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change. Which is rated higher, Databricks or Dremio?⌄ On our editorial score, Databricks is 4.6 out of 5 and Dremio is 4.3 out of 5, so Databricks is slightly ahead. This is our own score, not an average of user reviews. When should I skip both Databricks and Dremio?⌄ Skip Databricks if you mainly need SQL dashboards. A warehouse such as Snowflake or BigQuery is simpler. Skip Dremio if you also need notebooks, ML and streaming. Databricks covers more ground. Sources · tool facts checked November 2026 1. 1.[Databricks pricingdatabricks.com ](https://www.databricks.com/product/pricing) 2. 2.[Databricks Free Editiondatabricks.com ](https://www.databricks.com/learn/free-edition) 3. 3.[Dremio pricingdremio.com ](https://www.dremio.com/pricing/) 4. 4.[Dremiodremio.com ](https://www.dremio.com/) See more options in our guide to the [best data lakehouse platforms tools for startups](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/lakehouse). ## Still not sure which to pick? Get a free, AI-powered tech stack, including the best data lakehouse platforms pick for your budget and team, in 60 seconds. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/build-stack)