Best Columnar Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Exasol is ranked #1 of 24 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of InfluxDB and CrateDB. The best-ranked option with a free plan is InfluxDB. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Amazon Redshift at $0.54/mo.
How data is stored, delivered, and managed can shape your choice of a columnar database. Compare deployment models, managed-service availability, object storage support, and streaming ingestion, then check supported data formats and included storage. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide additional cost context. Exasol and InfluxDB lead the ranking, followed by CrateDB and GreptimeDB; Apache Druid is also among the first entries. Weigh these capabilities against the formats you handle, how data reaches the database, and whether you want a managed service.
24 columnar databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Exasol Top pick · 7.3 Free plan · $3.30/mo
#2 InfluxDB Runner-up · 7.3 
#3 CrateDB Also great · 7.2 - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$3.30/mofirst paid tier About ExasolVisit site - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan extensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self_hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 250 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$250/mofirst paid tier About MotherDuckVisit site - Free plan apiself-hostedWebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- AndroidapiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 290 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$290/mofirst paid tier About GreptimeDBVisit site - Free plan Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidapiiOSLinuxWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.54/mofirst paid tier About Amazon RedshiftVisit site - Free trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 50 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$53/mofirst paid tier About ClickHouse CloudVisit site -
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOS
- Deployment model
- self_hosted
- Managed service
- No
- Streaming ingestion
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linuxself-hosted
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Object storage support
- Yes
- Streaming ingestion
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which columnar database is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Exasol is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.3. InfluxDB is second and CrateDB third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Amazon Redshift has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.54/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.