Choosing the wrong data platform can cost enterprises millions. As organizations grapple with exponential data growth, the choice between Databricks, Snowflake, and Microsoft Fabric has become crucial for data leaders worldwide. This decision impacts not just the bottom line, but shapes an organization’s entire data strategy, analytics capabilities, and AI readiness. When comparing Databricks vs Snowflake vs Fabric, business leaders face complex trade-offs between performance, cost, and functionality. Each platform brings unique strengths to the table.
Snowflake is the preferred choice for businesses focusing on data warehousing and analytics, offering exceptional performance for SQL-based queries and business intelligence applications. In contrast, Databricks is best suited for organizations emphasizing advanced analytics and requiring a platform capable of managing both large-scale data processing and sophisticated AI/ML tasks. Meanwhile, Microsoft Fabric is tailored for enterprises seeking a cohesive data solution that integrates analytics, AI, and business intelligence into a single, easy-to-manage platform.
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Databricks vs Snowflake vs Fabric: Differences in Core Architecture Lakehouse Architecture of Databricks Databricks pioneered the lakehouse architecture, combining the best elements of data lakes and data warehouses in a unified platform. This hybrid approach enables both structured and unstructured data processing while maintaining ACID compliance and high performance.
Delta Lake and Unity Catalog
Delta Lake serves as the open-source storage layer, providing ACID transactions, versioning, and schema enforcement for data lakes . Unity Catalog offers centralized governance across all workspaces, delivering fine-grained access control and unified data discovery across clouds and regions.
Integration with Apache Spark
At its core, Databricks leverages Apache Spark’s distributed computing capabilities, enhanced with proprietary optimizations. Their Photon engine further accelerates Spark performance, offering up to 12x faster query processing compared to standard Spark engines.
Multi-cloud support
Databricks operates seamlessly across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud , allowing organizations to avoid vendor lock-in. Their unified control plane ensures consistent experience and governance regardless of the underlying cloud provider.
Snowflake’s Data Cloud Architecture Snowflake’s architecture is built on a unique cloud-native foundation that completely separates storage, compute, and services layers. This separation enables independent scaling and optimization of each layer, leading to better resource utilization and cost management.
Multi-cluster shared data architecture
Snowflake uses multiple virtual warehouses (compute clusters) that can simultaneously access the same data without contention. Each warehouse can scale up or down independently, optimizing performance for different workload types.
Storage and compute separation
Data is stored in cloud object storage (S3, Azure Blob, etc.) and automatically optimized using micro-partitioning and columnar storage. Compute resources can be scaled independently of storage, allowing users to pay only for the processing power they need.
Data sharing capabilities
Snowflake’s Data Sharing allows organizations to securely share live data without copying or moving it. This enables real-time data collaboration across organizations while maintaining governance and security controls
Microsoft Fabric’s Integrated Architecture Microsoft Fabric represents a unified analytics platform that brings together various data services under a single SaaS offering. It integrates data integration, data engineering, data warehousing, and data science capabilities in one cohesive environment.
OneLake storage foundation
OneLake serves as the unified storage layer across all Fabric services, providing a single source of truth for all data assets. It offers seamless integration with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 while adding enhanced metadata management and security features.
SaaS-first approach
Fabric adopts a true Software-as-a-Service model, eliminating the need for infrastructure management. This approach simplifies deployment, reduces maintenance overhead, and ensures automatic updates and scaling.
Integration with Microsoft ecosystem
Fabric deeply integrates with the broader Microsoft ecosystem, including Power BI , Azure Synapse, and Azure Machine Learning. This native integration enables seamless data flow between Microsoft services and provides familiar tools for users already invested in the Microsoft stack.
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Databricks vs Snowflake vs Fabric: Comparison of Key Features 1. Data Warehousing Capabilities Databricks
Databricks’ data warehousing capabilities revolutionize traditional approaches by combining the flexibility of data lakes with the performance of traditional warehouses. Their SQL warehouses provide instant scalability while maintaining ACID compliance, making them ideal for organizations with varying workload demands.
Provides SQL warehouses with instant elastic compute and auto-scaling Offers materialized views, stored procedures, and UDFs with full ANSI SQL support Features Delta Engine and Photon Engine for optimized query performance Snowflake
Snowflake’s data warehousing solution stands out for its unique multi-cluster architecture that automatically handles concurrency and resource allocation. Their zero-copy cloning and time travel features provide powerful data management capabilities while minimizing storage costs. The platform’s automatic optimization and maintenance-free operation make it particularly attractive for organizations looking to reduce administrative overhead.
