Redshift Alternatives
Data Warehouse · 8 alternatives compared
Looking to replace Redshift? Amazon Redshift is AWS's cloud data warehouse, competing with Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks in the analytical database space. It provides petabyte-scale columnar storage with massively parallel processing (MPP), deep integration with AWS services, and both provisioned and serverless deployment options. Redshift's strength is its AWS-native integration — S3 data lakes (Spectrum), Lambda, Glue, and SageMaker all work seamlessly. It was the first cloud data warehouse (launched 2012) and remains a strong choice for AWS-centric organizations. Compared to Snowflake (better separation of storage/compute, multi-cloud), Redshift offers tighter AWS integration but less flexibility. Versus BigQuery (serverless, simpler pricing), Redshift provides more control over cluster configuration but requires more tuning. Buyers deep in the AWS ecosystem should evaluate Redshift Serverless for new projects — it eliminates cluster management while maintaining AWS integration. For multi-cloud or best-of-breed strategies, Snowflake is more flexible. Consider BigQuery for serverless simplicity on GCP, or Databricks for unified analytics + ML workloads. Below are 8 Data Warehouse alternatives, ranked by how much capability overlap they share with Redshift — so the closest matches come first.
Redshift alternatives compared
Ranked by shared core capabilities with Redshift. We take no referral fees — ordering is by relevance, not who paid us.
| Vendor | Shared capabilities with Redshift | Pricing | Also strong in | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Databricks
Partner
6 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | Data Lake / Lakehouse Feature Store | Compare |
 Snowflake
Partner
4 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | Object / Cloud Storage Zero-copy Activation / Data Sharing | Compare |
 Azure Synapse 2 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | — | Compare |
 BigQuery 3 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | Predictive Scoring / Propensity | Compare |
 ClickHouse 3 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Free | Real-time Analytics | Compare |
 Microsoft Fabric 4 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | Data Lake / Lakehouse ETL / ELT | Compare |
 Mongo DB 3 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Usage-based | Operational Database | Compare |
 MS SQL 3 core capabilities
| Cloud Data Warehouse Data Storage | Per-seat | Operational Database | Compare |
What to look for in a Redshift alternative
Redshift’s core capabilities — check each alternative for coverage of these before shortlisting:
- Cloud Data Warehouse
- Data Storage
Redshift alternatives — FAQ
What is the best alternative to Redshift?
Databricks is the closest match among the 8 Data Warehouse alternatives we track. It shares 2 of Redshift’s core capabilities (Cloud Data Warehouse, Data Storage). The right choice depends on your existing stack — compare all 8 in the table above.
What should I look for in a Redshift alternative?
Redshift’s core strengths are Cloud Data Warehouse, Data Storage. Prioritise alternatives that cover the capabilities you actually use, and that integrate cleanly with the rest of your stack — a replacement that doesn’t connect to your warehouse, CDP, or activation tools isn’t really a replacement.
How much do Redshift alternatives cost?
Pricing varies — alternatives here range across Usage-based, Free, Per-seat. Check each vendor’s page for current rates.
Can I compare Redshift and Databricks side by side?
Yes. Drop both onto a canvas in Martech Stack Builder and see how each integrates with your warehouse, CDP, and activation tools — then score them against your actual requirements before deciding.
Redshift head-to-head
Deciding between two specific tools? See the full side-by-side capability comparison:
More Data Warehouse comparisons
Evaluating the field? See the alternatives to each of these too:
Browse all Data Warehouse vendors
Stack Builder’s full directory has every Data Warehouse vendor we track, with capabilities, pricing, and integration data.
View Data Warehouse directory →Evaluating Redshift alternatives? Do it in your stack’s context.
Drop Redshift and the alternatives onto a canvas, see how they integrate with what you already have, and score them against your actual requirements — not a generic feature list.
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