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Apache Iceberg vs Apache TsFile

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache Iceberg and Apache TsFile — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Apache Iceberg vs Apache TsFile: at a glance

FeatureApache IcebergApache TsFile
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themestable-format, lakehouse, rest-catalog, v4-spectime series, columnar format, apache arrow, multi-language
Last editorial update1h ago4h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Apache Iceberg?

Iceberg 1.12 drops Spark 3.4 and starts laying groundwork for the v4 table spec.

Apache Iceberg maintains several minor lines at once, and most visible work is backports and dependency updates. 1.12.0 on September 30 is broader: it removes Spark 3.4 support, adds V4 groundwork such as relative paths in the spec and Parquet or Avro manifests, adds a REST unregister-table endpoint and content stats in the spec, and writes shredded Variant from Flink. Kafka Connect now reports commit failures instead of swallowing them.

Read the full Apache Iceberg trajectory →

What is Apache TsFile?

TsFile 2.5 adds Go to its Java, C++ and Python implementations.

Apache TsFile is the columnar time-series file format underneath IoTDB. The 2.x line has concentrated on the native and Python ends: Arrow-compatible results into Python DataFrames in 2.3.0, CSV, Parquet and Arrow conversion scripts in 2.3.1, SIMD and parallel reads in 2.4.0, and in October 2.5.0 with table-model read and write APIs for Go plus persistent dataset indexes. The old 1.1 line still gets occasional backport releases, most recently 1.1.4 in September.

Read the full Apache TsFile trajectory →

Apache Iceberg vs Apache TsFile: editorial side-by-side

A0.0

Iceberg 1.12 drops Spark 3.4 and starts laying groundwork for the v4 table spec.

◆ Current state

Apache Iceberg maintains several minor lines at once, and most visible work is backports and dependency updates. 1.12.0 on September 30 is broader: it removes Spark 3.4 support, adds V4 groundwork such as relative paths in the spec and Parquet or Avro manifests, adds a REST unregister-table endpoint and content stats in the spec, and writes shredded Variant from Flink. Kafka Connect now reports commit failures instead of swallowing them.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is moving from maintenance-only releases back to spec work, with V4 pieces landing in stages. Older engine versions are being dropped as that happens.

◆ Prediction

Expect more V4 spec and core pieces in 1.13 and patch releases on 1.11 and 1.12; a V4 release date is not visible in the entries.

A
Apache TsFile
ANALYTICS
2.5

TsFile 2.5 adds Go to its Java, C++ and Python implementations.

◆ Current state

Apache TsFile is the columnar time-series file format underneath IoTDB. The 2.x line has concentrated on the native and Python ends: Arrow-compatible results into Python DataFrames in 2.3.0, CSV, Parquet and Arrow conversion scripts in 2.3.1, SIMD and parallel reads in 2.4.0, and in October 2.5.0 with table-model read and write APIs for Go plus persistent dataset indexes. The old 1.1 line still gets occasional backport releases, most recently 1.1.4 in September.

◆ Where it's heading

TsFile is being shaped into an interchange format that non-JVM tools can read and write directly, with each release widening language coverage or speeding up the native path. The 1.1 backports show IoTDB users on older versions are still being supported.

◆ Prediction

Expect a 2.5.x patch release fixing the new Go and index features, following the pattern of 2.3.1 after 2.3.0.

Alternatives to Apache Iceberg and Apache TsFile

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Apache Iceberg or Apache TsFile.

See all Apache Iceberg alternatives → · See all Apache TsFile alternatives →

Recent activity from Apache Iceberg and Apache TsFile

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 19d agoApache TsFileApache TsFile 2.5.0
  2. 1mo agoApache IcebergIceberg 1.12.0: Spark 3.4 dropped, first V4 spec pieces
  3. 1mo agoApache TsFileTsFile 1.1.4 backports metadata and filter fixes
  4. 3mo agoApache TsFileSIMD and parallel read paths in Apache TsFile 2.4.0
  5. 5mo agoApache TsFileCSV, Parquet and Arrow conversion scripts for TsFile 2.3.1
  6. 5mo agoApache Iceberg1.11.0 opens a new line on Spark 4.0.1
  7. 5mo agoApache IcebergBackport release fixes delete ordering and a compression CVE
  8. 6mo agoApache TsFileArrow-backed DataFrames and paginated reads in TsFile 2.3.0
  9. 6mo agoApache TsFileWrite-time schema changes and read/write encryption in TsFile 2.2.1
  10. 10mo agoApache IcebergNullability and REST catalog validation fixes
  11. 1y agoApache IcebergFlink 2.0 support and Variant type reaches Parquet
  12. 1y agoApache IcebergStop retrying object-store 502 and 504 responses

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Apache Iceberg and Apache TsFile?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Apache TsFile is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), with 0 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 Iceberg better than Apache TsFile?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Apache TsFile is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), with 0 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 Iceberg?

Top Apache Iceberg alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Iceberg alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-iceberg for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Apache TsFile?

Top Apache TsFile alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache TsFile alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-tsfile for the full list with editorial commentary on each.