Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Spark VS Qubole

Compare Apache Spark VS Qubole and see what are their differences

Apache Spark logo Apache Spark

Apache Spark is an engine for big data processing, with built-in modules for streaming, SQL, machine learning and graph processing.

Qubole logo Qubole

Qubole delivers a self-service platform for big aata analytics built on Amazon, Microsoft and Google Clouds.
  • Apache Spark Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-31
  • Qubole Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-22

Apache Spark features and specs

  • Speed
    Apache Spark processes data in-memory, significantly increasing the processing speed of data tasks compared to traditional disk-based engines.
  • Ease of Use
    Spark offers high-level APIs in Java, Scala, Python, and R, making it accessible to a broad range of developers and data scientists.
  • Advanced Analytics
    Spark supports advanced analytics, including machine learning, graph processing, and real-time streaming, which can be executed in the same application.
  • Scalability
    Spark can handle both small- and large-scale data processing tasks, scaling seamlessly from a single machine to thousands of servers.
  • Support for Various Data Sources
    Spark can integrate with a wide variety of data sources, including HDFS, Apache HBase, Apache Hive, Cassandra, and many others.
  • Active Community
    Spark has a vibrant and active community, providing a wealth of extensions, tools, and support options.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Spark

  • Memory Consumption
    Spark's in-memory processing can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial amounts of RAM, which can drive up costs for large-scale deployments.
  • Complexity in Configuration
    To optimize performance, Spark requires careful configuration and tuning, which can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its ease of use, mastering the full range of Spark's features and best practices can take considerable time and effort.
  • Latency for Small Data
    For smaller datasets or low-latency requirements, Spark might not be the most efficient choice, as other technologies could offer better performance.
  • Integration Overhead
    Though Spark integrates with many systems, incorporating it into an existing data infrastructure can introduce additional overhead and complexity.
  • Community Support Variability
    While the community is active, the support and quality of third-party libraries and tools can be inconsistent, leading to potential challenges in implementation.

Qubole features and specs

  • Scalability
    Qubole allows seamless scalability, adjusting resources automatically based on workload, which facilitates efficient handling of large data sets and peaks in demand.
  • Multi-cloud Support
    Qubole offers support for multiple cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, giving users flexibility and freedom to choose or shift between cloud services.
  • Unified Interface
    The platform provides a unified interface for diverse data processing engines such as Apache Spark, Hadoop, Presto, and Hive, simplifying the management of big data operations.
  • Cost Management
    Qubole includes features for cost management and optimization, such as intelligent spot instance usage, which can reduce operational costs significantly.
  • Data Security
    Qubole offers robust security features, including encryption, access controls, and compliance with various regulations, which assists in maintaining data privacy and protection.
  • Integration Capabilities
    The platform supports integration with many other tools and services, which enables a streamlined pipeline for data extraction, transformation, loading (ETL), and analysis.

Possible disadvantages of Qubole

  • Complex Setup
    For users unfamiliar with big data infrastructure and cloud platforms, the initial setup and configuration of Qubole may present a steep learning curve.
  • Cost Overruns
    Without careful management and monitoring, the automatic scaling and utilization of cloud resources can lead to unexpected and potentially high costs.
  • Dependency on Cloud Availability
    As a cloud-based platform, Qubole's performance and availability are contingent on the underlying cloud provider, which means service disruptions or performance issues in the cloud can affect Qubole’s operations.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    While Qubole supports multiple clouds, migrating away from the platform to another big data solution can be complex due to dependency on Qubole-specific configurations and optimizations.
  • Support and Documentation
    Some users have reported that the quality and depth of support and documentation provided by Qubole can vary, which may affect troubleshooting and learning.
  • User Interface
    While the interface is comprehensive, some users may find it less intuitive compared to other platforms, which can hinder ease of use and efficiency.

