Best Columnar Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: GreptimeDB is ranked #1 of 24 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Couchbase Lite and Exasol. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Exasol. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Amazon Redshift at $0.54/mo.
Columnar databases differ in how they are deployed, managed, and supplied with data. Compare deployment models, managed-service availability, object-storage support, and streaming ingestion, along with supported data formats and included storage. Free-plan details and paid-from pricing offer cost context. GreptimeDB, Apache Doris, and Exasol lead the displayed entries, followed by StarRocks and Firebolt. Consider where your data resides, what formats you use, and how it arrives; then weigh those needs against the listed capabilities and plans.
24 columnar databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 GreptimeDB Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1$290/mo
- 2 Couchbase Lite iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.9 Deployment model: cloud
- 3 Exasol No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$3.30/mo Deployment model: hybrid
- 4 InfluxDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free
- 5 Apache Druid No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 6 CrateDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 7 Databend No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Deployment model: hybrid
- 8 MotherDuck No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2$250/mo
- 9 QuestDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 10 Apache Pinot No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
- 11 DuckDB UI No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
- 12 Firebolt No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free Deployment model: hybrid
- 13 MonetDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free Deployment model: self_hosted
- 14 StarRocks No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
- 15 Apache Doris No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7
- 16 BigQuery Data Clean Rooms No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment model: cloud
- 17 SAP Customer Data Platform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5
- 18 Snowflake CoCo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: cloud
- 19 Amazon Redshift No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4$0.54/mo Deployment model: cloud
- 20 ClickHouse Cloud No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4$53/mo
- 21 MariaDB Enterprise Analytics No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: hybridObject storage support: Yes
- 22 Apache Kudu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self_hostedManaged service: No
- 23 Amazon Timestream No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1
- 24 Yellowbrick Data Warehouse No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9 Deployment model: hybrid
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which columnar database is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
GreptimeDB is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.1. Couchbase Lite is second and Exasol third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Amazon Redshift has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.54/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.