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Comparison · Analytics
Apache Drill vs Keboola
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache Drill and Keboola — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Apache Drill vs Keboola: at a glance
What is Apache Drill?
A SQL-on-anything engine shipping rarely, but each release widens what it can reach
Drill releases roughly once a year, and the feed reflects an ASF project where minor versions are the events and patch releases carry no description beyond a pointer to release notes. The 1.22.0 release resets the platform floor to Java 11/17/21 and drops the Hadoop 2 distribution entirely. Underneath, the long-running theme is storage and format plugin breadth — HTTP, Splunk, XML, File — plus a steady stream of third-party library upgrades closing vulnerabilities.
What is Keboola?
Keboola adds dark mode while it tightens the MCP server and retires idle workspaces.
Keboola's recent releases split between hygiene and AI-agent safety. The MCP server's query_data tool is now read-only, emailing API tokens is being retired, and idle Snowflake and BigQuery workspaces will be deactivated from 9 November. On the user side, data apps start faster on pre-built images, Kai gained shared team memory, and the UI now has dark mode.
Apache Drill vs Keboola: editorial side-by-side
Apache Drill
0.0ANALYTICS
A SQL-on-anything engine shipping rarely, but each release widens what it can reach
◆ Current state
Drill releases roughly once a year, and the feed reflects an ASF project where minor versions are the events and patch releases carry no description beyond a pointer to release notes. The 1.22.0 release resets the platform floor to Java 11/17/21 and drops the Hadoop 2 distribution entirely. Underneath, the long-running theme is storage and format plugin breadth — HTTP, Splunk, XML, File — plus a steady stream of third-party library upgrades closing vulnerabilities.
◆ Where it's heading
Drill is consolidating around being a federated query layer rather than a Hadoop-ecosystem component. Eliminating the forked Calcite, adding INSERT support, and shipping a Drill-on-Drill storage plugin moved it from read-only explorer toward a queryable and writable federation tier; dropping Hadoop 2 finishes severing the original deployment assumption. Plugin count keeps growing faster than engine internals change.
◆ Prediction
The next release will likely continue the pattern of plugin additions plus dependency-driven security upgrades, with the modern-Java baseline now letting the project adopt libraries it previously had to hold back.
Keboola
5.0ANALYTICS
Keboola adds dark mode while it tightens the MCP server and retires idle workspaces.
◆ Current state
Keboola's recent releases split between hygiene and AI-agent safety. The MCP server's query_data tool is now read-only, emailing API tokens is being retired, and idle Snowflake and BigQuery workspaces will be deactivated from 9 November. On the user side, data apps start faster on pre-built images, Kai gained shared team memory, and the UI now has dark mode.
◆ Where it's heading
The platform is limiting what agents and stale resources can do while making its AI assistant and apps quicker to use. The pattern is deliberate cleanup ahead of wider agent usage, not new surface area.
◆ Prediction
Expect more guardrails around the MCP server and Kai, such as tighter scopes or approvals, alongside further deprecation notices with fixed dates.
Alternatives to Apache Drill and Keboola
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 Drill or Keboola.
OpenReplay
OpenReplay moves its Go backend to pgx v5 and patches vulnerable deps across 1.25–1.27.
Basedash
Basedash automations can now attach scheduled CSV exports to Slack and email.
OpenPanel
OpenPanel tags three more note-free builds in one evening, reaching 3.16.4.
Fulcrum
Fulcrum turns on Insights, its AI assistant for field data, for every customer.
Holistics
Holistics lets admins put a key dashboard on everyone's Home page.
See all Apache Drill alternatives → · See all Keboola alternatives →
Recent activity from Apache Drill and Keboola
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoKeboolaSwitch Keboola to Dark Mode
- 3d agoKeboolaUnused Workspaces Will Be Cleaned Up Automatically
- 6d agoKeboolaKeboola MCP Server: query_data Runs Read-Only Queries Only
- 9d agoKeboolaSending API Tokens via Email Will Be Removed on February 4, 2027
- 17d agoKeboolaFaster App Starts by Default
- 22d agoKeboolaKai remembers what matters: shared team memory
- 1y agoApache Drill1.22.0 drops Hadoop 2 and moves to Java 11/17/21
- 2y agoApache DrillApache Drill 1.21.2
- 3y agoApache Drill1.20.0 adds Iceberg and Phoenix plugins plus JDBC write support
- 3y agoApache Drill1.21.0 un-forks Calcite, adds INSERT and Drill-on-Drill federation ⚡
- 3y agoApache DrillApache Drill 1.21.1
- 3y agoApache DrillApache Drill 1.20.3
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apache Drill and Keboola?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Keboola is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), 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 Drill better than Keboola?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Keboola is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), 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 Drill?
Top Apache Drill alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Drill alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apache-drill for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Keboola?
Top Keboola alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Keboola alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/keboola for the full list with editorial commentary on each.