OpenLineage
OpenLineage: A flexible open standard for collecting interoperable lineage events. Ranked #24 of 41 in Data Lineage Tools by our editors (6.8/10); pricing: Open source; best for teams building on an open lineage standard.
At a glance
- Editor score6.8 / 10
- PricingOpen source
- Best forTeams building on an open lineage standard
- Paid fromFree
- Column-level lineageYes
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Open event model covers datasets, jobs, and runs
- Column mappings and transformation facets capture detailed lineage
- Integrations span Airflow, Spark, dbt, Trino, and more
Where it doesn't
- It is not a metadata server or standalone lineage application
- Analysis depends on a compatible backend receiving its events
- Self-hosted deployment requires teams to manage the surrounding stack
Our verdict on OpenLineage
OpenLineage is an open framework and standard for collecting lineage metadata from datasets, jobs, and runs. It is designed for data engineering teams that need interoperable lineage collection across distributed data-processing systems. The project provides an event model, client libraries, configurable transports, and integrations for technologies including Apache Airflow, Apache Flink, Apache Hive, Apache Spark, dbt, Feast, Great Expectations, SQL, and Trino. It supports both runtime and design-time lineage events through API and self-hosted platforms.
Its strongest technical feature is the breadth of metadata the event model can represent. OpenLineage supports column-level mappings from input fields to output fields, along with transformation and dependency facets for joins, filters, sorting, and aggregation. Client libraries help pipeline and processing tools emit lineage events, while configurable transports send those events to compatible backends. This makes OpenLineage a useful foundation for teams standardizing lineage collection across multiple systems rather than adopting a single closed collection path.
OpenLineage should not be treated as an all-in-one metadata server. It sends lineage events to a compatible backend instead of storing and analyzing them itself; Marquez is identified as one backend that can receive and analyze OpenLineage events. Teams choosing it should be prepared to select, configure, and operate the surrounding backend and deployment stack. It fits organizations that want an open specification, broad pipeline integrations, and extensible event collection. Teams seeking a standalone product with built-in metadata storage and analysis should choose a different approach.
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OpenLineage pricing
OpenLineage fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Automated discovery | Yes |
| Column-level lineage | Yes |
| Impact analysis | Yes |
| Pipeline lineage | Yes |
| Report lineage | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 9 integrations: Apache Airflow, Apache Flink, Apache Hive, Apache Spark, dbt, Feast … See all → |
| Pricing | Open source |
| Website | openlineage.io |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
OpenLineage integrations
OpenLineage lists 9 integrations on its own site.
- Apache Airflow
- Apache Flink
- Apache Hive
- Apache Spark
- dbt
- Feast
- Great Expectations
- SQL
- Trino
See all OpenLineage integrations →
Alternatives to OpenLineage
- Alation Data LineageA broad lineage system for tracing data from source systems through BI outputs.9.2
- Informatica Cloud Data Governance and CatalogA broad governance and lineage service for complex cloud, on-premises and hybrid data estates.9.1
- Talend Data CatalogA broad catalog and lineage product for complex enterprise data architectures.9.0
See all OpenLineage alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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