Delivers multi-cluster warehouses with automatic concurrency handling and workload isolation Provides instant zero-copy cloning, time travel, and fail-safe data protection Features automatic query optimization and caching with zero maintenance Offers native support for semi-structured data (JSON, Avro, Parquet) with VARIANT data type Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric brings a fresh perspective to data warehousing by deeply integrating with the familiar Microsoft ecosystem. Their approach combines traditional warehousing capabilities with modern real-time analytics, making it especially appealing for organizations already invested in Microsoft technologies. The seamless Power BI integration enables business users to quickly derive insights from warehouse data.
Integrates warehouse capabilities with real-time analytics through Synapse integration Provides automatic query optimization and intelligent workload management Supports T-SQL with backward compatibility for existing SQL Server workloads 2. Data Lake Functionality Databricks
Databricks’ approach to data lake functionality centers around Delta Lake, their open-source storage layer that brings reliability to data lakes. Their comprehensive support for multiple file formats and automatic optimizations makes it easier to manage large-scale data lakes efficiently. The integration with data quality tools ensures data reliability at scale.
Delta Lake provides ACID transactions and schema enforcement for data lakes Supports multiple file formats including Delta, Parquet, CSV, JSON, and more Offers automatic file optimization and Z-ordering for improved query performance Provides built-in data quality and expectations framework with Great Expectations integration Snowflake
Snowflake’s data lake capabilities focus on simplifying the complexity typically associated with data lakes. Their external table support and Snowpark functionality make it easier to work with unstructured data while maintaining security and governance. The platform’s automatic optimization features ensure consistent performance without manual intervention.
Supports external tables for direct querying of data lake files Features automatic optimization of storage with micro-partitioning Offers secure data sharing and marketplace integration for external data Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric’s OneLake storage layer provides a unified approach to data lake management that simplifies the overall data architecture. Their integration with Azure services and support for multiple file types makes it particularly suitable for organizations looking to consolidate their data lake strategy . The built-in data quality features help maintain data integrity across the platform.
OneLake provides unified storage layer across all workloads Supports delta format and multiple file types with automatic optimization
3. Machine Learning and AI Capabilities Databricks
Databricks stands out in the ML/AI space with its end-to-end MLOps platform built on MLflow. The platform excels at handling the complete machine learning lifecycle, from experimentation to production deployment. Its integration with popular frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch , combined with managed MLflow for experiment tracking, makes it particularly attractive for organizations with mature data science teams.
MLflow integration for end-to-end ML lifecycle management Snowflake
Snowflake’s ML capabilities center around Snowpark, providing a robust environment for in-database machine learning . Their approach focuses on bringing ML workloads closer to the data, eliminating the need for data movement and reducing latency. The platform’s support for Python UDFs and stored procedures enables data scientists to work with familiar tools while leveraging Snowflake’s computational resources.
Native support for Python, Java, and Scala with UDFs Integration with popular ML frameworks through Snowpark Container Services Streamlined deployment of ML models with native serving capabilities Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric leverages the mature Azure Machine Learning ecosystem, providing a familiar environment for Microsoft-centric organizations. The platform’s strength lies in its seamless integration with Azure ML services and Power BI , making it particularly effective for organizations that want to democratize ML capabilities across their teams.
Azure Machine Learning integration for end-to-end ML workflows Built-in notebooks with support for multiple languages AutoML capabilities with Power BI integration 4. Data Governance and Security Databricks
Databricks’ Unity Catalog provides a comprehensive governance solution that spans multiple clouds and workspaces. The platform’s approach to governance emphasizes both security and usability, with features like fine-grained access control and automated data discovery. Their implementation of dynamic views and row-level security makes it particularly strong for organizations with complex data access requirements, while the built-in audit logging and lineage tracking help maintain compliance with various regulatory standards.
Unity Catalog provides fine-grained access control across clouds Comprehensive audit logging and compliance reporting Snowflake
Snowflake’s governance model is built around its unique architecture, providing robust security controls without compromising performance. Their role-based access control system offers granular permissions management, while automatic encryption and comprehensive compliance certifications make it attractive for highly regulated industries.
Role-based access control with hierarchical permissions Automatic encryption at rest and in transit Native data classification and tagging capabilities Comprehensive security certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS) Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric inherits the enterprise-grade security infrastructure of the Azure ecosystem, making it particularly strong in organizations with existing Microsoft security investments. The integration with Azure Active Directory and Purview provides a unified approach to data governance across the entire data estate. Their automated compliance controls and sensitivity labeling features make it easier for organizations to maintain regulatory compliance while managing large-scale data operations .
