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Starburst

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Unify data, context, and governance for trusted AI and faster insights across all data sources.

Free plan available, paid tiers aboveVisit Website
Reviews on G2
106 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Price
Free plan available, paid tiers above. Compare plans

Key facts

  • Unifies data access across diverse sources without data movement.
  • Accelerates AI deployment with built-in governance, lineage, and security.
  • Offers high-performance SQL querying with Trino for faster insights and cost savings.

Pros

  • Significantly faster SQL query performance (up to 10x faster)
  • Substantial cost savings compared to cloud data warehouses and other lakehouses
  • Accesses data without moving it, reducing complexity and improving security
  • Robust data governance and security features for AI deployment
  • Supports open data formats, preventing vendor lock-in

Cons

  • Requires technical expertise for self-managed deployments
  • Specific pricing details are not publicly listed, requiring contact with sales

What is Starburst?

Starburst is a data lakehouse platform built with Trino, designed to empower teams to discover, trust, and act on data with built-in governance and context. It unifies access to data across cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments without requiring data movement, providing governed access for both human teams and AI agents. The platform facilitates conversational queries, AI search, and context-rich responses, enabling instant insights and actions within workflows. Starburst aims to accelerate the safe deployment of AI by integrating governance, lineage, and security into every answer, action, and workflow. It offers two main deployment models: Starburst Galaxy, a fully managed cloud data platform, and Starburst Enterprise, a self-managed solution for on-premises and hybrid environments. The platform is built to deliver faster query performance, significant cost savings compared to traditional data warehouses and other lakehouses, and supports a wide range of data sources and open data formats like Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, and Apache Hudi. It's ideal for organizations looking to modernize their data architecture, enhance analytics capabilities, and build AI-ready data foundations.

Available on: Web

Ratings Across the Web

4.4 (106 reviews)

Starburst holds an aggregate rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 106 reviews across G2, last checked September 9, 2026.

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Preview

Key Features

  • Unified data access across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments
  • Conversational queries and AI search capabilities
  • Built-in data governance, lineage, and security (RBAC, ABAC)
  • Enhanced Trino ANSI SQL engine for internet-scale workloads
  • Smart indexing and caching technologies (Warp Speed) for accelerated queries
  • Native support for Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, Apache Hudi, and Apache Hive
  • Multiple deployment options: fully managed cloud (Galaxy) and self-managed (Enterprise)
  • 50+ connectors to access all data sources

Pricing Plans

Free Trial

Pricing checked Oct 4, 2026

Starburst plans and prices, checked October 2026
PlanPriceDetails
Free

Free

  • Deliver a lakehouse at the click of a button
  • Create and run up to 3 clusters
  • Access to standard cluster execution mode for ad hoc queries
+1 more
  • Free forever
Pro

Starting at $0.50/credit

  • Seamless operations with enhanced control and efficiency
  • Flexible cluster execution modes
  • Streaming Ingest
+1 more
  • Advanced cluster management
Enterprise

Starting at $0.75/credit

  • Transform your lakehouse with security and scalability
  • Advanced autoscaling features
  • Fine-grained access controls (ABAC, SCIM)
+2 more
  • AWS PrivateLink for data sources
  • Early access to features (Private Preview)
Mission-Critical

Starting at $1.00/credit

  • Deliver flawless performance and security for mission-critical workflows
  • Elite support and ticketing
  • Advanced governance integrations
+2 more
  • Lakehouse security and compliance tools
  • Highest uptime guarantees

Is Starburst worth the price?

Good value

Starburst's pricing model, starting with a Free tier and then credit-based pricing from $0.50 to $1.00 per credit, is fair for enterprise-level data operations.

The Pro tier offers good value for enhanced control, while Enterprise at $0.75/credit provides significant security and scalability features. This structure is best for organizations with varying data processing needs, from ad-hoc queries to mission-critical workflows.

Full Starburst pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

Reviews

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4.4/5

Across 106 verified user reviews on G2

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Starburst FAQ

How does Starburst support AI initiatives beyond traditional dashboards?

Starburst facilitates conversational queries, AI search, and context-rich responses. This allows for insights and actions to occur instantly across various workflows and teams, moving beyond static dashboards to power more dynamic AI applications.

What deployment options are available for Starburst, and how do they differ?

Starburst offers three main deployment options: Starburst Galaxy, a fully managed cloud platform; Starburst Enterprise, for self-managed on-premises and hybrid environments; and Dell Data Analytics Engine, which provides modern on-premises storage and SQL engine capabilities powered by Starburst.

How does Starburst compare to traditional cloud data warehouses in terms of performance and cost?

Starburst offers 6.3 times faster SQL queries and 12.7 times cost savings compared to cloud data warehouses. It also supports 10 times more data sources and provides more deployment models, including on-premises, hybrid, and air-gapped environments.

What open data lake formats does Starburst natively support?

Starburst provides native support for fully open data lake formats such as Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, Apache Hudi, and Apache Hive. This ensures flexibility and avoids vendor lock-in for data lake architectures.

What security measures are in place for Starburst Galaxy?

Starburst Galaxy is designed with strong security defaults to protect data. It meets stringent requirements through robust operational and security controls, ensuring data lake analytics are performed on a secure platform.

Can Starburst integrate with existing data sources across different environments?

Yes, Starburst unifies access to over 50 data sources across cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments without requiring data movement. This allows agents and teams to get governed access to all relevant data.

Source: starburst.io

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