head to head · open source
duckdb vs Spark
duckdb has 41,472 GitHub stars, 3,800 forks, 858 open issues and last shipped today. Spark has 604 stars, 445 forks, 7 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. duckdb leads on adoption by 6,766% (41,472 vs 604 stars). duckdb is written in C++ under MIT; Spark is written in Java under Apache-2.0. duckdb has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Spark 74%. duckdb was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| duckdb | Spark | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 604 |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.8K | ⑂ 445 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick duckdb if
- You weight community size — 41K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Spark if
- You want the Spark feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and Spark fits your workflow better
About duckdb
DuckDB is an analytical, in process SQL database management system written in C++ and released under the MIT license. It runs inside the application process rather than as a separate server, and it is distributed as a standalone command line application as well as through clients for Python, R, Java, and WebAssembly. The project lives in the analytical SQL ecosystem, where the topics listed for it are analytics, database, embedded database, OLAP, and SQL. It has been developed for about eight years, with the last push recorded on 15 September 2026.
read the full duckdb overview →
About Spark
Spark is an open source, cross platform XMPP instant messaging client written in Java, built for businesses and organizations that want private, standards based real time collaboration instead of public consumer IM networks.
read the full Spark overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is duckdb or Spark more popular?
duckdb has 41,472 GitHub stars and Spark has 604. duckdb has the larger community by that measure.
Are duckdb and Spark free?
Both are open source. duckdb is licensed under MIT and Spark under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between duckdb and Spark?
duckdb is written in C++ and Spark in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, duckdb or Spark?
Choose duckdb if you want the larger community (41,472 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Spark if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.