Apache Spark
Data Engineering · Free + paid
Unified analytics engine for large-scale data
At a glance
- Made by
- The Apache Software Foundation
- Korean
- None (English and a few others only)
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- Windows, Mac, CLI, API
- Open source
- Apache License 2.0
- GitHub
- 44,195 stars · Apache-2.0
What is Apache Spark?
Apache Spark is a unified analytics engine for large-scale data processing that provides high-level APIs in Java, Scala, Python, and R. It unifies batch and real-time streaming processing in one engine and supports dashboards and ad hoc reporting through distributed ANSI SQL queries. It includes higher-level tools such as Spark SQL, the pandas API on Spark, MLlib (machine learning), GraphX, and Structured Streaming. Machine learning code trained on a notebook can be scaled as-is to clusters of thousands of machines.
- Unified batch and real-time streaming processing
- Distributed ANSI SQL analytics
- Petabyte-scale exploratory data analysis
- MLlib machine learning
- Adaptive query execution (AQE) that changes the plan at runtime
- pandas API on Spark
- Supports Python, SQL, Scala, Java, and R
Who uses Apache Spark and for what
- SQL analytics for dashboards and ad hoc reporting
- Explore petabytes of data without downsampling
- Train machine learning models at cluster scale
Pricing
What you get for free — Open source (Apache 2.0) — no pricing plans
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.
AI tools similar to Apache Spark (alternatives)
Apache Spark vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Spark | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Flink | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Hadoop | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Kafka | Free + paid | 10 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Pulsar | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
0 of these 5 tools have a free plan.
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Apache Spark on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 24 AI tools in the Data Engineering field.
- Connected to 6 other tools — #1 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Apache Spark for free?
Open source (Apache 2.0) — no pricing plans. Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Apache Spark?
Tools that do the same job, such as Apache Flink, Apache Hadoop, Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, are connected to it on the map.
Can I use Apache Spark in Korean?
None (English and a few others only)
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.