--- title: "Presto vs Trino: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder" description: "Presto vs Trino compared for 2026: pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which distributed sql query engines tool is the better fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/presto-vs-trino retrieved: 2026-11-10 --- ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=prestodb.io&sz=128) vs ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=trino.io&sz=128) # Presto vs Trino: Which is Better in 2026? Distributed SQL Query Engines [Presto](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/presto) and [Trino](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/trino) are both Distributed SQL Query Engines tools, made for different people. Presto is for teams that want an Apache-licensed SQL engine under Linux Foundation governance, with a C++ native worker. Trino is for data platform teams that want free, federated SQL across lakes and databases and can run a cluster. Quick verdict There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Presto if you want the C++ native worker for performance. Choose Trino if you want to query several data stores with one SQL engine. ## Presto vs Trino: Side by Side | | Presto | Trino | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Category | Distributed SQL Query Engines | Distributed SQL Query Engines | | What it is | Open-source distributed SQL engine | Open-source distributed SQL engine | | Licence | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | | How you pay | Free; you pay for the servers | Free; you pay for the servers | | Where it runs | Your infrastructure | Your infrastructure | | Managed option | Not offered by the project | Starburst Galaxy and Enterprise | | Pricing | Free | Free | | Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available | | Free tier | ✓ | ✓ | | Rating | 4.2 | 4.6 | | Best for | Distributed SQL Query Engines: open source, C++ workers, Linux Foundation | Distributed SQL Query Engines: federated SQL, open source, data lakes | 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=prestodb.io&sz=128) [Presto](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/presto) * ✓Free under Apache 2.0 * ✓C++ native worker on Velox * ✓Neutral foundation governance * ✗Smaller community than Trino * ✗You run it yourself * ✗Fewer managed hosting options ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=trino.io&sz=128) [Trino](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/trino) * ✓Free and vendor-neutral * ✓Joins across many data sources * ✓Large connector set * ✓Active foundation * ✗You run and size the cluster * ✗Memory-hungry on big joins * ✗No storage of its own ## Key Features Compared ### Presto * ✓Apache 2.0 * ✓Governed by the Presto Foundation under the Linux Foundation; founding members Facebook, Alibaba, Twitter and Uber * ✓Presto native: a C++ rewrite of the worker on the Velox engine * ✓Distributed SQL over large datasets ### Trino * ✓Apache 2.0, run by the non-profit Trino Software Foundation * ✓Queries Hadoop, S3, Cassandra, MySQL and many other sources in place * ✓Joins across sources in one query * ✓Managed versions from Starburst, founded by Trino’s creators ### Choose Presto if… * ✓You want the C++ native worker for performance. * ✓You prefer Linux Foundation governance. * ✓You already run Presto and want to stay on it. [Presto review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/presto) ### Choose Trino if… * ✓You want to query several data stores with one SQL engine. * ✓You want no licence fee and a neutral foundation behind the project. * ✓Your team can operate a coordinator and workers. [Trino review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/trino) ## Frequently Asked Questions Is Presto better than Trino?⌄ There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Presto if you want the C++ native worker for performance. Choose Trino if you want to query several data stores with one SQL engine. What is the difference between Presto and Trino?⌄ Managed option. Presto: Not offered by the project. Trino: Starburst Galaxy and Enterprise. Presto vs Trino: which is cheaper?⌄ Presto pricing: Free. Trino pricing: Free. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change. Which is rated higher, Presto or Trino?⌄ On our editorial score, Presto is 4.2 out of 5 and Trino is 4.6 out of 5, so Trino is slightly ahead. This is our own score, not an average of user reviews. When should I skip both Presto and Trino?⌄ Skip Presto if you want a bigger community and more connectors. Trino has them. Skip Trino if you don’t want to run a cluster. Amazon Athena is serverless, and Starburst manages Trino for you. Sources · tool facts checked November 2026 1. 1.[Presto on GitHubgithub.com ](https://github.com/prestodb/presto) 2. 2.[The Presto Foundation launches under the Linux Foundationsdtimes.com ](https://sdtimes.com/data/the-presto-foundation-launches-under-the-linux-foundation/) 3. 3.[Trinotrino.io ](https://trino.io/) See more options in our guide to the [best distributed sql query engines tools for startups](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/query-engine). ## Still not sure which to pick? 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