Best Data Lake Software in 2026
Updated
In short: HPCC Systems is ranked #1 of 17 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Apache Hadoop HDFS and AWS Lake Formation. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Apache Hadoop HDFS. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Tencent Cloud CDN at CNY 21/mo.
Data lake software brings together options for ingesting, organizing, and querying data. Compare ingestion modes and query interfaces, along with metadata catalogs, governance controls, and data sharing. Deployment models and support for open table formats may also help you assess fit with your environment. HPCC Systems, Apache Hadoop HDFS, and AWS Lake Formation are among the included products. Check whether a free plan is listed and compare paid-from pricing, then weigh those details against the workflows and governance needs you want the software to support.
17 data lake software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
3 of the 17 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HPCC SystemsWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Apache Hadoop HDFSWindows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 3 | AWS Lake FormationWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 4 | UnilakeWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 5 | Cloudera Data Lake ServiceWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 6 | HPE Ezmeral Data FabricWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 7 | lakeFSWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 8 | Tencent Cloud Application Performance ManagementWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | ParseableWeb · Windows · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 10 | Tencent Cloud GooseFSWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 11 | QuboleWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 12 | Tencent Cloud CDNWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | CNY 21/mo | 5.0 |
| 13 | Baidu AI Machine TranslationAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 14 | Huawei Cloud Machine TranslationAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 15 | Tencent Cloud Data Lake Compute (DLC)Web | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 16 | Oracle Big Data ServiceWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 17 | Apache OzoneWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which data lake software is ranked first on Freedom251?
HPCC Systems is ranked #1 of 17 with a score of 6.6. Apache Hadoop HDFS is second and AWS Lake Formation third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 17 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Tencent Cloud CDN has the lowest first paid tier we found: CNY 21/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.