Best Query Engine Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Trino is ranked #1 of 18 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Starburst Galaxy and PrestoDB. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Starburst Galaxy. The lowest first paid tier on this page is IBM Db2 at $630/mo.
18 query engine software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Federated queries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Trino | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 2 | Starburst Galaxy | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | PrestoDB | 8.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | — | View |
| 4 | Firebolt | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 5 |  Apache Impala | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 6 |  Denodo Platform | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | No | — | — | View |
| 7 |  Apache Drill | 7.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | — | View |
| 8 | Starburst Enterprise Context Layer | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 9 |  Comunica | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | Yes | View |
| 10 |  e6 Query Engine | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 11 | Apache Arrow DataFusion | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 | Amazon Athena | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 13 |  Apache Kylin | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 14 | Apache Hive | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 15 | IBM Db2 | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $630/mo | — | — | — | View |
| 16 |  Ontop | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Query | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  Teiid | 4.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
Is your platform 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 query engine software is ranked first on Inferse?
Trino is ranked #1 of 18 with a score of 8.8. Starburst Galaxy is second and PrestoDB third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 18 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, IBM Db2 has the lowest first paid tier we found: $630/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.