Data and analytics · Data and AI platforms
Databricks
Data and AI platform built on the lakehouse, with governance, model serving and Agent Bricks.
Our pick for data and ai platforms- Vendor
- Databricks
- Pricing model
- Consumption in Databricks Units (DBUs) by workload type, plus cloud infrastructure for classic compute.
- Runs on
- Your AWS, Azure or Google Cloud account
- Agentic OS layer
- Context
- Industries
- Any industry
- Last reviewed
- November 2026
Our verdict
The strongest platform when data engineering, machine learning and agents need to live together under one governance layer. Costs depend on discipline: idle clusters and the wrong compute type get expensive.
What it is
Databricks combines data engineering, a SQL warehouse, machine learning and AI on open formats (Delta and Iceberg) with Unity Catalog for governance. Agent Bricks, Model Serving, Vector Search and MLflow cover building, evaluating and running agents on governed data.
It runs inside your own cloud account on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, so data stays where you keep it.
Best for
Organisations with data engineering and ML teams that want one governed platform for analytics and AI.
Not the right fit
Small teams that only need dashboards on a few sources; a managed warehouse is simpler.
Key capabilities
Unity Catalog
One governance layer for tables, files, models and agents.
Agent Bricks
Build and evaluate agents on governed data.
Lakehouse on open formats
Delta and Iceberg avoid lock-in.
Serverless SQL and jobs
Warehousing and pipelines without managing clusters.
Strengths
- Strongest for combined data, ML and AI work
- Open formats and multi-cloud
- Serious governance with Unity Catalog
Watch-outs
- Many compute types and DBU rates to understand
- Cost control needs active FinOps
- Steeper learning curve for business analysts
Pricing
Databricks bills per DBU at rates set by workload: published list rates in 2026 run from about $0.07 per DBU for AI and serving to around $0.15 for data engineering and $0.22 for SQL warehousing, with interactive compute higher. Classic compute also incurs cloud provider charges. Committed contracts unlock discounts. On Azure, Standard tier workspaces were upgraded to Premium by October 2026.
Checked November 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm current pricing with Databricks before you budget.
Security and governance
Runs in your cloud account with Unity Catalog permissions, lineage, audit logs and private networking.
How we would roll it out
- Set up Unity Catalog firstGovernance before data moves in.
- Use serverless and job computeAvoid always-on interactive clusters.
- Tag spend by team and agentMake every workload visible on the bill.
Compare with
Other tools in Data and analytics, closest match first.
Snowflake
Data and AI platforms
Managed data cloud with Cortex AI, agents and Snowflake Intelligence running next to your data.
Best for SQL-first analytics teams that want AI inside the warehouse.
Microsoft Fabric and Power BI
Data and AI platforms
Microsoft's unified analytics platform and the world's most used BI tool, with Copilot across both.
Best for Microsoft organisations that want data and BI in one licence.
Choosing between Databricks and the alternatives?
Book a call. We look at your systems, data and governance together and tell you which platform fits, and what to build on it first.