Apache Spark videos

Weekly Apache Spark live Code Review -- look at StringIndexer multi-col (Scala) & Python testing

More videos:

  • Review - What's New in Apache Spark 3.0.0
  • Review - Apache Spark for Data Engineering and Analysis - Overview

Qubole videos

Fast and Cost Effective Machine Learning Deployment with S3, Qubole, and Spark

More videos:

  • Review - Migrating Big Data to the Cloud: WANdisco, GigaOM and Qubole
  • Review - Democratizing Data with Qubole

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Spark and Qubole)
Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100
Big Data
72 72%
28% 28
Stream Processing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Spark and Qubole

Apache Spark Reviews

15 data science tools to consider using in 2021
Apache Spark is an open source data processing and analytics engine that can handle large amounts of data -- upward of several petabytes, according to proponents. Spark's ability to rapidly process data has fueled significant growth in the use of the platform since it was created in 2009, helping to make the Spark project one of the largest open source communities among big...
Top 15 Kafka Alternatives Popular In 2021
Apache Spark is a well-known, general-purpose, open-source analytics engine for large-scale, core data processing. It is known for its high-performance quality for data processing – batch and streaming with the help of its DAG scheduler, query optimizer, and engine. Data streams are processed in real-time and hence it is quite fast and efficient. Its machine learning...
5 Best-Performing Tools that Build Real-Time Data Pipeline
Apache Spark is an open-source and flexible in-memory framework which serves as an alternative to map-reduce for handling batch, real-time analytics and data processing workloads. It provides native bindings for the Java, Scala, Python, and R programming languages, and supports SQL, streaming data, machine learning and graph processing. From its beginning in the AMPLab at...

Qubole Reviews

We have no reviews of Qubole yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Spark seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 70 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.

Apache Spark mentions (70)

  • Every Database Will Support Iceberg — Here's Why
    Apache Iceberg defines a table format that separates how data is stored from how data is queried. Any engine that implements the Iceberg integration — Spark, Flink, Trino, DuckDB, Snowflake, RisingWave — can read and/or write Iceberg data directly. - Source: dev.to / 16 days ago
  • How to Reduce Big Data Analytics Costs by 90% with Karpenter and Spark
    Apache Spark powers large-scale data analytics and machine learning, but as workloads grow exponentially, traditional static resource allocation leads to 30–50% resource waste due to idle Executors and suboptimal instance selection. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
  • Unveiling the Apache License 2.0: A Deep Dive into Open Source Freedom
    One of the key attributes of Apache License 2.0 is its flexible nature. Permitting use in both proprietary and open source environments, it has become the go-to choice for innovative projects ranging from the Apache HTTP Server to large-scale initiatives like Apache Spark and Hadoop. This flexibility is not solely legal; it is also philosophical. The license is designed to encourage transparency and maintain a... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The Application of Java Programming In Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence
    [1] S. Russell and P. Norvig, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Pearson, 2020. [2] F. Chollet, Deep Learning with Python. Manning Publications, 2018. [3] C. C. Aggarwal, Data Mining: The Textbook. Springer, 2015. [4] J. Dean and S. Ghemawat, "MapReduce: Simplified Data Processing on Large Clusters," Communications of the ACM, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 107-113, 2008. [5] Apache Software Foundation, "Apache... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Automating Enhanced Due Diligence in Regulated Applications
    If you're designing an event-based pipeline, you can use a data streaming tool like Kafka to process data as it's collected by the pipeline. For a setup that already has data stored, you can use tools like Apache Spark to batch process and clean it before moving ahead with the pipeline. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

Qubole mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Qubole yet. Tracking of Qubole recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Spark and Qubole, you can also consider the following products

Apache Flink - Flink is a streaming dataflow engine that provides data distribution, communication, and fault tolerance for distributed computations.

Google BigQuery - A fully managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics.

Hadoop - Open-source software for reliable, scalable, distributed computing

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

Apache Hive - Apache Hive data warehouse software facilitates querying and managing large datasets residing in distributed storage.

Snowflake - Snowflake is the only data platform built for the cloud for all your data & all your users. Learn more about our purpose-built SQL cloud data warehouse.