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Head-to-head · Data Lake Software

AWS Lake Formation vs Cloudera Data Lake Service

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score AWS Lake Formation #1 in Data Lake Software 9.4/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit site
Cloudera Data Lake Service #2 in Data Lake Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Cloudera

AWS Lake Formation leads on 0 checks, Cloudera Data Lake Service on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAWS Lake Formation · 9.4/10

AWS Lake Formation scores higher on our rubric for data lake software: 9.4 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

On deployment model, Cloudera Data Lake Service gives you Hybrid where AWS Lake Formation offers Cloud. On ingestion modes, Cloudera Data Lake Service gives you Both where AWS Lake Formation offers Batch.

AWS Lake Formation is the better fit for AWS-native governed data lakes. Cloudera Data Lake Service is the better fit for enterprise hybrid data lakes.

  • AWS Lake Formation fits best

    AWS-native governed data lakes

  • Cloudera Data Lake Service fits best

    Enterprise hybrid data lakes

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature AWS Lake Formation 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Cloudera Data Lake Service 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.1
Ranking #1 in Data Lake Software #2 in Data Lake Software
Best for AWS-native governed data lakes Enterprise hybrid data lakes
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price Not checked yet Pricing on request
Free plan — Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations 9 integrations 7 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Enterprise
Features AWS Lake Formation 4/4 · Cloudera Data Lake Service 4/4
Metadata catalog ✓ ✓
Governance controls ✓ ✓
Open table formats ✓ ✓
Data sharing ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Cloud Hybrid
Ingestion modes Batch Both
Query interface Both Both
Our review
Pros
  • Database, table, column, row, and cell-level access controls
  • Cross-account and cross-organization data sharing with CloudTrail auditing
  • Supports Iceberg, Hudi, and Delta Lake tables across AWS analytics services
  • Comprehensive cataloging, governance, lineage, and chain-of-custody auditing
  • Supports Apache Iceberg sharing, SQL access, Spark, Hive, and Impala
  • Hybrid deployment with role- and attribute-based access policies
Cons
  • No free plan
  • No fixed subscription plans or universal starting price
  • Integrated services and some usage incur separate AWS charges
  • Pricing uses consumption or contact-sales models instead of published tiers
  • Positioning centers on Cloudera Data Platform environments
  • Enterprise governance depth may exceed the needs of minimal lake setups
Our verdict

AWS Lake Formation is a managed cloud service for building and governing data lakes on Amazon S3. It is designed for organizations that need centralized metadata, controlled access, auditing, and data sharing across AWS accounts,…

Read the review →

Cloudera Data Lake Service provides governed data-lake capabilities for enterprise environments spanning cloud and on-premises deployments. It manages schemas and metadata, supports cataloging and search, applies role- and attribute-based…

Read the review →
  1. AWS Lake FormationData Lake Software 9.4Paid
  2. Cloudera Data Lake ServiceData Lake Software 9.1Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • AWS Lake Formation — where it wins

    • Database, table, column, row, and cell-level access controls
    • Cross-account and cross-organization data sharing with CloudTrail auditing
    • Supports Iceberg, Hudi, and Delta Lake tables across AWS analytics services

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan
    • No fixed subscription plans or universal starting price
    • Integrated services and some usage incur separate AWS charges

  • Cloudera Data Lake Service — where it wins

    • Comprehensive cataloging, governance, lineage, and chain-of-custody auditing
    • Supports Apache Iceberg sharing, SQL access, Spark, Hive, and Impala
    • Hybrid deployment with role- and attribute-based access policies

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing uses consumption or contact-sales models instead of published tiers
    • Positioning centers on Cloudera Data Platform environments
    • Enterprise governance depth may exceed the needs of minimal lake setups
  • AWS Lake Formation9.4/10 · Paid

    A deep AWS-native governance layer for organizations building managed data lakes on Amazon S3.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Cloudera Data Lake Service9.1/10 · Pricing on request

    A mature hybrid data lake service for enterprises needing governance, lineage, and Iceberg support.

    Visit ClouderaFull verdict →

More comparisons

All data lake software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update