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Apache Cloudberry vs dbt Core

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache Cloudberry and dbt Core — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Apache Cloudberry vs dbt Core: at a glance

FeatureApache Cloudberrydbt Core
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score2.56.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesanalytics, open-source, mpp-database, apache-incubatorfusion-migration, v2-transition, semantic-layer, adapters
Last editorial update1mo ago14d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Apache Cloudberry?

Apache Cloudberry advances to 2.2.0-rc1, tracking toward incubation graduation

Apache Cloudberry is an open-source MPP analytics database in the Apache Incubator, derived from the Greenplum codebase. The project has delivered two major versioned releases since entering incubation (2.0.0 in September 2025, 2.1.0 in May 2026) and has now issued a 2.2.0 first release candidate — a roughly 6-8 month release cadence with a distributed international contributor base. Governance and release processes are maturing in line with ASF requirements.

Read the full Apache Cloudberry trajectory →

What is dbt Core?

dbt's 1.x releases now point users at v2 straight from the command line.

dbt 2.0 GA split the project into a proprietary 'dbt' binary and dbt-oss, and the 2.0 dev channel has since added read-only Databricks Unity Catalog access through Lake Compute. The 1.x line is still shipping: 1.13.0b1 adds an opt-in --use-v2-parser that hands parsing to the Fusion parser, and today's 1.12.6 prints a v2 availability notice on dbt --version and relays Fusion parser logs through the otel log format.

Read the full dbt Core trajectory →

Apache Cloudberry vs dbt Core: editorial side-by-side

A2.5

Apache Cloudberry advances to 2.2.0-rc1, tracking toward incubation graduation

◆ Current state

Apache Cloudberry is an open-source MPP analytics database in the Apache Incubator, derived from the Greenplum codebase. The project has delivered two major versioned releases since entering incubation (2.0.0 in September 2025, 2.1.0 in May 2026) and has now issued a 2.2.0 first release candidate — a roughly 6-8 month release cadence with a distributed international contributor base. Governance and release processes are maturing in line with ASF requirements.

◆ Where it's heading

The project's trajectory is steady incremental release delivery combined with growing contributor counts and tightening release discipline — both are signals the project is building toward Apache graduation. The shift from weekly pre-Apache builds to properly versioned incubating releases tracks a team transitioning from a fork into a standalone governed project. No radical feature pivots are visible in the release window; the bet is on becoming the credible open-source alternative to Greenplum and cloud-native MPP databases.

◆ Prediction

A formal Apache graduation vote is the most probable next milestone as the project demonstrates release maturity; 2.2.0 GA followed by a graduation proposal would be the natural sequence if the RC clears without major issues.

D
dbt Core
ANALYTICS
6.3

dbt's 1.x releases now point users at v2 straight from the command line.

◆ Current state

dbt 2.0 GA split the project into a proprietary 'dbt' binary and dbt-oss, and the 2.0 dev channel has since added read-only Databricks Unity Catalog access through Lake Compute. The 1.x line is still shipping: 1.13.0b1 adds an opt-in --use-v2-parser that hands parsing to the Fusion parser, and today's 1.12.6 prints a v2 availability notice on dbt --version and relays Fusion parser logs through the otel log format.

◆ Where it's heading

The 1.x branch is being turned into an on-ramp for v2: a PyPI banner in 1.12.5, a CLI notice in 1.12.6, deprecated-version warnings and the Fusion parser opt-in in 1.13. Meanwhile 2.0 work concentrates on adapter parity (ClickHouse, Databricks) and Lake Compute.

◆ Prediction

Expect 1.13 to reach GA with the v2 parser opt-in and more migration prompts, and 2.0.x to extend Lake Compute past read-only Unity access. The entries don't show an end-of-life date for 1.x.

Alternatives to Apache Cloudberry and dbt Core

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Apache Cloudberry or dbt Core.

See all Apache Cloudberry alternatives → · See all dbt Core alternatives →

Recent activity from Apache Cloudberry and dbt Core

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 15d agodbt Coredbt 1.12.6 points users to v2 and fixes Fusion parser logging
  2. 15d agodbt Coredbt 1.11.16 fixes nested wildcard selectors, adds tarball path check
  3. 15d agodbt Coredbt-core 1.13 beta adds opt-in Fusion parser and dbt login
  4. 1mo agodbt CoreLake Compute gains Databricks Unity Catalog read access
  5. 1mo agodbt Coredbt v2.0.0 ⚡
  6. 1mo agodbt Coredbt v1.12.5
  7. 1mo agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.2.0 first release candidate
  8. 5mo agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.1.0 official release
  9. 7mo agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.1.0 second release candidate
  10. 8mo agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.1.0 first release candidate
  11. 1y agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.0.0 official release
  12. 1y agoApache CloudberryApache Cloudberry 2.0.0 third release candidate

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Apache Cloudberry and dbt Core?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. dbt Core is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Apache Cloudberry better than dbt Core?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dbt Core is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Apache Cloudberry?

Top Apache Cloudberry alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Cloudberry alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-cloudberry for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to dbt Core?

Top dbt Core alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dbt Core alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dbt-core for the full list with editorial commentary on each.