Best Azure Synapse Analytics Alternatives in 2026
The top Azure Synapse Analytics alternatives are Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift and Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse: 15 data warehouse software our editors would look at instead of Azure Synapse Analytics, in our ranking order.
Azure Synapse Analytics: A broad Microsoft cloud analytics service for integrated warehousing and data lake workloads. Where it falls short: requires contact with sales for pricing.
Switching from Azure Synapse Analytics? For most data warehouse software buyers the best Azure Synapse Analytics alternative is Google BigQuery, built for teams wanting a broad serverless warehouse. On a budget, Alibaba Cloud AnalyticDB starts at $119/mo.
Why People Look for an Azure Synapse Analytics Alternative
- Requires contact with sales for pricing
- Broad scope may exceed focused warehouse requirements
- Cloud deployment is centered on the web and Azure ecosystem
- No free plan — 5 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallGoogle BigQuery9.4
Teams wanting a broad serverless warehouse
Visit Google BigQuery - Lowest priceAlibaba Cloud AnalyticDB8.5
Paid plans from $119/mo
Visit Alibaba Cloud AnalyticDB - Best free optionGoogle BigQuery9.4
Has a free plan (Azure Synapse Analytics has none)
Visit Google BigQuery
All 15 Azure Synapse Analytics Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forTeams wanting a broad serverless warehouse
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.7
A broad serverless warehouse with flexible analytics, lake, streaming, governance, and ML capabilities.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
9.4/10★★★★★Try Google BigQuery -
Best forAWS-centric analytics teams
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.7
A broad AWS-native warehouse with flexible deployments, but no free plan.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
9.2/10★★★★★Try Amazon Redshift -
Best forTeams wanting an automated Oracle warehouse
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.7
A broad Oracle warehouse for teams that want automation, analytics, and a free starting tier.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Oracle -
Best forLakehouse teams building governed SQL analytics
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.7
A governed SQL warehouse for teams combining lakehouse data, BI, and elastic compute.
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Databricks -
Best forServerless lakehouse and batch analytics
A serverless warehouse for flexible compute, lake queries, and multiple processing engines.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forLarge-scale cloud analytics with flexible scaling
A flexible cloud warehouse for MPP analytics, streaming data, lakehouses, and machine learning.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forInteractive real-time analytics on Alibaba Cloud
A strong fit for sub-second analytics and lakehouse workloads on Alibaba Cloud.
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forHigh-concurrency hybrid analytics teams
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Free plan
A hybrid MPP warehouse for demanding analytics, lakehouse queries, streaming, and in-database ML.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Exasol -
Best forEnterprise analytics and model operations
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Free plan
A broad cloud warehouse for enterprise analytics, machine learning, and model operations.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Teradata -
Best forTeradata enterprise warehousing
A deep enterprise warehouse for complex workloads, hybrid deployment, and governed analytics.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Teradata -
Best forModern lakehouse analytics with built-in AI features
- Better than Azure Synapse Analytics:
- Free plan
A flexible lakehouse database with autoscaling SQL, streaming, vector search, and AI functions.
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Firebolt -
Best forHybrid warehouses needing workload controls
A hybrid warehouse for analytical, streaming, BI, and AI workloads with workload controls.
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Yellowbrick -
Best forHybrid deployments needing enterprise MPP SQL
A flexible MPP SQL warehouse for hybrid deployments, with hourly SaaS pricing.
- In-database machine learning
- Streaming ingestion
- Separate storage and compute
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Netezza -
Best forMicrosoft Fabric users needing relational warehousing
A T-SQL warehouse for Fabric teams that need governed relational analytics on OneLake.
- Separate storage and compute
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Microsoft -
Best forLakehouse SQL teams wanting AI assistance
AI-assisted SQL and lakehouse support for governed, high-concurrency analytics.
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Cloudera
Azure Synapse Analytics Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Azure Synapse Analytics?
Google BigQuery: #1 in our Data Warehouse Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad serverless warehouse with flexible analytics, lake, streaming, governance, and ML capabilities.
Is there a free alternative to Azure Synapse Analytics?
Yes. Google BigQuery, Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse, Exasol, Teradata VantageCloud and Firebolt have a free plan or a free tier.
Why do people look for Azure Synapse Analytics alternatives?
Requires contact with sales for pricing; Broad scope may exceed focused warehouse requirements; Cloud deployment is centered on the web and Azure ecosystem.
How do I switch from Azure Synapse Analytics?
Export your data from Azure Synapse Analytics (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Azure Synapse Analytics.
How to Switch from Azure Synapse Analytics
- Export your data from Azure Synapse Analytics (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Azure Synapse Analytics.
Azure Synapse Analytics vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Pricing model | Separate storage and compute | Data lake support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Azure Synapse Analytics | No | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 1 | Google BigQuery | Yes | Free | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Amazon Redshift | No | $0.54/unit usage-based | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse | Yes | Hybrid | Usage_based | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 4 | Databricks SQL Warehouse | No | Cloud | Usage_based | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Alibaba Cloud MaxCompute | $22/unit/mo | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 6 | Alibaba Cloud AnalyticDB | $119/mo | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 7 | Alibaba Cloud Hologres | No | $0.04/GB usage-based | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 8 | Exasol | Yes | $25/GB/mo | Hybrid | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 9 | Teradata VantageCloud | Yes | $6 usage-based | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 10 | Teradata Database | No | $6 usage-based | Hybrid | Usage_based | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 11 | Firebolt | Yes | $0.92/unit usage-based | Hybrid | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 12 | Yellowbrick Data Warehouse | No | $482/unit/yr | Hybrid | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 13 | IBM Netezza Performance Server | No | $3.73 usage-based | Hybrid | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 7.7 |
| 14 | Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse | No | Cloud | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | |
| 15 | Cloudera Data Warehouse | No | $0.07/unit usage-based | Hybrid | Usage_based | Yes | 7.5 |
Head-to-Head
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Google BigQuery
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Amazon Redshift
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Databricks SQL Warehouse
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Alibaba Cloud MaxCompute
- Azure Synapse Analytics vs Alibaba Cloud AnalyticDB
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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