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Comparison · Analytics
dbt Core vs Keboola
A side-by-side editorial comparison of dbt Core and Keboola — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
dbt Core vs Keboola: at a glance
What is dbt Core?
dbt's 1.x releases now point users at v2 straight from the command line.
dbt 2.0 GA split the project into a proprietary 'dbt' binary and dbt-oss, and the 2.0 dev channel has since added read-only Databricks Unity Catalog access through Lake Compute. The 1.x line is still shipping: 1.13.0b1 adds an opt-in --use-v2-parser that hands parsing to the Fusion parser, and today's 1.12.6 prints a v2 availability notice on dbt --version and relays Fusion parser logs through the otel log format.
What is Keboola?
Keboola makes pre-built images the default so data apps start without installing.
Keboola is a data-operations platform whose recent releases orbit Kai, its AI assistant, GA for multi-tenant contracted customers since September, which now supports admin-approved shared team memory. Around it, Keboola is migrating all Legacy Flows to Conditional Flows on October 12–13 and cutting data-app startup time: apps woke 4x faster from October 1, and Python and JS apps now start on pre-built images with dependencies already installed.
dbt Core vs Keboola: editorial side-by-side
dbt Core
6.3ANALYTICS
dbt's 1.x releases now point users at v2 straight from the command line.
◆ Current state
dbt 2.0 GA split the project into a proprietary 'dbt' binary and dbt-oss, and the 2.0 dev channel has since added read-only Databricks Unity Catalog access through Lake Compute. The 1.x line is still shipping: 1.13.0b1 adds an opt-in --use-v2-parser that hands parsing to the Fusion parser, and today's 1.12.6 prints a v2 availability notice on dbt --version and relays Fusion parser logs through the otel log format.
◆ Where it's heading
The 1.x branch is being turned into an on-ramp for v2: a PyPI banner in 1.12.5, a CLI notice in 1.12.6, deprecated-version warnings and the Fusion parser opt-in in 1.13. Meanwhile 2.0 work concentrates on adapter parity (ClickHouse, Databricks) and Lake Compute.
◆ Prediction
Expect 1.13 to reach GA with the v2 parser opt-in and more migration prompts, and 2.0.x to extend Lake Compute past read-only Unity access. The entries don't show an end-of-life date for 1.x.
Keboola
6.3ANALYTICS
Keboola makes pre-built images the default so data apps start without installing.
◆ Current state
Keboola is a data-operations platform whose recent releases orbit Kai, its AI assistant, GA for multi-tenant contracted customers since September, which now supports admin-approved shared team memory. Around it, Keboola is migrating all Legacy Flows to Conditional Flows on October 12–13 and cutting data-app startup time: apps woke 4x faster from October 1, and Python and JS apps now start on pre-built images with dependencies already installed.
◆ Where it's heading
The pattern is consolidation under an agent: one orchestration model, one-login MCP access across projects, and org-wide memory behind an admin gate. The data-app work removes the cold-start wait that made on-demand apps feel slow. Each step leaves fewer forks and delays for users and for Kai.
◆ Prediction
Expect more admin controls around Kai, such as reviewing, scoping, or auditing what it remembers, as shared memory rolls out. The app-speed work will likely end with the 4x wake-up becoming default on October 15 as announced.
Alternatives to dbt Core and Keboola
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 dbt Core or Keboola.
OpenHouse
OpenHouse starts simplifying replication by making its catalog, not Iceberg metadata, the source.
Basedash
Basedash adds view-only seats so whole departments can read dashboards without editing.
OpenReplay
OpenReplay adds offline license tokens so air-gapped installs can run licensed.
Tinybird
Tinybird switches off Classic for Free and Developer plans, leaving Forward as the only path.
OpenCTI
OpenCTI's weekly train now merges entities in the knowledge view and reads defanged IOCs.
See all dbt Core alternatives → · See all Keboola alternatives →
Recent activity from dbt Core and Keboola
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 3d agodbt Coredbt 1.12.6 points users to v2 and fixes Fusion parser logging
- 3d agodbt Coredbt 1.11.16 fixes nested wildcard selectors, adds tarball path check
- 3d agodbt Coredbt-core 1.13 beta adds opt-in Fusion parser and dbt login
- 5d agoKeboolaFaster App Starts by Default
- 10d agoKeboolaKai remembers what matters: shared team memory
- 12d agoKeboolaAutomatic Migration of Legacy Flows to Conditional Flows
- 17d agoKeboolaData apps wake up 4x faster, default from Oct 15
- 18d agoKeboolaScheduled Partial Maintenance of all Azure stacks – October 10, 2026
- 24d agodbt CoreLake Compute gains Databricks Unity Catalog read access
- 25d agoKeboolaGoogle Ads connector handles renamed API fields
- 1mo agodbt Coredbt v2.0.0 ⚡
- 1mo agodbt Coredbt v1.12.5
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dbt Core and Keboola?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. dbt Core and Keboola are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 6.3 vs 6.3, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is dbt Core better than Keboola?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dbt Core and Keboola are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 6.3 vs 6.3, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to dbt Core?
Top dbt Core alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dbt Core alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dbt-core for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Keboola?
Top Keboola alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Keboola alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/keboola for the full list with editorial commentary on each.