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Azure Databricks

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Company health

Employee growth
3% increase in the last year
Web traffic
11% decrease in the last quarter

Azure Databricks description

Azure Databricks is a cloud-based platform designed to help businesses analyze large amounts of data. It offers tools for data scientists and analysts to prepare, visualize, and build machine learning models from complex datasets. Optimized for Azure cloud services, Databricks allows for efficient scaling and collaboration, promising faster insights and better decision-making from your company's data.


Who is Azure Databricks best for

Azure Databricks is a powerful platform ideal for data-driven businesses needing to analyze large datasets. Users praise its seamless integration with Azure services, scalability, and support for multiple languages. However, some users note the high cost and occasional instability. It's a great choice for those seeking advanced analytics capabilities, especially if already invested in the Azure ecosystem.

  • Best fit for small, medium, and large businesses.

  • A good fit across various data-heavy industries.


Azure Databricks features

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Supported

Azure Databricks integrates with LLMs using MosaicML and Azure OpenAI, enabling advanced analytics.

Supported

Azure Databricks supports analysis of massive datasets using a distributed computing system.

Supported

Databricks Workflows and Jobs automate tasks, improving efficiency.

Qualities

We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software

Value and Pricing Transparency

Rather negative
-0.69

Customer Service

Neutral
+0

Ease of Use

Strongly positive
+0.87

Reliability and Performance

Rather positive
+0.63

Ease of Implementation

Rather positive
+0.33

Scalability

Strongly positive
+1

Azure Databricks reviews

Pros of Azure Databricks
  • Excellent for ETL processing and big data transformations using PySpark and Spark SQL.
  • Supports multiple languages (Python, SQL, Scala, R) within the same notebook.
  • Seamless integration with Azure services like Data Lake Storage and Data Factory.
  • Scalable compute clusters with auto-scaling capabilities.
  • Unity Catalog provides helpful features for data governance and medallion architecture.
Cons of Azure Databricks
  • High cost, especially for cluster usage and real-time processing.
  • Occasional cluster instability and unexpected terminations.
  • Limited native workflow/job scheduling capabilities compared to other platforms.
  • Notebook UI could be improved with better responsiveness and features like auto-complete.
  • Steep learning curve for new users, particularly with Spark-specific syntax.

Azure Databricks pricing

The commentary is based on 33 reviews from Azure Databricks G2 reviews.

Azure Databricks offers powerful data processing and analytics capabilities but at a premium price. Users often cite cost as a primary concern, especially for large datasets and resource-intensive workloads. Careful cost monitoring and resource management are crucial for optimizing spending.

Users sentiment

Rather negative
-0.69

Azure Databricks alternatives

  • Logo of Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
    Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
    Better fit for organizations invested in open-source technologies. Has significantly more momentum based on employee growth. More suitable for Software, IT & Telecommunications and Healthcare, Wellness & Pharma, less for Finance, Banking & Insurance and Professional Services. Users highlight the Databricks SQL warehouse and Unity Catalog but note slow cluster startup times and documentation gaps.
    Read more
  • Logo of Looker
    Looker
    Better for non-technical users seeking a user-friendly BI platform. Stronger focus on data visualization and reporting within the Google Cloud ecosystem. More positive pricing sentiment.
    Read more
  • Logo of Tellius
    Tellius
    Better for business users seeking automated insights and natural language querying. Offers on-premise installation options. Has garnered more momentum recently. Users praise the intuitive interface and AI-driven analysis but note occasional performance issues and a steeper learning curve. Pricing transparency is less favorable.
    Read more
  • Logo of Snowflake
    Snowflake
    Better for users comfortable with SQL. Wider industry applicability with a good fit for software, IT and telecommunications. Has more momentum in its employee growth. Users praise ease of use and scalability. Lacks strong machine learning features and robust unstructured data support.
    Read more
  • Logo of Amazon Marketing Cloud
    Amazon Marketing Cloud
    More focused on advertising analytics within the Amazon ecosystem. Better for marketing analysis for Amazon sellers. Easier to use, but less flexible and powerful for general data science tasks. Pricing is considered less transparent.
    Read more
  • Logo of SAS Viya
    SAS Viya
    Has broader appeal with a larger community and more accessible documentation. Boasts faster employee growth, indicating more momentum. Provides a more user-friendly interface.
    Read more

Azure Databricks FAQ

  • What is Azure Databricks and what does Azure Databricks do?

    Azure Databricks is a cloud-based data analytics platform built on Apache Spark. It provides a collaborative workspace for data scientists, engineers, and analysts to process and analyze large datasets, build machine learning models, and perform data engineering tasks. It integrates seamlessly with Azure services and supports various languages like Python, SQL, Scala, and R.

  • How does Azure Databricks integrate with other tools?

    Azure Databricks integrates seamlessly with various Azure services, including Data Lake Storage, Data Factory, and Azure OpenAI. This allows for efficient data processing, workflow automation, and advanced analytics capabilities using LLMs.

  • What the main competitors of Azure Databricks?

    Top alternatives to Azure Databricks include Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, Snowflake, Tableau, Tellius, SAS Viya, and Explo. These competitors offer similar data analysis and visualization capabilities, catering to various business needs and budgets.

  • Is Azure Databricks legit?

    Yes, Azure Databricks is a legitimate and safe platform developed by Microsoft. It's a popular choice for big data analytics and machine learning, offering scalable analysis and seamless integration with other Azure services. While the cost can be high, users praise its powerful features and efficient processing.

  • How much does Azure Databricks cost?

    Azure Databricks pricing is not publicly available. Contact Azure sales for custom Databricks pricing based on your product needs. Consider whether the product is worth it based on your budget.

  • Is Azure Databricks customer service good?

    Customer reviews on Azure Databricks's support are mixed. While some users praise the helpful and responsive customer support team, others have experienced slow response times and the need to escalate issues for resolution.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.