Apache Spark

Also known as
apache-spark

Available worldwide

What is Apache Spark?

Apache Spark is a multi-language engine for executing data engineering, data science, and machine learning on single-node machines or clusters. It unifies batch and real-time streaming processing with SQL analytics and machine learning capabilities.

Independently observed

Apache Spark pricing

We don't have Apache Spark's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.

What Apache Spark does

The capabilities that matter for data engineering tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.

Core
Tool role
Orchestrator
Processing paradigm
Batch + streaming
Connectivity
Connector count
-
CDC / log-based replication
-
Transformation
In-warehouse transformation (push-down)
-
dbt-native orchestration
-
Deployment
Self-hosted / open-source available
Managed cloud available
Governance
Data lineage / asset catalog
-
Authoring
Python-first authoring
Execution
Incremental / partition-aware runs
-
Quality
Built-in data quality / tests
-
Scale
Horizontal scale (distributed executor)
Independently observed

Platform & deployment

Independently observed
Platforms
  • CLI
  • Linux
Deployment
  • Cloud / SaaS
  • On-premise
  • Self-hosted

Apache Spark alternatives

Other data engineering tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.

Independent · unbought · dated

The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence

Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Apache Spark, not the verdict.

Balanced composite 74 / 100
low · 16%
Signal contributions to the composite score
SignalScoreWeightContributionEvidence
Pricing Transparency800.097.5
Github Activity630.106.6
Price Level1000.065.8
Capabilities580.095.4
Github Stars880.032.5
Reliability00.080.0-
Integrations00.170.0-
Release Cadence00.060.0-
Security Posture00.080.0-
Package Downloads00.150.0-
Stackoverflow Activity00.070.0-

Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.

All data & sourcesshow ↓

Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.

Activity

AttributeValueEvidence
Commits last 30d100mediumsource · 2026-08-01 · 65%

Adoption

AttributeValueEvidence
Github stars43,759highsource · 2026-08-01 · 90%

Features

AttributeValueEvidence
Capabilities{"role":"orchestrator","paradigm":"both","python_first":true,"managed_cloud":false,"self_hosted_oss":true,"distributed_executor":true}mediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%

Language

AttributeValueEvidence
PrimaryScalahighsource · 2026-08-01 · 90%

License

AttributeValueEvidence
SpdxApache-2.0highsource · 2026-08-01 · 95%

Market

AttributeValueEvidence
Availability{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}highsource · 2026-08-05 · 75%

Pricing

AttributeValueEvidence
Free tierYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
Modelcommercialmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
Price levelfreemediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%
TransparentYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%