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Head-to-head · ETL Software

Keboola vs Apache Spark

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Keboola #1 in ETL Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Keboola
Apache Spark #12 in ETL Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Apache Spark

Keboola leads on 0 checks, Apache Spark on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKeboola · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth

Keboola scores higher on our rubric for etl software: 9.4 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #12.

On deployment, Keboola gives you Hybrid where Apache Spark offers Self_hosted.

Keboola is the better fit for teams wanting managed ETL with a free tier. Apache Spark is the better fit for large-scale open-source data processing.

  • Keboola fits best

    Teams wanting managed ETL with a free tier

  • Apache Spark fits best

    Large-scale open-source data processing

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Side by side

Feature Keboola 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Apache Spark 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.2
Ranking #1 in ETL Software #12 in ETL Software
Best for Teams wanting managed ETL with a free tier Large-scale open-source data processing
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $0.14/unit usage-based Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Live chat, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 1,500+ integrations 20 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Keboola 3/3 · Apache Spark 3/3
Incremental loading ✓ ✓
Change data capture ✓ ✓
Custom code transforms ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment Hybrid Self_hosted
Source connectors Not checked yet Not checked yet
Destination connectors Not checked yet Not checked yet
Transformation mode Mixed Mixed
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes unlimited ETL/ELT pipelines and 1,500+ data sources
  • Supports SQL, Python, R, dbt, CDC, lineage, cataloging, and monitoring
  • Hybrid, private VPC, API, CLI, and AI-assisted pipeline operations
  • Distributed batch and streaming processing with Structured Streaming
  • Python, SQL, Scala, Java, and R interfaces
  • Broad connectivity across files, databases, warehouses, and data platforms
Cons
  • Free plan is limited to one Keboola project
  • Extra compute after the free allocation costs $0.14 per minute
  • Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
  • Self-hosted deployment requires cluster and infrastructure management
  • More technical than hosted ETL tools for non-developer teams
  • No subscription tiers or packaged hosted SaaS experience
Our verdict

Keboola is a cloud data integration and operations platform for data teams, analysts, and enterprises. It combines managed connectors for SaaS applications, databases, event streams, and REST APIs with visual orchestration,…

Read the review →

Apache Spark is an open-source distributed computing engine for large-scale data processing and analytics. It is designed for developers, data engineers, analysts, and organizations running workloads across clusters. Spark handles…

Read the review →
  1. KeboolaETL Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Apache SparkETL Software 8.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Keboola — where it wins

    • Free plan includes unlimited ETL/ELT pipelines and 1,500+ data sources
    • Supports SQL, Python, R, dbt, CDC, lineage, cataloging, and monitoring
    • Hybrid, private VPC, API, CLI, and AI-assisted pipeline operations

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to one Keboola project
    • Extra compute after the free allocation costs $0.14 per minute
    • Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales

  • Apache Spark — where it wins

    • Distributed batch and streaming processing with Structured Streaming
    • Python, SQL, Scala, Java, and R interfaces
    • Broad connectivity across files, databases, warehouses, and data platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires cluster and infrastructure management
    • More technical than hosted ETL tools for non-developer teams
    • No subscription tiers or packaged hosted SaaS experience

More comparisons

All ETL software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update