Integration with Azure Active Directory for authentication Automated compliance and security controls Optimize Your Data Strategy with Intelligent Analytics Solutions! Partner with Kanerika Today.
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5. Integration and Ecosystem Databricks
Databricks’ integration capabilities are built on its open-source foundations, providing extensive connectivity options across different platforms and tools. The platform’s support for multiple programming languages and frameworks makes it highly flexible for diverse development teams. Their partner ecosystem is particularly strong in the big data and analytics space, offering pre-built connectors for most major data tools and platforms.
Extensive partner ecosystem with pre-built connectors Support for multiple programming languages and frameworks Open-source compatibility with Apache Spark ecosystem Snowflake
Snowflake’s ecosystem is centered around their Data Cloud concept, with strong emphasis on data sharing and marketplace capabilities. Their approach to integration focuses on enabling seamless data exchange between organizations while maintaining security and governance. The platform’s native application development framework and extensive partner network make it particularly effective for organizations looking to build data-intensive applications.
Native data sharing and marketplace capabilities Large ecosystem of technology and consulting partners Pre-built connectors for major data tools and platforms Native application development framework Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric’s integration strategy leverages the extensive Microsoft ecosystem, providing native connectivity with Office 365, Azure services, and Power Platform. This deep integration makes it particularly effective for organizations heavily invested in Microsoft technologies. The platform’s built-in support for hundreds of data sources and Azure DevOps integration makes it a strong choice for Microsoft-centric development teams.
Native connectors for hundreds of data sources Seamless integration with Power Platform Databricks
Databricks is built for high-speed big data processing, Databricks leverages Apache Spark for parallel computing, making it ideal for real-time analytics and AI/ML workloads. It efficiently handles structured and unstructured data, ensuring optimal performance for complex data transformations.
Photon engine provides up to 12x faster query performance Adaptive query optimization for complex workloads Delta Engine optimization for both batch and streaming Auto-scaling with instant compute provisioning Snowflake
Optimized for SQL-based analytics, Snowflake’s multi-cluster compute engine auto-scales to manage concurrent queries with minimal latency. Its automatic workload balancing ensures smooth performance, especially for structured data processing and BI applications.
Multi-cluster architecture for concurrent workloads Automatic query optimization and caching Independent scaling of storage and compute Zero maintenance with automatic performance tuning Microsoft Fabric
Offers real-time analytics through its unified Lakehouse architecture, integrating data lakes, AI, and business intelligence. Performance is optimized for seamless integration with Microsoft tools like Power BI, making it efficient for enterprise-wide data analytics.
Intelligent query optimization with statistics-based planning Automatic workload management and resource allocation Real-time query processing capabilities Seamless scaling across workloads Why AI and Data Analytics Are Critical to Staying Competitive AI and data analytics empower businesses to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and anticipate market trends, ensuring they maintain a strong competitive edge.
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7. Pricing and Cost Analysis Databricks Databricks offers you a pay-as-you-go pricing with no up-front costs. Users need to pay for the products they use at per second granularity.
Data Engineering ($0.15/DBU)
Supports data ingestion from multiple sources with built-in connectors like Workflows, Delta Live Tables, and LakeFlow Connect. Data Warehousing ($0.22/DBU)
Interactive Workloads ($0.40/DBU)
Supports secure and governed deployment of custom applications within the Data Intelligence Platform. Generative AI ($0.07/DBU)
Includes services like Mosaic AI Gateway, Model Serving, and Shutterstock ImageAI for seamless AI deployment. Platform Services
Provides cross-platform features for governance, management, and security of data lakes. Includes managed services for optimization, maintenance, storage, and data transfer/connectivity. Snowflake Snowflake offers usage-based pricing , billed per credit, charging separately for storage and processing. Cost-efficient for businesses with variable workloads, as it automatically adjusts resources based on query demand.
Standard Edition ($2.00 per credit)
The entry-level plan provides access to essential platform functionalities for general data processing. Enterprise Edition ($3.00 per credit)
Designed for large-scale data operations requiring advanced enterprise features and controls. Offers enhanced security and management tools, making it suitable for growing organizations. Business Critical Edition ($4.00 per credit)
Built for highly regulated industries handling sensitive data , with specialized security and compliance features. Provides advanced protection and encryption, ensuring maximum data integrity and confidentiality. Virtual Private Snowflake (VPS)
Includes all Business Critical features but operates in a fully isolated Snowflake environment. Ensures complete data segregation for businesses needing a dedicated, secure cloud data infrastructure . Storage Costs
Snowflake calculates monthly storage fees based on the average compressed data volume stored in the platform.
On-demand Storage – Pay for usage month-to-month.
