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# Azure Data Lake Analytics vs Azure Databricks Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Azure Data Lake AnalyticsAzure Databricks[+ Add Product](#)

Pricing

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
No pricing available

**Azure Databricks**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Azure Databricks**
3 months

Based on 6 responses

Return on Investment

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Azure Databricks**
21 months

Based on 5 responses

Perceived Cost

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
$$$$$

**Azure Databricks**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Azure Databricks**
Not enough reviews yet

**Pros & Cons**
from reviews

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
Not enough data

**Azure Databricks**
[
Ease of Use (9)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1042715&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Features (8)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1042693&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Complexity (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2304252&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Difficult Setup (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2304372&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**
Not enough data

**Azure Databricks**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-data-factory.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure Data Factory

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-factory/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-data-lake-store.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure Data Lake Store

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-lake-store/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_756e21e5ff45db664431b3ea10f16115/azure-synapse-analytics.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure Synapse Analytics

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_2b00e05c107c3273cea5264090c3c1d0/snowflake.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Snowflake

](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/integrations)

**Ratings**
from reviews

Meets Requirements

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.6

8.623

**Azure Databricks**

8.9

8.9170

Ease of Use

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.4

8.423

**Azure Databricks**

8.7

8.7173

Ease of Setup

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.3

8.311

**Azure Databricks**

8.7

8.786

Ease of Admin

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.3

8.311

**Azure Databricks**

8.4

8.462

Quality of Support

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.5

8.523

**Azure Databricks**

8.5

8.5156

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

8.6

8.611

**Azure Databricks**

8.8

8.861

Product Direction (% positive)

**Azure Data Lake Analytics**

9.0

9.024

**Azure Databricks**

9.5

9.5162

**Features**
ratings from reviews

Big Data Analytics[Hide 49 FeaturesShow 49 Features](javascript:void(0);)

8.5

29

8.8

171

Data Transformation

Real-Time Analytics

8.1

17

|

Verified

8.9(won by 0.8)

137

|

Verified

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Data Querying

8.8

16

|

Verified

9.3(won by 0.5)

90

|

Verified

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Predictive Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Visual Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Connectivity

Hadoop Integration

8.4(tied score)

18

|

Verified

8.4(tied score)

122

|

Verified

Spark Integration

8.6

17

|

Verified

9.0(won by 0.4)

141

|

Verified

Multi-Source Analysis

7.9

19

|

Verified

9.0(won by 1.1)

133

|

Verified

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Data Lake

9.0

20

|

Verified

9.2(won by 0.2)

139

|

Verified

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Capture and Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

Trend Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

What-if Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Statistical Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Blending

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Operations

Data Visualization

8.5(won by 0.1)

19

|

Verified

8.4

132

|

Verified

Data Workflow

8.5

17

|

Verified

8.7(won by 0.2)

134

|

Verified

Governed Discovery

8.1

18

|

Verified

8.5(won by 0.4)

121

|

Verified

Embedded Analytics

8.9(won by 0.4)

16

|

Verified

8.5

113

|

Verified

Notebooks

8.2

15

|

Verified

9.3(won by 1.1)

85

|

Verified

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Data Discovery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Data Warehousing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Connectors

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Escalation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Forecasting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Migration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Cleansing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Dashboard Creation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Extraction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

No-Code

Not enough data

Not enough data

High Volume Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Database Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 1 feature category with incomplete data

Big Data[Hide 17 FeaturesShow 17 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Building Reports

Integration APIs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Modeling

Not enough data

Not enough data

WYSIWYG Report Design

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Platform

Mobile User Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customization 

Not enough data

Not enough data

User, Role, and Access Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Internationalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sandbox / Test Environments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance and Reliability

Not enough data

Not enough data

Breadth of Partner Applications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Metadata Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Azure Data Lake Analytics](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-data-lake-analytics.jpg "Azure Data Lake Analytics")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-lake-analytics/reviews)

Azure Data Lake Analytics

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

18.5%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

37.0%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

44.4%

[![Azure Databricks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_13aba37ae908d9cf29a2452925257ccc/azure-databricks.jpeg "Azure Databricks")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews)

