Apache Pinot
Apache Pinot: A self-hosted OLAP database for embedding low-latency analytics into products. Ranked #8 of 33 in OLAP Software by our editors (8.7/10); pricing: Open source; best for embedded real-time analytics builders.
At a glance
- Editor score8.7 / 10
- PricingOpen source
- Best forEmbedded real-time analytics builders
- Paid fromFree
- DeploymentSelf_hosted
- Founded2013
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Streams data from Kafka, Pulsar, and Kinesis in real time
- Combines streaming and batch sources in one table
- Supports SQL, REST access, joins, upserts, and varied indexes
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure ownership
- No managed cloud service is included
- Its focus is real-time OLAP rather than general-purpose analytics
Our verdict on Apache Pinot
Apache Pinot is an open-source, distributed OLAP database for user-facing and agent-facing real-time analytics. It is designed for embedded analytics, customer dashboards, metrics APIs, and other high-concurrency analytical applications. Teams can deploy it locally, with Docker, or through Kubernetes. Pinot supports SQL queries and REST API access, making it suitable for applications that need analytical results inside a product rather than a separate reporting environment.
Its ingestion and query model are the main strengths. Real-time sources include Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, and AWS Kinesis, while batch ingestion covers Hadoop, Apache Spark, Amazon S3, Azure ADLS, and Google Cloud Storage. Streaming and batch data can be combined in one table. Upserts retain the latest record value at query time, and query-time fact/dimension and fact/fact joins support broader analytical models. A range of pluggable indexes—including timestamp, inverted, StarTree, Bloom filter, text, JSON, and geospatial indexes—gives builders options for different query patterns.
Pinot also includes built-in logical multitenancy and row-level security through broker query rewriting. Java, JDBC, Python, Go, and Trino integrations extend its fit across application and analytics stacks. The trade-off is operational ownership: as a self-hosted product, deployment and infrastructure remain with the adopting team rather than a managed provider. Apache Pinot is a strong choice for teams building embedded, real-time analytical experiences across streaming and batch data. Teams seeking a hosted service or a broader general-purpose analytics platform should consider alternatives.
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Apache Pinot pricing
Apache Pinot fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Deployment | Self_hosted |
| Query language | Sql |
| Real-time ingestion | Yes |
| Row-level security | Yes |
| Embedded analytics | Yes |
| Included users | Not verified |
| Data source coverage | Streaming: Kafka, Pulsar, Kinesis; batch: Hadoop, Spark, Amazon S3, Azure ADLS, Google Cloud Storage |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 13 integrations: Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, AWS Kinesis, Hadoop, Apache Spark, Amazon S3 … |
| Pricing | Open source |
| Website | pinot.apache.org |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Apache Pinot integrations
Apache Pinot lists 13 integrations on its own site.
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Pulsar
- AWS Kinesis
- Hadoop
- Apache Spark
- Amazon S3
- Azure ADLS
- Google Cloud Storage
- Java
- JDBC
- Python
- Go
- Trino
Alternatives to Apache Pinot
- Google BigQueryA serverless warehouse with separate storage and compute, streaming, ML, and governance.9.4
- Amazon RedshiftA broad AWS-native warehouse for teams balancing SQL analytics, lakes, streaming, and ML.9.3
- Databricks SQL WarehouseA usage-based SQL warehouse for lakehouse analytics, BI, governance, and incremental ETL.9.2
See all Apache Pinot alternatives →
Apache Pinot vs the competition
- Apache Pinot vs Google BigQuery
- Apache Pinot vs Amazon Redshift
- Apache Pinot vs Databricks SQL Warehouse
- Apache Pinot vs Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse
- Apache Pinot vs Azure Synapse Analytics
- Apache Pinot vs Apache Doris
Compare Apache Pinot with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Apache Pinot is ranked in 10 of our directories; the 6 strongest besides OLAP Software.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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