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Apache Impala vs Trino

Apache Impala: Low-latency MPP SQL engine for Hadoop, Kudu and Iceberg tables, developed largely by Cloudera. Trino: Fast distributed SQL query engine for federated analytics across lakes and databases.

key differences

  • Trino is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Apache Impala (≤ 1 PB).
  • Only Apache Impala has transactions, columnar storage, durable persistence, compression.
  • Only Trino has geospatial, materialized views.

choose apache-impala for

  • +Interactive BI on Hadoop and Cloudera clusters
  • +Analytics over Kudu tables
  • +Iceberg queries in Cloudera Data Warehouse

best at · OLAP, Warehouse, Lakehouse

choose trino for

  • +Open lakehouse SQL on Iceberg/Delta
  • +Federated analytics across databases
  • +Interactive BI on object storage
  • +Data mesh query layer

best at · OLAP, Lakehouse, Warehouse

Apache ImpalaLow-latency MPP SQL engine for Hadoop, Kudu and Iceberg tables, developed largely by Cloudera.
TrinoFast distributed SQL query engine for federated analytics across lakes and databases.
overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Columnar / OLAP
Columnar / OLAP
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
Trino Software Foundation
First release
2013
2019
Latest version
4.5.3 (Oct 6, 2026)
484 (Oct 16, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
29.0
49.9
Rank
#91
#27
GitHub stars
1.3K
13.4K
Stack Overflow questions
2.1K
893
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Massive (Multi-PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Distributed, Client server
Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
✓
—
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
—
—
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
—
✓
JSON
✓
✓
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
✓
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
✓
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
—
Compression
✓
—
Encryption at rest
—
—
Role-based access
✓
✓
Time travel
✓
✓
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
SQL (Impala dialect, HiveQL-compatible)
SQL (ANSI)
Client languages
Python, Java, C++, Go
Java, Python, Go, JavaScript, Rust, C#
Best for
OLAP, Warehouse, Lakehouse
OLAP, Lakehouse, Warehouse
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache Impala vs Trino: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache Impala and Trino?

Apache Impala: Low-latency MPP SQL engine for Hadoop, Kudu and Iceberg tables, developed largely by Cloudera. Trino: Fast distributed SQL query engine for federated analytics across lakes and databases. Trino is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Apache Impala (≤ 1 PB). Only Apache Impala has transactions, columnar storage, durable persistence, compression. Only Trino has geospatial, materialized views.

When should I choose Apache Impala over Trino?

Choose Apache Impala for interactive BI on Hadoop and Cloudera clusters; analytics over Kudu tables; and iceberg queries in Cloudera Data Warehouse. Choose Trino for open lakehouse SQL on Iceberg/Delta, federated analytics across databases and interactive BI on object storage.

Is Apache Impala or Trino more popular?

Trino ranks #27 on the WhichDB Score (49.9/100) and Apache Impala ranks #91 (29.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache Impala and Trino open source?

Yes. Apache Impala is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Trino is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.