Greenplum Database

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Visit Greenplum Database Alternatives Pricing

What Greenplum Database is

Greenplum Database is an open-source, PostgreSQL-based data warehouse for analytics, machine learning, and AI workloads. Its massively parallel processing architecture distributes data and query work across multiple servers: a coordinator divides queries among segment servers. The project describes it for petabyte-scale data, large analytical warehouses, and business intelligence. Greenplum can use GPORCA alongside the PostgreSQL-based query planner. Storage options include append-optimized row or column formats, with compression available for column storage. PXF connectors provide access to Hadoop sources, object stores such as Azure, Google Cloud Storage, MinIO, and S3, and SQL databases through JDBC. External tables can be queried directly or used to load data, and PXF supports querying Apache Iceberg foreign tables. Client access includes psql, ODBC, and JDBC. The Apache 2-licensed project is deployed on-premises as a coordinator and multiple segment servers. A free open-source plan is listed as free; VMware Tanzu Greenplum is a commercial option with pricing on request. Documented access control supports object-level privileges, but not row-level or column-level access control.

Who it suits

Greenplum suits organizations building large-scale analytical warehouses or business intelligence workloads. Its external data connectors may also suit teams that need to query or load data from object stores, Hadoop sources, or SQL databases.

What it does well

Apache 2-licensed open-source plan
MPP architecture distributes query processing across servers
Supports compressed column-oriented storage
PXF connects to object stores and SQL databases

What to know first

Row-level and column-level access control are not supported
Commercial Tanzu Greenplum pricing is on request
The cluster requires a coordinator and multiple segment servers

Limits

The Greenplum Database open-source plan costs nothing. Documented access control supports object-level privileges, but not row-level or column-level access control.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Greenplum Database (open source)	Open source · Apache 2 license	Free
VMware Tanzu Greenplum	Contact sales · BYOL and hourly consumption models are listed for public cloud marketplaces	On request

As greenplum.org lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit https://greenplum.org/ for project information and documentation.
Choose the free Greenplum Database open-source plan or contact sales about VMware Tanzu Greenplum.
Prepare an on-premises cluster with a coordinator server and multiple segment servers.
Use the project’s Linux build instructions, or its macOS instructions for development builds.
Connect through psql, ODBC, or JDBC using standard PostgreSQL drivers for ODBC and JDBC applications.

Verdict

Greenplum combines PostgreSQL-based warehousing with distributed processing and external data access. Check its documented access-control limits and distinguish the free open-source plan from the commercial Tanzu offering.

Questions

Is Greenplum Database free?

The open-source Greenplum Database plan is free and is released under the Apache 2 license.

What does VMware Tanzu Greenplum cost?

Pricing is on request. BYOL and hourly consumption models are listed for public cloud marketplaces.

Which platforms does Greenplum support?

The listed platforms are API, Linux, and self-hosted. The deployment model is on-premises.

What data sources can it connect to?

PXF provides access to Hadoop, object stores including Azure, Google Cloud Storage, MinIO, and S3, and SQL databases through JDBC. It also supports querying Apache Iceberg foreign tables.

What access controls are supported?

Documented access control supports object-level privileges. Row-level and column-level access control are not supported.

Is commercial support available?

The commercial VMware Tanzu Greenplum offering includes 24x7 enterprise support.

Facts from Greenplum Database's own pages

Architecture: Its MPP architecture distributes data and query processing across multiple servers, with a coordinator that divides queries among segment servers. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
Client interfaces: The documentation lists psql, ODBC and JDBC client access, using standard PostgreSQL drivers for ODBC and JDBC applications. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
Commercial support: The maker describes the commercial Tanzu Greenplum offering as including 24x7 enterprise support. · vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
Data federation: The maker says PXF can connect Greenplum to data lakes and supports querying Apache Iceberg foreign tables. · blogs.vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
Deployment: The maker lists deployment on public clouds including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, as well as VCF, OpenStack private clouds, and on-premises. · vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
Development platforms: The repository provides developer build instructions for Linux and macOS and points to instructions for building client tools on Windows. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
External data: PXF connectors provide access to Hadoop sources, object stores including Azure, Google Cloud Storage, MinIO and S3, and SQL databases through JDBC. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
External tables: External tables can be queried or used to load data from external sources into Greenplum. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
Integrations: The maker describes streaming ingestion with Tanzu Greenplum Streaming Server on Kubernetes and a certified standalone Apache NiFi connector for Greenplum 7. · blogs.vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
License: The project repository states that Greenplum Database is released under the Apache 2 license. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Notable limit: Greenplum’s documented access control supports object-level privileges; row-level and column-level access control are not supported. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
Product: Greenplum Database is an open-source data warehouse based on PostgreSQL for analytics on petabyte-scale data. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: Greenplum Database is an open-source, PostgreSQL-based data warehouse for analytics, machine learning, and AI. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Query optimization: GPORCA is a cost-based optimizer used alongside the PostgreSQL planner. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Scale: The project describes Greenplum as providing analytics on petabyte-scale data volumes. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Security: The maker states Tanzu Greenplum uses STIG hardening and FIPS 140-3 cryptographic modules for encryption at rest and in transit. · blogs.vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
Storage: It supports append-optimized row or column storage, and its column-oriented storage can be compressed. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026
Support: The project repository directs users to online documentation and its wiki for further information. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Use cases: The maker presents Greenplum for enterprise analytics, data warehousing, AI, vector and RAG workloads, and IoT applications. · vmware.com, 9 Oct 2026
Workloads: The architecture is designed for large-scale analytical data warehouses and business intelligence workloads. · docs-cn.greenplum.org, 9 Oct 2026