---
title: "Starburst Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "Starburst (Distributed SQL Query Engines): Free tier. Plans, pros & cons, and Starburst alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/starburst
retrieved: 2026-11-10
---

![Starburst logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=starburst.io&sz=128)

[Distributed SQL Query Engines](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/query-engine)Free tier

# Starburst: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

Starburst is built on Trino by the people who created it, adding performance features, Iceberg table management, ingestion, security and support. Starburst Galaxy is the managed SaaS on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure; Starburst Enterprise is self-managed for private cloud and on-premises. Galaxy is free for up to 3 clusters, then Pro is $0.50 a credit, Enterprise $0.75 and Mission-Critical $1.00\. The 30-day trial includes $500 of compute.

Who it’s for: Teams that want Trino without running it, or need a supported enterprise build for private cloud and on-premises.

Category

Distributed SQL Query Engines

Pricing

Free tier available

Free tier

Yes

Best for

Distributed SQL Query Engines: managed Trino, Iceberg, enterprise support

## Starburst at a Glance

What it is

Managed and enterprise Trino

Licence

Commercial (built on Apache 2.0 Trino)

How you pay

Per credit, $0.50 to $1.00 by tier

Where it runs

Galaxy SaaS or your own environment

Managed option

Yes (Galaxy)

Checked November 2026 against [Starburst pricing](https://www.starburst.io/pricing/), [Starburst](https://www.starburst.io/).

[Visit Starburst official site](https://www.starburst.io/)

## Starburst Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan             | Price          | Highlights                                  |
| ---------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Free             | $0             | Up to 3 clusters                            |
| ProPopular       | $0.50 / credit | Streaming ingest · Flexible execution modes |
| Enterprise       | $0.75 / credit | Fine-grained access control · PrivateLink   |
| Mission-Critical | $1.00 / credit | Advanced governance · Elite support         |

Pricing summary: Free · paid from $0.5/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key Starburst Features

* ✓Built on Trino by Trino’s creators
* ✓Galaxy (SaaS on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) free for up to 3 clusters
* ✓Pro $0.50, Enterprise $0.75 and Mission-Critical $1.00 per credit; usage per credit is the same across tiers
* ✓30-day trial with $500 of compute and Enterprise features, then the free tier
* ✓Starburst Enterprise: self-managed for private cloud, hybrid and on-premises

### ✓ Pros

* +Managed Trino with nothing to operate
* +Free tier and published credit prices
* +Self-managed option for regulated teams

### ✗ Cons

* −Credit usage is hard to estimate up front
* −Features above open Trino are paid
* −Enterprise self-managed pricing by quote

## Best Starburst Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/starburst)

[![Trino logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=trino.io&sz=128)TrinoFree](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/trino)[![Presto logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=prestodb.io&sz=128)PrestoFree](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/presto)[![Amazon Athena logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=aws.amazon.com&sz=128)Amazon AthenaFrom $0.3/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/amazon-athena)

## Starburst Compared

[Starburst vs Trino](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/starburst-vs-trino)[Starburst vs Amazon Athena](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/amazon-athena-vs-starburst)[Starburst vs Presto](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/presto-vs-starburst)

## Starburst FAQ

What is Starburst used for?⌄

Starburst is a distributed sql query engines tool. Managed and enterprise Trino from Trino’s creators. Galaxy has a free tier with 3 clusters; paid tiers from $0.50 a credit.

Is Starburst free?⌄

Yes. Starburst has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.

How much does Starburst cost?⌄

Starburst offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $0.5/month.

What are the best Starburst alternatives?⌄

Popular Starburst alternatives include Trino, Presto, Amazon Athena. Compare pricing and features on our Starburst alternatives page.

## Not sure if Starburst fits your stack?

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[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)