Azure Databricks

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

23.9%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

28.2%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

47.9%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

18.5%

23.9%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

37.0%

28.2%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

44.4%

47.9%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Azure Data Lake Analytics](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-data-lake-analytics.jpg "Azure Data Lake Analytics")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-lake-analytics/reviews)
Azure Data Lake Analytics

Computer Software

14.8%

Consumer Goods

11.1%

Telecommunications

7.4%

Internet

7.4%

Information Technology and Services

7.4%

Other

51.9%

[![Azure Databricks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_13aba37ae908d9cf29a2452925257ccc/azure-databricks.jpeg "Azure Databricks")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews)
Azure Databricks

Information Technology and Services

23.1%

Computer Software

11.8%

Retail

4.7%

Financial Services

4.7%

Automotive

3.8%

Other

51.9%

FAQs

## Azure Data Lake Analytics vs Azure Databricks FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between Azure Data Lake Analytics vs Azure Databricks?

Azure Databricks stands out from Azure Data Lake Analytics with a higher G2 rating, more reviews, and stronger reviewer-cited strengths in features and integrations.

| [Azure Data Lake Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-lake-analytics/reviews) | [Azure Databricks](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.2/5 (37 reviews) | 4.5/5 (239 reviews) |
| Enterprise | Enterprise |
| 8.3 | 8.7 |
| 8.5 | 8.5 |
| — | Ease of Use (9 all-time mentions) |

### How do the pricing models of Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks compare?

Azure Databricks is rated higher for price/cost satisfaction than Azure Data Lake Analytics, indicating reviewers consider it the stronger value.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Reviewers describe the cost as reasonable, but some note it can be slower and costlier than Spark for certain workloads.
- **Azure Databricks:** Reviewers frequently mention cost management as a challenge, with costs increasing quickly if clusters are not optimized, but also note that it is less costly than some competitors like Snowflake for certain use cases.

### What are the best alternatives to Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks?

The top 3 alternatives to Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks are Alteryx, BigQuery, and Splunk Enterprise.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Azure Data Lake Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-lake-analytics/reviews) | 4.2/5 (37 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — |
| [Azure Databricks](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews) | 4.5/5 (239 reviews) | Enterprise | Less costly than some competitors for certain use cases | Ease of Use (9 all-time mentions) |
| [Alteryx](https://www.g2.com/products/alteryx/reviews) | 4.6/5 (894 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — |
| [BigQuery](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews) | 4.5/5 (1224 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — |
| [Splunk Enterprise](https://www.g2.com/products/splunk-enterprise/reviews) | 4.3/5 (434 reviews) | Enterprise | — | — |

### Which Big Data Analytics features should I prioritize when comparing Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks?

Buyers should prioritize Ease of Use, Integrations, Features, Scaling, and Analytics when comparing Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks.

- **Ease of Use:** Azure Data Lake Analytics scores 8.4; Azure Databricks scores 8.7 and has 9 all-time reviewer mentions for ease of use.
- **Integrations:** Azure Databricks has 6 all-time reviewer mentions for integrations, including Snowflake.
- **Features:** Azure Databricks has 8 all-time reviewer mentions for features.
- **Scaling:** Azure Databricks has 4 all-time reviewer mentions for scaling.
- **Analytics:** Azure Databricks has 4 all-time reviewer mentions for analytics.

### What are the pros and cons of Azure Data Lake Analytics vs Azure Databricks?

Azure Data Lake Analytics is praised for its simplicity and reasonable cost, while Azure Databricks is recognized for its ease of use and robust features.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics strengths:** Reviewers highlight simplicity, easy interface, and reasonable cost.
- **Azure Data Lake Analytics trade-offs:** Some reviewers note a learning curve, lack of streaming/event processing, and slower performance compared to Spark.
- **Azure Databricks strengths:** Ease of use (9 all-time mentions), features (8), integrations (6), speed (5), analytics (4), scaling (4), productivity improvement (3), serverless architecture (3), and usability (3).
- **Azure Databricks trade-offs:** Complexity (3 all-time mentions), difficult setup (3), learning curve (3), slow performance (3), unclear pricing (3), workflow issues (3), and complex usability (2).

