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Comparison · Analytics
Apache Druid vs Apache Pinot
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache Druid and Apache Pinot — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:apache-project
Apache Druid vs Apache Pinot: at a glance
| Feature | Apache Druid | Apache Pinot |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Analytics, Infra & APIs | Infra & APIs, Analytics |
| Velocity score | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | real-time-analytics, apache-project, java-upgrade, operator-tooling | real-time-olap, sql-ddl, vector-search, materialized-views |
| Last editorial update | 2h ago | 59m ago |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
What is Apache Druid?
Druid 38 drops Java 17, recommends Java 25 and took longer to arrive than its predecessors
Druid 38.0.0 shipped on October 1 with over 250 changes from 37 contributors. It adds Java 25 support, drops Java 17, and introduces Historical tier aliases and a realtimeSegmentsMode query context that replaces realtimeSegmentsOnly. MSQ workers now fetch input files in the background by default, and Druid 38 is the last major that reads legacy ZSTD frames.
What is Apache Pinot?
Pinot 1.6 adds SQL DDL and vector backends, and now needs Java 25 to run its services.
1.6.0 on 29 October lets operators manage tables through CREATE, DROP and SHOW statements, gives materialized views DDL and single-stage query rewrite, and adds GROUPING SETS, ROLLUP and CUBE to both query engines. Vector search gains IVF_FLAT, IVF_PQ and IVF_ON_DISK backends alongside HNSW. The release also removes legacy pieces: native text and FST indexes, Spark 2 and Presto integrations, and APIs deprecated through 1.3.0.
Apache Druid vs Apache Pinot: editorial side-by-side
Apache Druid
0.0ANALYTICSINFRA · APIS
Druid 38 drops Java 17, recommends Java 25 and took longer to arrive than its predecessors
◆ Current state
Druid 38.0.0 shipped on October 1 with over 250 changes from 37 contributors. It adds Java 25 support, drops Java 17, and introduces Historical tier aliases and a realtimeSegmentsMode query context that replaces realtimeSegmentsOnly. MSQ workers now fetch input files in the background by default, and Druid 38 is the last major that reads legacy ZSTD frames.
◆ Where it's heading
The release is operator-focused: tier aliases and segment-mode controls target blue/green deployments and large clusters, and background fetching and Dart prefetching chase throughput. Compatibility remains a stated part of shipping, with explicit deprecations and upgrade notes. The gap from 37.0.0 was nearly five months, against about three for the release before, so the quarterly rhythm has loosened.
◆ Prediction
A 39 release candidate is the next visible step, and removal of legacy ZSTD frame support is already announced for a future release. Timing is less certain now that the last gap ran past a quarter.
Apache Pinot
6.3INFRA · APISANALYTICS
Pinot 1.6 adds SQL DDL and vector backends, and now needs Java 25 to run its services.
◆ Current state
1.6.0 on 29 October lets operators manage tables through CREATE, DROP and SHOW statements, gives materialized views DDL and single-stage query rewrite, and adds GROUPING SETS, ROLLUP and CUBE to both query engines. Vector search gains IVF_FLAT, IVF_PQ and IVF_ON_DISK backends alongside HNSW. The release also removes legacy pieces: native text and FST indexes, Spark 2 and Presto integrations, and APIs deprecated through 1.3.0.
◆ Where it's heading
Pinot is moving toward being operated like a SQL database. The multi-stage engine's SQL coverage has grown release by release, and table lifecycle now joins it, while vector backends pull retrieval workloads into the same store. The upgrade cost is real: Java 25 for services, Scala 2.13 for Spark artifacts, and mixed-version limits around SMART aggregation. Federation, the headline of 1.5, doesn't feature in the 1.6 highlights.
◆ Prediction
Expect materialized-view rewrite to reach the multi-stage engine, since it is single-stage only today. A security patch on 1.6 would match what followed 1.5.0.
Apache Druid alternatives
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Tap any card for the full editorial trajectory or compare directly with Apache Druid.
Tinylytics
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Mode Analytics
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Calibre
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Superwise
Superwise now measures the tokens it saves and can shorten model replies to save more
Dovetail
Channels 2.0 is now the default, and Dovetail is pulling feedback sources up a level.
Apache Pinot alternatives
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Tap any card for the full editorial trajectory or compare directly with Apache Pinot.
Greenbone Vulnerability Manager
Greenbone's gvmd starts on Active Directory credentials as report exports settle.
Bugsnag
Bugsnag names GraphQL operations and lets iOS teams attach context to app hangs.
ManageEngine Applications Manager
ManageEngine Applications Manager adds GaussDB monitoring and deepens APM Insight alarms.
Okta
Okta adds TypeScript to its Cross App Access guides and dates the end of Classic Engine features
Gitness
Harness Open Source last shipped in August 2025, on this feed at least
Payload CMS
Payload's v4 beta ships every few days, and most of the risk sits in the breaking-change notes
Recent activity from Apache Druid and Apache Pinot
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4d agoApache PinotPinot 1.6.0: SQL DDL, IVF vector search, Java 25 requirement ⚡
- 10d agoApache PinotPinot 1.6.0 rc1 tag, no release notes
- 16d agoApache PinotPinot 1.6.0 RC0: first candidate with the 1.6 highlights
- 1mo agoApache DruidDruid 38.0.0
- 1mo agoApache DruidDruid 38.0.0 release candidate 1 tagged
- 4mo agoApache PinotApache Pinot 1.5.1
- 5mo agoApache DruidDruid 37.0.0
- 6mo agoApache PinotApache Pinot Release 1.5.0 ⚡
- 6mo agoApache Druiddruid-37.0.0-rc1
- 8mo agoApache DruidDruid 36.0.0
- 9mo agoApache Druiddruid-36.0.0-rc1
- 1y agoApache PinotApache Pinot Release 1.4.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apache Druid and Apache Pinot?
Both compete on the same themes — apache-project — within Analytics. Apache Pinot is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Apache Druid better than Apache Pinot?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Apache Pinot is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Apache Druid?
Top Apache Druid alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Druid alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-druid for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Apache Pinot?
Top Apache Pinot alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Pinot alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-pinot for the full list with editorial commentary on each.