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Apache Spark SQL vs Trino

Apache Spark SQL: Spark's SQL and DataFrame engine for large-scale batch, streaming and lakehouse processing. Trino: Fast distributed SQL query engine for federated analytics across lakes and databases.

key differences

  • Only Apache Spark SQL has in-memory, durable persistence, compression, streaming ingest.
  • Only Trino has geospatial, materialized views, role-based access, time travel.

choose apache-spark-sql for

  • +Lakehouse ETL and ELT
  • +Batch feature engineering for ML
  • +Streaming ingestion into Delta/Iceberg
  • +Large-scale data cleaning and joins

best at · Lakehouse, OLAP, Streaming

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

overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
Columnar / OLAP, Document
Columnar / OLAP
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
Trino Software Foundation
First release
2014
2019
Latest version
4.2.0 (Jul 14, 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
50.3
49.9
Rank
#26
#27
GitHub stars
44.3K
13.4K
Stack Overflow questions
26.9K
893
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Massive (Multi-PB)
Massive (Multi-PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Distributed, Client server
Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Oracle Cloud
–
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
Spark SQL (ANSI), Python (PySpark DataFrames), Scala, R
SQL (ANSI)
Client languages
Python, Scala, Java, R, Go
Java, Python, Go, JavaScript, Rust, C#
Best for
Lakehouse, OLAP, Streaming, Warehouse
OLAP, Lakehouse, Warehouse

Apache Spark SQL vs Trino: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache Spark SQL and Trino?

Apache Spark SQL: Spark's SQL and DataFrame engine for large-scale batch, streaming and lakehouse processing. Trino: Fast distributed SQL query engine for federated analytics across lakes and databases. Only Apache Spark SQL has in-memory, durable persistence, compression, streaming ingest. Only Trino has geospatial, materialized views, role-based access, time travel.

When should I choose Apache Spark SQL over Trino?

Choose Apache Spark SQL for lakehouse ETL and ELT; batch feature engineering for ML; and streaming ingestion into Delta/Iceberg. Choose Trino for open lakehouse SQL on Iceberg/Delta, federated analytics across databases and interactive BI on object storage.

Is Apache Spark SQL or Trino more popular?

Apache Spark SQL ranks #26 on the WhichDB Score (50.3/100) and Trino ranks #27 (49.9/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache Spark SQL and Trino open source?

Yes. Apache Spark SQL is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Trino is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.