No, Starburst and Trino are not the same; they represent different, yet closely related, entities within the data ecosystem. Trino is an open-source distributed SQL query engine, while Starburst is an open-core company that is a primary contributor to Trino's development and offers commercial products and services based on Trino.
Understanding the Relationship
Trino (formerly PrestoSQL) is a powerful, open-source distributed SQL query engine designed to run analytical queries across various data sources without moving the data. It allows users to query vast amounts of data residing in different systems like data lakes, data warehouses, and databases, using standard SQL.
Starburst, on the other hand, is a company that plays a pivotal role in the Trino community. They are behind most of Trino's ongoing development, contributing significantly to its codebase, maintenance, and innovation. Beyond their open-source contributions, Starburst offers commercial distributions and services built upon the Trino engine, providing enterprise-grade features, support, and managed solutions.
Key characteristics that differentiate them:
-
Trino:
- An open-source project and technology.
- A distributed SQL query engine.
- Community-driven development, though heavily influenced by Starburst.
- Available for anyone to download and use freely.
-
Starburst:
- A commercial company.
- A major contributor to the Trino open-source project.
- Offers commercial products and services that package, enhance, and support Trino.
- Provides enterprise-level features, support, and managed cloud services for Trino deployments.
Key Distinctions
To further clarify their relationship, consider the following table:
| Feature | Trino | Starburst |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Open-source distributed SQL query engine | Commercial company and software vendor |
| Primary Role | Provides technology for querying diverse data sources | Develops, supports, and commercializes the Trino engine |
| Development | Community-driven with significant contributions from Starburst | Leads and finances a large portion of Trino's ongoing development; offers proprietary enhancements |
| Offerings | The core Trino software (free to use) | Commercial versions of Trino (e.g., Starburst Enterprise, Starburst Galaxy), professional services, and support |
| Monetization | None (open-source) | Sells software licenses, subscriptions, and services built around Trino |
Starburst's Trino Offerings
Starburst provides specialized versions of Trino that cater to enterprise needs, enhancing the core open-source engine with additional features, support, and deployment options. These offerings include:
- Starburst Enterprise: This is Starburst's on-premise distribution of Trino. It includes proprietary features, connectors, security enhancements, and enterprise-grade support, designed for organizations that want to deploy and manage Trino within their own infrastructure.
- Starburst Galaxy: This is Starburst's fully managed cloud service for Trino. It provides a simplified, hosted solution, allowing users to leverage Trino's capabilities without managing the underlying infrastructure, focusing purely on data querying and analysis.
These commercial offerings leverage the power of the open-source Trino engine, adding layers of functionality and convenience crucial for large-scale, mission-critical deployments.
Why the Distinction Matters
Understanding this distinction is vital for organizations seeking to implement a distributed SQL query solution. While the open-source Trino offers flexibility and a vibrant community, Starburst provides the enterprise-level support, advanced features, and managed services that many businesses require for reliability, security, and scalability. It exemplifies the "open-core" business model, where a company builds commercial products on top of a foundational open-source project, contributing back to it while offering value-added services.
