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Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform Comparison

Last updated:

Amazon EMR

4.3(43 reviews)

Starting at $0.04 per hour

  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

Introducing Amazon EMR, the leading big data platform in the cloud. With a powerful combination of open-source tools such as Apache Spark, Hive, HBase, Flink, Hudi, and Presto, EMR makes it easy to process large amounts…

Databricks Lakehouse Platform

Starting at Contact for pricing

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Small Business

Introducing the cutting-edge Databricks Lakehouse Platform, boasting the latest in data science and machine learning capabilities. This innovative platform seamlessly merges the strengths of traditional data warehouses a…

Amazon EMR leads on user satisfaction with a 4.3-star rating across 43 reviews.

Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform — at a glance

FeatureAmazon EMRDatabricks Lakehouse Platform
Rating4.3 / 5
Reviews43
Starting price$0.04 per hourContact for pricing
Free trial No Yes
Free version No No
Best forLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small BusinessLarge Enterprises, Small Business, Medium Business
CategoryData Science and Machine Learning PlatformsData Science and Machine Learning Platforms
PlatformsSaaS/Web/CloudBrowser Based (Cloud)
APIAvailable
Support modesOnlineOnline
CertificationsSOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001
Data residencyGlobalGlobal

Key differences between Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform

  • Pricing: Amazon EMR starts at $0.04 per hour. Databricks Lakehouse Platform pricing is not publicly listed.
  • Free trial: Databricks Lakehouse Platform offers a free trial; Amazon EMR does not.
  • Deployment: Amazon EMR supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; Databricks Lakehouse Platform supports Browser Based (Cloud).

Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform — find the better fit before you commit.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Data Science and Machine Learning Platforms tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Amazon EMR - Big Data Processing and Distribution Software
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Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform: Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Amazon EMR

Best for scalable, secure big data processing with broad open-source tool support.

Choose if
  • You need to run large-scale data engineering and ETL pipelines using Spark or Hive.
  • Your team requires seamless integration with AWS services like EC2 and VPC for secure deployments.
  • You want robust configuration control and debugging capabilities for managing complex clusters.
Consider alternatives if
  • You have small teams lacking cloud infrastructure expertise and want minimal setup complexity.
  • You require rapid cluster startup times for transient workloads or highly interactive environments.

Databricks Lakehouse Platform

Best for large teams needing unified data lakes, warehouses, and AI capabilities.

Choose if
  • You require a single platform combining data engineering, analytics, and machine learning.
  • Your team includes data scientists, engineers, and analysts collaborating on complex workflows.
  • Your organization has 50+ employees with advanced data infrastructure needs and innovation goals.
Consider alternatives if
  • You are a small team with minimal data infrastructure or simple data tool needs.
  • You need a straightforward, single-purpose data solution with low setup complexity.

Amazon EMR: Best for scalable, secure big data processing with broad open-source tool support. Databricks Lakehouse Platform: Best for large teams needing unified data lakes, warehouses, and AI capabilities.

Description

Introducing Amazon EMR, the leading big data platform in the cloud. With a powerful combination of open-source tools such as Apache Spark, Hive, HBase, Flink, Hudi, and Presto, EMR makes it ... Read More about Amazon EMR

Introducing the cutting-edge Databricks Lakehouse Platform, boasting the latest in data science and machine learning capabilities. This innovative platform seamlessly merges the strengths ... Read More about Databricks Lakehouse Platform

Entry Level Pricing

  • Starts from $0.04
  • Not Available

Free Trial Availability

  • No free trial
  • Free Trial available

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

4.33

(43)

Best Company Size

Medium BusinessLarge Enterprises
51-500 employees500+ employees
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How do Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform Compare on Features?

Total Features

5 Features

5 Features

Unique Features

No unique features

No unique features

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Get Quote

Compare Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

      Starting From

      • $0.04
      • Not Available

      Pricing Plans

      • Not Available
      • Not Available

      Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform: Other Details

      Organization Types supported

      • Small Business
      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Freelancers
      • Individuals
      • Small Business
      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Freelancers
      • Individuals

      Platforms Supported

      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Mobile - Android
      • Mobile - iOS
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Mobile - Android
      • Mobile - iOS
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac

      Modes of support

      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online
      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online

      API Support

      • Available
      • Not Available
      Get help choosing
      Get help choosing

      Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform Security & Compliance

      Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

      SOC 2

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      HIPAA

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      GDPR

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      ISO 27001

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      Single Sign-On (SSO)

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      Data Encryption

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      Audit Logs

      ✓ Yes
      ✓ Yes

      Data Residency

      🌐 Global
      🌐 Global

      Amazon EMR User Reviews & Rating Comparison

      User Ratings

      No reviews available for the product

      Rating Distribution

      38

      22

      1

      1

      1

      No reviews available for this product

      Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

      Buyer sentiment

      Users generally appreciate Amazon EMR's powerful big data processing capabilities and ease of cluster management, though some express frustration with startup delays and troubleshooting challenges.

      What buyers like

      • Ease of launching and scaling clusters
      • Support for popular big data frameworks
      • Configuration control and debugging

      Common complaints

      • Complexity with Spot instances
      • Slow cluster startup times

      Buyer sentiment

      Insufficient user review data available to summarize buyer sentiment.

      Pros and Cons

      • Ease of launching and cloning EMR clusters with scalable resource management

      • Support for widely used open-source big data applications like Spark, Hive, and Flink

      • Robust configuration control and debugging support

      • Complexity and unreliability when using Spot instances due to availability issues

      • Notebook interface lacks features like auto-completion

      • Unified platform combining data lakes and warehouses

      • Advanced machine learning and AI capabilities

      • Strong support for collaborative data workflows

      • Potentially steep learning curve for new users

      • Pricing details are not publicly available

      Positive Reviews

      No reviews available for the product

      No reviews available for the product

      Used Amazon EMR or Databricks Lakehouse Platform? Tell buyers what actually differs.

      Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform Customers

      Customers

      Expedia

      Expedia

      Nasdaq

      Nasdaq

      Finra

      Finra

      T-Mobile

      T-Mobile

      HSBC

      HSBC

      H

      H

      Media and Screenshots

      Screenshots

      No screenshots available.

      Overview

      1 Screenshots

      Videos

      video-0

      3 Videos

      video-0

      1 Videos

      Top Alternatives to Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform in 2026

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      Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

      Frequently asked questions

      Which is better, Amazon EMR or Databricks Lakehouse Platform?
      Amazon EMR edges out the other on user ratings (4.3 vs -1.0). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
      Do Amazon EMR and Databricks Lakehouse Platform offer a free trial?
      Databricks Lakehouse Platform offers a free trial. Amazon EMR does not.
      What is the starting price of Amazon EMR vs Databricks Lakehouse Platform?
      Amazon EMR starts at $0.04 per hour. Databricks Lakehouse Platform starts at Contact for pricing.
      What are the top alternatives to Amazon EMR?
      Top alternatives to Amazon EMR include Saturn Cloud, Dremio, Apache Beam, Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform, Diffgram.
      What are the top alternatives to Databricks Lakehouse Platform?
      Top alternatives to Databricks Lakehouse Platform include Dremio, Infor Data Lake, Oracle Data Science Cloud Service, Cloudera DataFlow, IBM Analytics Engine.