Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Amazon Athena VS Google Cloud Storage

Compare Amazon Athena VS Google Cloud Storage and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Amazon Athena logo Amazon Athena

Amazon Athena is an interactive query service that makes it easy to analyze data in Amazon S3 using standard SQL. Athena is serverless, so there is no infrastructure to manage, and you pay only for the queries that you run.

Google Cloud Storage logo Google Cloud Storage

Google Cloud Storage offers developers and IT organizations durable and highly available object storage.
  • Amazon Athena Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-17
  • Google Cloud Storage Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25

Amazon Athena features and specs

  • Serverless
    Athena is serverless, which means there's no need to set up or manage any infrastructure. You can start querying data immediately without worrying about managing underlying servers.
  • Pay-as-you-go
    You only pay for the queries you run, and the cost is based on the amount of data scanned by the queries. This is cost-effective, especially for infrequent querying.
  • Scalable
    Athena scales automatically, enabling it to handle large datasets and concurrent queries efficiently, without manual intervention.
  • Integration with AWS ecosystem
    Athena integrates seamlessly with other AWS services like S3, Glue, and QuickSight, making it easy to build comprehensive data pipelines and analytics solutions.
  • Supports standard SQL
    Athena uses standard SQL for querying, which makes it easy for users familiar with SQL to get started quickly.
  • Quick to deploy
    Since there is no infrastructure to manage, you can start querying your data within minutes of setting up Athena.
  • Supports a variety of data formats
    Athena supports multiple data formats including CSV, JSON, ORC, Avro, and Parquet, providing flexibility in data ingestion and storage.

Possible disadvantages of Amazon Athena

  • Cost of scanning large datasets
    While the pay-as-you-go model is beneficial, querying large datasets frequently can become expensive.
  • Performance
    For very complex queries or extremely large datasets, Athena's performance might not match that of a dedicated data warehouse solution.
  • Limited built-in visualization
    Athena does not provide built-in data visualization tools, so you'll need to integrate with other services like QuickSight or third-party tools for visual analytics.
  • Learning curve for optimal usage
    Even though Athena supports SQL, optimizing performance and cost efficiency might require a good understanding of how Athena processes data.
  • Data preparation
    Data might require preprocessing or organization in a specific way for optimal performance with Athena, which could add to the setup time and complexity.
  • Cold start latency
    Athena can experience latency during query initiation, known as cold start latency, which can be an issue for time-sensitive analytics.

Google Cloud Storage features and specs

  • Scalability
    Google Cloud Storage automatically scales to handle large volumes of data, making it ideal for businesses that experience fluctuating data needs.
  • Durability
    Data stored in Google Cloud Storage is highly durable, with multiple copies stored across multiple locations, protecting against hardware failures.
  • Security
    Built-in security features including encryption at rest and in transit, as well as integration with Google Cloud IAM for fine-grained access control.
  • Global Availability
    With storage buckets that can be geo-redundant, Google Cloud Storage offers high availability and low latency access across the globe.
  • Integrations
    Seamlessly integrates with other Google Cloud services such as BigQuery, Dataflow, and Google Kubernetes Engine, enhancing functionality and ease of use.
  • Performance
    Optimized for performance with different storage classes to meet varying performance and cost requirements, such as Coldline and Nearline for less frequently accessed data.
  • Data Management
    Supports advanced data management features like Object Lifecycle Management policies to automatically transition or expire objects based on specified rules.
  • Versioning
    Supports object versioning, allowing you to keep multiple versions of an object and recover from accidental deletion or overwrites.
  • Cost-Effective
    Pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures that you only pay for what you use, and various storage classes help manage costs based on data access patterns.

Possible disadvantages of Google Cloud Storage

  • Complexity
    The wide range of features and services can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a steep learning curve for effective utilization.
  • Cost Control
    While flexible pricing is a benefit, managing and predicting costs can become complex, especially for large-scale or unpredictable workloads.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    As with all cloud services, reliable internet access is required. Downtime or poor connectivity can impact access to data stored in the cloud.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Relying heavily on Google Cloud's ecosystem may result in vendor lock-in, making it difficult to migrate to other platforms without significant effort.
  • Geographic Restrictions
    Certain regulatory or compliance requirements may limit where data can be stored, affecting the use of global storage options.
  • Performance Variability
    While generally optimized, performance may vary based on the chosen storage class and geographic location of data.
  • Support Costs
    Premium customer support incurs additional costs, which can add up for businesses requiring specialized or 24/7 support.

Analysis of Amazon Athena

Overall verdict

  • Amazon Athena is a powerful and flexible tool for users who need a cost-effective, straightforward solution for querying and analyzing data stored in S3 without the overhead of managing servers. Its serverless architecture, scalability, and wide integration with other AWS services make it a reliable choice for quick data analytics tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Amazon Athena is a serverless query service that makes it easy to analyze large-scale datasets directly in Amazon S3 using standard SQL. It is especially advantageous because it is fully managed, meaning there is no need to set up or manage infrastructure. It automatically scales, so users only pay for the queries they run, making it cost-effective for intermittent data analysis tasks. Visualizing data becomes straightforward with its integration with AWS QuickSight or other BI tools. Additionally, its support for a wide range of data formats and ease of use through the AWS Management Console further enhance its appeal for data analysts and developers.

