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Apache Impala

impala.apache.org

Free plan macOSLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.2 #8 of 28 in Query Engine Software

What it is

Apache Impala is a free, open-source native analytic database for SQL queries on open data and table formats. It targets low-latency, high-concurrency business intelligence and analytics in Hadoop environments and is described as scaling linearly, including for multitenant use. Impala works with HDFS, HBase and Amazon S3, plus Apache Kudu, Apache Iceberg and other listed sources. Supported formats include delimited text, Parquet, Avro, SequenceFile and RCFile, with Snappy, GZIP, Deflate and BZIP codecs. Clients can connect through impala-shell, Hue, JDBC or ODBC. The system reuses Hadoop file formats, metadata, security and resource-management frameworks, and shares metadata and an ODBC driver with Apache Hive. Kudu tables support queries and efficient updates or deletes; Iceberg tables can be registered with the Hive Metastore. Kerberos, Apache Ranger authorization, auditing and encrypted JDBC or ODBC connections are supported. Impala runs on Linux and macOS, supports API use and self-hosted deployment, and is licensed under Apache License 2.0.

Spec sheet

Security
Impala integrates Kerberos authentication with Apache Ranger fine-grained authorization and provides auditing capabilities.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Batch-processing limitation
Impala does not replace MapReduce-based batch frameworks such as Hive, which are suited to long-running ETL and batch jobs.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Client interfaces
Clients can connect through impala-shell, Hue, JDBC, or ODBC.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Data formats
Supported formats include delimited text, Parquet, Avro, SequenceFile, and RCFile, with Snappy, GZIP, Deflate, and BZIP compression codecs.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Downloads
The downloads page lists releases with SHA512 checksums and GPG signatures, and says DEB/RPM packages are available from GitHub Releases.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Encrypted connections
JDBC and ODBC applications can use Kerberos authentication, TLS/SSL encryption, or both.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Iceberg integration
Impala can add existing Iceberg tables to the Hive Metastore with CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE and interact with them.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Infrastructure reuse
Impala uses the same file and data formats, metadata, security, and resource-management frameworks as Hadoop deployments.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Kudu integration
Impala can query Kudu tables and perform efficient update or delete operations when data changes continuously or in small batches.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Product type
Apache Impala is an open-source native analytic database for open data and table formats.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Query performance
Impala provides low-latency and high-concurrency BI and analytic queries on the Hadoop ecosystem.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Scaling
Impala scales linearly, including in multitenant environments.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
SQL compatibility
Impala supports SQL and uses the same metadata and ODBC driver as Apache Hive.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Storage systems
Impala supports data in HDFS, HBase, and Amazon S3.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org
Support channels
The project provides user and developer mailing lists, Jira issues, Slack, Stack Overflow, and Quora community channels.Read 1 Oct 2026 · impala.apache.org

Plans and prices

Apache Impala open-source software Free free of charge Apache License 2.0 · source and binary releases Read 1 Oct 2026 · apache.org

Every Apache Impala plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free under the Apache License 2.0
  • Low-latency, high-concurrency SQL analytics
  • Supports HDFS, HBase, S3, Kudu and Iceberg
  • Kerberos, Ranger authorization and auditing
  • JDBC and ODBC encrypted connections

Limits

  • Does not replace MapReduce batch frameworks
  • No free trial is listed
  • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management

Who it suits

It suits teams running SQL analytics and business intelligence on Hadoop-compatible storage and open table formats. Self-hosting and the stated integrations fit organizations managing their own data infrastructure.

Verdict

Impala provides a broad SQL analytics layer over Hadoop-associated storage and table formats, with multiple client interfaces and security integrations. Its documentation explicitly separates interactive analytics from long-running MapReduce batch processing.

Where Specifiction places it

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