$23.00 per TB / per month (USD)
Microsoft Fabric Operates on a capacity-based pricing (pay-as-you-go) model with tiered plans, offering cost benefits for enterprises deeply invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem. It provides predictable pricing with flexible compute and storage allocations.
Microsoft Fabric offers a shared pool of capacity that powers all its core functionalities, including data modeling , data warehousing, business intelligence, and AI-driven analytics. With a minimum usage of one minute, businesses can efficiently allocate resources based on their needs.
Capacity-based pricing model Integration with existing Microsoft licenses Pay-as-you-go options available Bundled pricing with other Microsoft services Key Benefits of Fabric Capacity:
Flexible Compute Allocation – A single compute pool supports all workloads, eliminating the need for separate resource purchases.
Dynamic Scaling – Compute capacity can be adjusted automatically, allowing users to scale up or down based on demand. Optimized Cost Management – Capacity Units (CUs) are pooled, ensuring resources aren’t locked in idle workloads, reducing unnecessary costs. Seamless Resource Sharing – The same set of CUs can be utilized across different workloads without pre-allocation. Transparent Monitoring – A centralized dashboard provides real-time visibility into usage and costs for better management. For the latest pricing details and available plans, visit the official Microsoft Fabric pricing page .
Databricks vs Snowflake vs Fabric: Use Case Scenarios 1. Enterprise Data Warehouse Databricks : While primarily built for big data processing, Databricks can function as a data warehouse with its Lakehouse architecture. It works well for companies needing flexible, large-scale data storage with advanced analytics but may require additional setup for traditional warehousing needs.
Snowflake : The best choice for structured enterprise data warehousing, Snowflake offers a cloud-native, highly scalable solution with auto-scaling compute, seamless BI tool integration, and efficient SQL-based querying. Ideal for businesses prioritizing structured data analytics.
Microsoft Fabric : A strong competitor in the Microsoft ecosystem, Fabric integrates Synapse and Power BI for an all-in-one data warehousing and business intelligence solution. Best for enterprises already invested in Microsoft services looking for a streamlined, governed data warehouse.
2. Real-time Analytics Databricks : Designed for real-time big data processing, Databricks excels in streaming analytics, IoT data, and event-driven workloads. It supports Apache Spark Streaming and Delta Live Tables for low-latency insights.
Snowflake : Primarily built for batch processing, Snowflake does offer near real-time analytics but lacks the ultra-low-latency capabilities needed for high-frequency data streaming . It’s better suited for periodic data refreshes.
Microsoft Fabric : With built-in support for real-time data pipelines via Dataflows and Event Streams, Fabric provides an easy-to-use solution for businesses needing fast insights, especially when integrated with Power BI.
3. Data Science and ML Projects Databricks : The clear leader in AI/ML workloads, Databricks integrates deeply with MLflow and supports Python, R, and Spark for advanced machine learning and AI-driven analytics . It is the go-to platform for data scientists and engineers building predictive models at scale.
Snowflake : Snowflake provides limited native ML capabilities but allows integration with third-party tools like DataRobot or Amazon SageMaker. Best for teams focusing on data storage and using external platforms for AI/ML.
Microsoft Fabric : Fabric brings AI capabilities through its integration with Azure Machine Learning and Copilot, making it a good choice for businesses seeking built-in AI experiences, but it lacks the open-source flexibility that Databricks offers.
Microsoft Fabric Vs Tableau: Choosing the Best Data Analytics Tool A detailed comparison of Microsoft Fabric and Tableau, highlighting their unique features and benefits to help enterprises determine the best data analytics tool for their needs.
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Databricks vs. Snowflake vs. Microsoft Fabric: Key Differences Feature Databricks Snowflake Microsoft Fabric Primary Use Case Big data processing, AI, and ML workloads Cloud data warehousing and structured analytics Unified data analytics with BI & AI integration Architecture Lakehouse (data lake + warehouse) Cloud-native data warehouse Integrated analytics platform Performance Optimized for large-scale data & AI/ML Fast SQL-based querying with auto-scaling Real-time analytics with Power BI integration Data Processing Handles structured & unstructured data Best for structured data Supports both structured & unstructured data Compute Scaling Scales with Apache Spark clusters Multi-cluster architecture for workload balancing Elastic scaling with capacity-based pricing AI & ML Capabilities Native MLFlow integration, strong ML support Limited native ML, integrates with external tools AI-driven analytics with Copilot integration Governance & Security Role-based access, strong encryption Advanced security & compliance features Built-in Purview governance for compliance Ease of Use Requires expertise in Spark, Python, ML SQL-friendly, easy for analysts Low-code, no-code support for business users Integration Open-source & third-party tool integration Works well with BI tools like Tableau , Looker Deeply integrated within Microsoft ecosystem Pricing Model Pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront costs Pay-per-use with storage & compute separation Capacity-based pricing (pay-as-you-go) model Best For AI-driven analytics, real-time big data Enterprise data warehousing, SQL-based analytics End-to-end Microsoft analytics users Real-Time Analytics Strong with Apache Spark Streaming Limited, better for batch processing Built-in real-time processing with Power BI Multi-Cloud Support Available on AWS, Azure, GCP Fully multi-cloud with cross-region sharing Primarily Azure-based BI & Reporting Requires external BI tools Supports third-party BI tools Native Power BI integration Migration Support Requires custom migration Simple SQL-based migration Automated migration from SSIS/SSAS, Tableau, etc.