Recommended for

  • Data analysts and data scientists needing fast, ad-hoc querying capabilities.
  • Organizations looking to reduce costs associated with traditional data warehousing.
  • Developers and teams who want to integrate SQL-based data querying into their applications without backend infrastructure management.
  • Businesses using or planning to use AWS S3 for data storage and requiring analysis tools that seamlessly integrate within the AWS ecosystem.

Analysis of Google Cloud Storage

Overall verdict

  • Google Cloud Storage is generally considered a good choice for businesses and developers looking for a flexible, secure, and scalable cloud storage solution. It is particularly strong in environments where integration with other Google Cloud Platform services is beneficial.

Why this product is good

  • Google Cloud Storage (GCS) is widely regarded as reliable and scalable, with advanced security features, robust data management tools, and seamless integration with other Google Cloud services. It offers a range of storage options such as Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive, catering to different use cases and cost requirements. GCS is also known for its strong performance in terms of speed and durability, as well as its global network infrastructure that ensures low latency and high availability.

Recommended for

  • Developers and startups seeking scalable and cost-effective cloud storage.
  • Enterprises needing robust data security and compliance features.
  • Businesses requiring integration with big data and machine learning tools.
  • Organizations managing large-scale data analytics and processing workloads.
  • Users who need a multi-region storage solution with high availability.

Amazon Athena videos

AWS Big Data: What is Amazon Athena?

More videos:

  • Review - Deep Dive on Amazon Athena - AWS Online Tech Talks
  • Review - Deep Dive on Amazon Athena - AWS Online Tech Talks

Google Cloud Storage videos

No Google Cloud Storage videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Amazon Athena and Google Cloud Storage)
Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100
Database Management
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Amazon Athena and Google Cloud Storage. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Cloud Storage should be more popular than Amazon Athena. It has been mentiond 39 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Amazon Athena mentions (23)

  • Vector: A lightweight tool for collecting EKS application logs with long-term storage capabilities
    In this article, we present an architecture that demonstrates how to collect application logs from Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) via Vector, store them in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) for long-term retention, and finally query these logs using AWS Glue and Amazon Athena. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Introducing Iceberg Table Engine in RisingWave: Manage Streaming Data in Iceberg with SQL
    However, Iceberg defines the storage format, leaving the complexities of data ingestion and processing, especially for real-time streams, to separate systems. While query engines like Trino or Athena excel with static datasets, they aren't designed for continuous, low-latency ingestion and transformation of streaming data into Iceberg. This often forces engineers to integrate multiple complex tools, increasing... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Deploying a Complete Machine Learning Fraud Detection Solution Using Amazon SageMaker : AWS Project
    SageMaker Feature Store keeps track of the metadata of stored features (e.g. Feature name or version number) so that you can query the features for the right attributes in batches or in real time using Amazon Athena , an interactive query service. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Spatial Search of Amazon S3 Express One Zone Data with Amazon Athena and Visualized It in QGIS
    Prepare GIS data for use with Amazon Athena. This time, we created four types of sample data in QGIS in advance. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Enhancing AWS Athena Efficiency - Building a Python Athena Client
    If you have not heard about AWS Athena, I encourage you to take a look at this service. You can read more about it here. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

Google Cloud Storage mentions (39)

  • Deploy Gemini-powered LangChain applications on GKE
    Seamless integration with Google Cloud: GKE integrates smoothly with other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and, importantly, Vertex AI, where Gemini and other LLMs are hosted. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Scanning AWS S3 Buckets for Security Vulnerabilities
    All cloud providers offer some variations of file bucket services. These file bucket services allow users to store and retrieve data in the cloud, offering scalability, durability, and accessibility through web portals and APIs. For instance, AWS offers Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), GCP offers Google Cloud Storage, and DigitalOcean provides Spaces. However, if unsecured, these file buckets pose a major... - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Next.js Deployment: Vercel's Charm vs. GCP's Muscle
    GCP offers a comprehensive suite of cloud services, including Compute Engine, App Engine, and Cloud Run. This translates to unparalleled control over your infrastructure and deployment configurations. Designed for large-scale applications, GCP effortlessly scales to accommodate significant traffic growth. Additionally, for projects heavily reliant on Google services like BigQuery, Cloud Storage, or AI/ML tools,... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • How to deploy a Django app to Google Cloud Run using Terraform
    Cloud Storage: blog storage for static assets and media files. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • How to Get Preview Environments for Every Pull Request
    Preevy includes built-in support for saving profiles on AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage. You can also store the profile on the local filesystem and copy it manually before running Preevy - we won't show this method here. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Amazon Athena and Google Cloud Storage, you can also consider the following products

phpMyAdmin - phpMyAdmin is a tool written in PHP intended to handle the administration of MySQL over the Web.

Amazon S3 - Amazon S3 is an object storage where users can store data from their business on a safe, cloud-based platform. Amazon S3 operates in 54 availability zones within 18 graphic regions and 1 local region.

SQLyog - Webyog develops MySQL database client tools. Monyog MySQL monitor and SQLyog MySQL GUI & admin are trusted by 2.5 million users across the globe.

Wasabi Cloud Object Storage - Storage made simple. Faster than Amazon's S3. Less expensive than Glacier.

Sequel Pro - MySQL database management for Mac OS X

Alibaba Object Storage Service - Alibaba Object Storage Service is an encrypted and secure cloud storage service which stores, processes and accesses massive amounts of data