Redshift Alternatives
Data Warehouse · 7 compared · Updated
Looking to replace Redshift? These are the 7 closest Data Warehouse alternatives we track, ranked by reviewed capability overlap — the closest matches come first.
- Closest match
- ClickHouse
- Direct replacements
- 7 compared
- Pricing
- Free · Usage-based
- Typical switching effort
- High
No referral fees. Ordering is by reviewed capability overlap, not who paid us.
What Redshift is, in short
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.
Redshift alternatives compared
Ranked by reviewed relationship first — a tool we've confirmed as a direct replacement outranks one that merely shares capabilities. Tools we've reviewed as complements to Redshift are excluded, because running both is not the same as replacing it.
Scroll the table sideways for switching effort and pricing →
| Vendor | Shared capabilities with Redshift | Switching effort | Pricing | Also strong in | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ClickHouse 2 core capabilities | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Both are analytics databases/warehouses, but ClickHouse is commonly chosen for low-latency real-time analytics while Redshift is often used as a broader warehouse for batch BI and lake-adjacent workloads, so dual deployments are common. | High | Free | Real-time Analytics | About ClickHouse |
 Azure Synapse 1 core capability | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Functionally interchangeable as the primary analytics warehouse, but many organisations deliberately run two — cloud commitments, data residency, or estates inherited through acquisition. Consolidation is a multi-quarter migration rather than a cancelled licence, so treat this as worth evaluating rather than as recoverable spend. | High | Usage-based | — | About Azure Synapse |
 BigQuery 2 core capabilities | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Functionally interchangeable as the primary analytics warehouse, but many organisations deliberately run two — cloud commitments, data residency, or estates inherited through acquisition. Consolidation is a multi-quarter migration rather than a cancelled licence, so treat this as worth evaluating rather than as recoverable spend. | High | Usage-based | Predictive Scoring / Propensity | vs BigQuery |
 Microsoft Fabric 3 core capabilities | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Data Lake / Lakehouse They both serve as primary analytics data platforms/warehouses, but their ecosystems differ (Microsoft vs AWS) and some companies keep both for multi-cloud or org separation reasons. | High | Usage-based | Data Lake / Lakehouse ETL / ELT | About Microsoft Fabric |
 Snowflake
Partner
3 core capabilities | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Functionally interchangeable as the primary analytics warehouse, but many organisations deliberately run two — cloud commitments, data residency, or estates inherited through acquisition. Consolidation is a multi-quarter migration rather than a cancelled licence, so treat this as worth evaluating rather than as recoverable spend. | High | Usage-based | Object / Cloud Storage Zero-copy Activation / Data Sharing | About Snowflake |
 Databricks
Partner
5 core capabilities | Partial overlap Cloud Data Warehouse Data Lake / Lakehouse Both can serve as the primary analytical warehouse, but Databricks is often chosen for lakehouse/ML workloads while Redshift is used as a classic MPP BI warehouse, so some firms run both. | High | Usage-based | Data Lake / Lakehouse Feature Store | About Databricks |
 PRDCT 2 core capabilities | No overlapping core capabilities | — | Usage-based | Data Unification / Profile Stitching Consent Management (CMP) | About PRDCT |
What to look for in a Redshift alternative
Redshift’s core capabilities — check each alternative for coverage of these before shortlisting:
- Cloud Data Warehouse
Redshift alternatives — FAQ
What is the best alternative to Redshift?
ClickHouse is the closest match among the 7 Data Warehouse alternatives we track. It shares 1 of Redshift’s core capability (Cloud Data Warehouse). Both are analytics databases/warehouses, but ClickHouse is commonly chosen for low-latency real-time analytics while Redshift is often used as a broader warehouse for batch BI and lake-adjacent workloads, so dual deployments are common. The right choice depends on your existing stack — compare all 7 in the table above.
What should I look for in a Redshift alternative?
Redshift’s core strengths are Cloud Data Warehouse. 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 Free, Usage-based. Check each vendor’s page for current rates.
How hard is it to migrate off Redshift?
Across the alternatives on this page, the typical switching effort is high. Expect to re-implement instrumentation, rebuild audiences or tests, and run both tools in parallel during cutover. The switching-effort column above shows the per-vendor judgement.
Can I compare Redshift and ClickHouse 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:
Compare the rest of the field
Evaluating more than one? These follow the reviewed substitute graph rather than the category shelf, so they cross categories where the tools genuinely compete.
Before you replace Redshift, check what you already own
Teams usually find the overlap is not where they expected. Name the tools you run and the Instant Stack Audit maps which ones duplicate capability — inside Data Warehouse and across the rest of the stack.
Takes about two minutes. Your overlaps and a savings estimate are free — no sign-up. An email address unlocks the costed roadmap.
Browse all Data Warehouse vendors
Stack Builder’s Data Warehouse page compares every vendor we track in this category, with capabilities, pricing, and a head-to-head for the closest pairs.
View all Data Warehouse vendors →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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