Advantages of Microsoft Fabric Over Databricks and Snowflake Fabric integrates data engineering , warehousing, real-time analytics, and AI in a single environment. Unlike Databricks and Snowflake , which require multiple tools for different tasks, Fabric streamlines workflows, reducing operational overhead and improving efficiency for data-driven businesses.
2. Seamless Microsoft Integration MS Fabric is deeply embedded within Microsoft’s ecosystem, offering native connections to Power BI, Azure Synapse, and Microsoft 365. This ensures smooth data sharing, reporting, and governance, making it an ideal choice for enterprises already using Microsoft tools for productivity and collaboration.
3. Simplified Pricing Unlike Databricks’ usage-based pricing and Snowflake’s credit-based model, Fabric offers a capacity-based pricing structure. Businesses can allocate computing resources dynamically without pre-allocating, ensuring cost efficiency and preventing idle compute wastage, making it easier to manage and predict expenses.
4. Built-in Governance Fabric integrates Microsoft Purview for automated data discovery, classification, and compliance. Unlike Databricks and Snowflake, which require separate governance tools, Fabric ensures end-to-end security, data lineage tracking, and regulatory compliance across all workloads, enhancing enterprise data protection.
5. User-Friendly & Low-Code Microsoft Fabric supports low-code/no-code tools, enabling non-technical users to work with data through Power Query and Dataflows. Unlike Databricks, which requires programming expertise, Fabric makes data transformation accessible to analysts, business users, and citizen data scientists.
6. Real-Time Insights with Power BI It seamlessly connects with Power BI, providing instant visualization and real-time analytics. Unlike Snowflake, which primarily supports batch processing, Fabric delivers live, interactive dashboards, enabling businesses to act on insights faster without complex integrations.
7. AI-Powered Automation Fabric incorporates Microsoft Copilot , an AI-driven assistant that automates data preparation, transformation, and insights generation. Unlike Databricks and Snowflake, which require manual setup for AI/ML tasks, Fabric simplifies processes, making advanced analytics accessible to all users.
The Ultimate Databricks to Fabric Migration Roadmap for Enterprises A comprehensive step-by-step guide to seamlessly migrate your enterprise data analytics from Databricks to Microsoft Fabric, ensuring efficiency and minimal disruption.
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Kanerika, a leading Data and AI company, empowers enterprises to boost productivity and efficiency with cutting-edge technology solutions. As a certified Microsoft Data & AI Solutions Partner and one of the first global implementers of Microsoft Fabric, we help businesses reimagine their data strategy with seamless and successful Fabric deployments.
Our expertise extends beyond implementation—we build custom analytics and AI-driven solutions tailored to address unique business challenges. Whether optimizing real-time decision-making, enhancing business intelligence, or unlocking insights from vast datasets, we deliver scalable and industry-specific solutions that drive innovation and growth.
With a deep understanding of Microsoft Fabric’s unified data platform, Kanerika ensures that enterprises maximize the potential of their data engineering, AI, and analytics capabilities. Our solutions help organizations across industries stay agile, competitive, and future-ready in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Partner with Kanerika to transform your data analytics strategy and unlock new business value with Microsoft Fabric.
Seamless Migrations to Microsoft Fabric Migrating to Microsoft Fabric doesn’t have to be complex. Kanerika has developed automated migration solutions for SSIS/SSAS to Fabric, eliminating hours of manual effort while optimizing costs and resources. Our streamlined approach ensures a fast, efficient, and disruption-free transition, helping enterprises unlock the full potential of Fabric’s unified data and AI capabilities.
With our deep expertise in Microsoft Fabric, we ensure organizations maximize the benefits of data engineering, AI, and analytics while maintaining business continuity . Partner with Kanerika to transform your data analytics strategy and drive business innovation with Microsoft Fabric.
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