Top 3 Query Engine Tools in 2025

Compare the best query engine tools in 2025. Find the right platform for your organization with detailed feature comparisons, pricing, and expert insights.

Updated 2025
3 Tools Compared
Expert Analysis
Featured Tool
Presto
Distributed SQL query engine

Why Presto is a Top Pick

Presto enables interactive queries across multiple data sources with ANSI SQL, making it possible to query data lakes, data warehouses, and databases in a unified way. Its distributed architecture provides excellent performance for interactive analytics.

Key Features:

  • Interactive queries
  • Multiple data sources
  • ANSI SQL
  • Federated queries
  • Columnar processing
Presto
Distributed SQL query engine
Open Source
Free
Caters to: Free tier available

Presto is a distributed SQL query engine designed for interactive queries on data of any size, from gigabytes to petabytes. It was designed and written from the ground up for interactive analytics.

Feature Flags

AI Search
Lineage
Governance
Collaboration
RBAC
PII Detection
Data Quality
Automated Workflow
Version Control

Integrations

Hive
HDFS
S3
MySQL
PostgreSQL
Kafka
+1 more

Pros

  • Interactive queries
  • Multiple data sources
  • ANSI SQL

Cons

  • No built-in governance
  • Manual setup required
  • Limited enterprise features
Visit WebsiteLearn More

Top Query Engine Tools Overview

Presto
Distributed SQL query engine
Open Source
Free
Caters to: Free tier available

Presto is a distributed SQL query engine designed for interactive queries on data of any size, from gigabytes to petabytes. It was designed and written from the ground up for interactive analytics.

Feature Flags

AI Search
Lineage
Governance
Collaboration
RBAC
PII Detection
Data Quality
Automated Workflow
Version Control

Integrations

Hive
HDFS
S3
MySQL
PostgreSQL
Kafka
+1 more
Visit WebsiteLearn More
Trino
Fast distributed SQL query engine
Open Source
Free
Caters to: Free tier available

Trino is a fast distributed SQL query engine designed for interactive queries on data of any size, from gigabytes to petabytes. It was forked from Presto and continues to evolve independently.

Feature Flags

AI Search
Lineage
Governance
Collaboration
RBAC
PII Detection
Data Quality
Automated Workflow
Version Control

Integrations

Hive
HDFS
S3
MySQL
PostgreSQL
Kafka
+2 more
Visit WebsiteLearn More
Starburst
Enterprise Trino distribution
Commercial
Enterprise Premium
Caters to: Enterprise, Fortune 500

Starburst is the enterprise distribution of Trino, providing a fast, distributed SQL query engine with enterprise features, support, and governance capabilities.

Feature Flags

AI Search
Lineage
Governance
Collaboration
RBAC
PII Detection
Data Quality
Automated Workflow
Version Control

Integrations

Hive
HDFS
S3
MySQL
PostgreSQL
Kafka
+4 more
Visit WebsiteLearn More

Feature Comparison

ToolCategoryMarket
AI Search
Lineage
Governance
Collaboration
RBAC
PII Detection
Data Quality
GDPR
HIPAA
Encryption
Open Source
Actions
Presto

Distributed SQL query engine

Query Engine
Open Source
Free
Caters to: Free tier available
Compare
Trino

Fast distributed SQL query engine

Query Engine
Open Source
Free
Caters to: Free tier available
Compare
Starburst

Enterprise Trino distribution

Query Engine
Commercial
Enterprise Premium
Caters to: Enterprise, Fortune 500
Compare

Detailed Tool Reviews

#1

Presto

Open Source

Presto is a distributed SQL query engine designed for interactive queries on data of any size, from gigabytes to petabytes. It was designed and written from the ground up for interactive analytics.

Pros

  • Interactive queries
  • Multiple data sources
  • ANSI SQL
  • Federated queries
  • Good performance
  • Active community

Cons

  • No built-in governance
  • Manual setup required
  • Limited enterprise features
  • No native lineage
#2

Trino

Open Source

Trino is a fast distributed SQL query engine designed for interactive queries on data of any size, from gigabytes to petabytes. It was forked from Presto and continues to evolve independently.

Pros

  • Fast queries
  • Multiple data sources
  • ANSI SQL
  • Federated queries
  • Good performance
  • Active community

Cons

  • No built-in governance
  • Manual setup required
  • Limited enterprise features
  • No native lineage
#3

Starburst

Commercial

Starburst is the enterprise distribution of Trino, providing a fast, distributed SQL query engine with enterprise features, support, and governance capabilities.

Pros

  • Enterprise features
  • Query acceleration
  • Security & governance
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Enterprise support
  • Performance optimization

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Vendor lock-in
  • Complex setup
  • Limited customization

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best free data catalog?

OpenMetadata and DataHub are top community tools with extensible APIs and active support. They offer enterprise-grade features without the cost of commercial solutions.

Which tool is best for enterprises with strict compliance needs?

Collibra, Informatica, and Secoda offer advanced governance, PII tagging, and role-based workflows that meet enterprise compliance requirements.

Do I need AI features?

AI search and auto-tagging can significantly reduce time spent on manual documentation and metadata entry. Secoda, Alation, and Atlan offer leading implementations of AI-powered features.

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