Comparison
BigQuery vs Databricks
Scored side by side on data-analytics, using the same criteria we apply across the category.
BigQuery
Serverless warehouse with no cluster management and pricing by bytes scanned.
4.4(5,200)$6.25 per TB scanned
Databricks
Lakehouse platform unifying data engineering, analytics and machine learning on open formats.
4.5(4,300)$0.07 per DBU, consumption-based
Scored side by side
Query performance
BigQuery
4.4
Databricks
4.5
Cost predictability
BigQuery
3.6
Databricks
3.5
Governance
BigQuery
4.2
Databricks
4.4
Ease of operation
BigQuery
4.9
Databricks
3.6
Value for money
BigQuery
4.2
Databricks
4.0
BigQuery verdict
The simplest warehouse to operate, especially inside Google Cloud. Enforce partitioning early.
- Genuinely serverless with nothing to manage
- Machine learning directly in SQL
- Strong fit inside Google Cloud
Databricks verdict
The right platform when machine learning is a first-class workload rather than an afterthought.
- Best unified platform for data and machine learning
- Open table formats limit lock-in
- Mature experiment tracking and model serving