### Is Azure Data Lake Analytics or Azure Databricks better for small businesses?

Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks both have Enterprise as their largest reviewer segment, with no small-business segment dominance indicated for either.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Largest segment is Enterprise; reviewers note simplicity and reasonable cost, but also mention a learning curve.
- **Azure Databricks:** Largest segment is Enterprise; reviewers highlight ease of use and robust features, but also mention complexity and cost management as considerations for smaller teams.

### Which Big Data Analytics platform has better integrations?

Azure Databricks is favored by reviewers for integrations, with multiple all-time mentions and specific third-party tool references.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Reviewers mention integration with other Azure services, but no third-party integration is cited in the data.
- **Azure Databricks:** Integrations are cited in 6 all-time reviewer mentions, including Snowflake, with reviewers also noting integration with Azure Data Lake Storage and other Azure services.

### How do Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks compare on customer support?

Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks are rated equally on Quality of Support, both scoring 8.5, indicating parity in reviewer satisfaction.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Reviewers describe support as helpful and responsive, with scores of 7.0 in multiple recent reviews.
- **Azure Databricks:** Reviewers consistently rate support highly, with many recent reviews scoring 7.0 and noting helpfulness, though some mention occasional slow response times.

### Which is easier to implement, Azure Data Lake Analytics or Azure Databricks?

Azure Databricks scores higher on Ease of Setup (8.7 vs 8.3), indicating reviewers find it easier to implement than Azure Data Lake Analytics.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Reviewers describe setup as straightforward but note a learning curve and some complexity for new users.
- **Azure Databricks:** Reviewers frequently mention easy initial setup, user-friendly onboarding, and efficient implementation, with many scoring setup as 7.0.

### Which product has better Data Lake?

Azure Databricks is more frequently cited for its Data Lake capabilities, with strong reviewer sentiment and integration mentions.

- **Azure Data Lake Analytics:** Reviewers note centralized storage and management of structured and unstructured data, with positive sentiment for data lake functionality.
- **Azure Databricks:** Reviewers highlight robust Data Lake integration, frequent use with Azure Data Lake Storage, and strong support for large-scale data processing, with multiple all-time mentions for integrations and features related to Data Lake.

Alternatives

**Azure Data Lake Analytics Alternatives**

 ![Google Cloud BigQuery](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/875b8a68eca98ce3458f26e9dd34cdf9/google-cloud-bigquery.svg "Google Cloud BigQuery")

[
BigQuery
](/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews)

 ![Splunk Enterprise](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/b92838221b8df42dd6b5bb09c9f8ff55/splunk-enterprise.svg "Splunk Enterprise")

[
Splunk Enterprise
](/products/splunk-enterprise/reviews)

 ![Snowflake](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1544409170/snowflake.svg "Snowflake")

[
Snowflake
](/products/snowflake/reviews)

 ![Databricks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/135d1c9e39e19ef56dc8d0bf90fce20f/databricks.svg "Databricks")

[
Databricks
](/products/databricks/reviews)

**Azure Databricks Alternatives**

 ![Alteryx](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5200f776b24b5976b8f7d151d1d2e8fd/alteryx.svg "Alteryx")

[
Alteryx
](/products/alteryx/reviews)

 ![Snowflake](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1544409170/snowflake.svg "Snowflake")

[
Snowflake
](/products/snowflake/reviews)

 ![Splunk Enterprise](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/b92838221b8df42dd6b5bb09c9f8ff55/splunk-enterprise.svg "Splunk Enterprise")

[
Splunk Enterprise
](/products/splunk-enterprise/reviews)

 ![Dataiku](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/3fe6cc82516a2babaa3dfd8f9dfcc4b3/dataiku.svg "Dataiku")

[
Dataiku
](/products/dataiku/reviews)

## Azure Data Lake Analytics vs Azure Databricks

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Azure Databricks easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Azure Databricks overall.

- Reviewers felt that Azure Databricks meets the needs of their business better than Azure Data Lake Analytics.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, Azure Data Lake Analytics and Azure Databricks provide similar levels of assistance.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Azure Databricks over Azure Data Lake Analytics.