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Best Columnar Databases in 2026

Columnar databases organize data in columns, making the choice of deployment, data formats, and ingestion options worth close attention. Compared on deployment model, managed-service availability, object storage support, and streaming ingestion, these entries also specify supported data formats and included storage. Free plans and paid-from pricing give you cost details to weigh alongside those capabilities. CrateDB, Exasol, and InfluxDB are among the options to compare; QuestDB and Apache Druid offer further reference points. Consider where your data is stored, how it arrives, and whether you want a managed service when assessing the listed features.

  1. 1

    CrateDB

    by CrateDB
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
    9.0 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    Databend

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    Choose Databend if you need an analytics warehouse with search capabilities, broad storage options, and a choice of self-hosted or cloud deployment.

    9.0 Free plan · paid from $1 · 30-day trial Visit site
  3. 3

    ClickHouse Cloud

    by ClickHouse Cloud
    Free trial Open source APILinuxMac+3

    ClickHouse Cloud provides managed analytics infrastructure with cloud flexibility, ingestion tools, SQL access, and automated operations.

    8.0 From $50/mo · 30-day trial Visit site
  4. 4

    Apache Druid

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    Apache Druid is a self-hosted option for real-time analytics across streaming and batch data, with SQL access, a web console, and broad extension support.

    7.6 Open source Visit site
  5. 5

    Apache Kudu

    Free plan APILinuxMac+1

    Apache Kudu brings changing records and analytical scans into one storage layer, with APIs, integrations, and security options.

    7.6 Open source Visit site
  6. 6

    Apache Pinot

    by Apache Pinot
    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

    Apache Pinot combines multiple ingestion paths with SQL access, client libraries, BI connections, and security controls.

    7.4 Open source Visit site
  7. 7

    DuckDB UI

    Free plan ExtensionLinuxMac+3

    DuckDB UI provides notebook and data-exploration tools while keeping default queries local. Check the database and platform limitations before using it.

    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    Exasol

    by Exasol
    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Exasol offers analytics database options across managed and self-managed deployment models. Check data-source, user and storage limits alongside compute costs when assessing fit.

    7.3 Free plan · paid from $3.30 · 30-day trial Visit site
  9. 9

    Firebolt

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Firebolt offers both self-managed and managed deployment paths, plus a free self-hosted plan and a managed service with usage-based compute billing.

    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    Apache Doris

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Choose Apache Doris if you need an open-source analytical database for real-time analytics, lakehouse querying, or AI workloads, with SQL, search, and detailed access controls.

    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  11. 11

    GreptimeDB

    Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4

    GreptimeDB brings metrics, logs, and traces into one database with SQL and PromQL, plus multiple ingestion and deployment options.

    7.2 Free plan · paid from $290/mo Visit site
  12. 12

    IBM Db2

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+2

    Choose IBM Db2 if you need a database for varied enterprise workloads, with query optimization, vector queries, and options for availability and security.

    7.2 Free plan · paid from $630/mo Visit site
  13. 13

    InfluxDB

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    InfluxDB 3 combines multiple ingestion and query options with self-managed, managed, and open-source deployment choices.

    7.2 Free plan · paid from $0.00 · 30-day trial Visit site
  14. 14

    MonetDB

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    MonetDB offers a broad SQL interface and analytical design at no listed charge.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    QuestDB

    by QuestDB
    Free plan APILinuxMac+3
    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  16. 16

    MotherDuck

    Free plan APIWeb

    Choose MotherDuck if you need a serverless DuckDB warehouse with queryable data sharing, isolated compute, or integrated pipelines and visualizations.

    6.8 Free plan · paid from $250/mo · 7-day trial Visit site
  17. 17

    StarRocks

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    Choose StarRocks if you need a free, self-hosted SQL analytics database with real-time ingestion, broad data-source coverage, and configurable deployment.

    6.6 Free plan Visit site
  18. 18

    Amazon Redshift

    Free trial APIWeb

    Choose Amazon Redshift if you need cloud SQL analytics across warehouses and data lakes, with streaming ingestion and a broad set of listed BI and ETL integrations.

    6.3 From $0.54 Visit site
  19. 19

    Couchbase Capella

    Free plan Web

    Capella offers a free entry plan and three paid tiers with different node requirements. Check the plan's node minimums and document-size limit against the intended workload.

    6.3 Free plan · paid from $0.15 Visit site
  20. 20

    Amazon Timestream

    Paid APILinuxMac+2

    Amazon Timestream combines managed time-series engines with flexible scaling, storage tiers, and backup options. Review the listed usage minimums and separate LiveAnalytics charges when assessing fit.

    6.1 Visit site
  21. 21

    SAP Master Data Governance

    Free plan Web
    5.9 Free plan · pricing on request Visit site
  22. 22

    Yellowbrick Data Warehouse

    Free trial APILinuxMac+3

    Choose Yellowbrick Data Warehouse if your organization needs a SQL analytics platform with flexible deployment, separate storage and compute, and controls for security or data residency.

    5.8 From $0.28 · 30-day trial Visit site
  23. 23

    Google BigQuery

    Free plan Web
    5.7 Free plan Visit site
  24. 24

    MariaDB Enterprise Analytics

    Paid LinuxSelf-hosted

    MariaDB Enterprise Analytics is aimed at large-scale, interactive analysis, with multiple data sources, connectors, and deployment options.

    5.2 Open source Visit site
  25. 25

    SAP Customer Data Platform

    by SAP Customer Data Platform
    Paid APIWeb

    Consider SAP Customer Data Platform if your organization needs permission-aware customer profiles, real-time segmentation and integrations across enterprise systems.

    5.1 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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