Skip to content
SPECIFICTION
Get listed

Apache Kylin

kylin.apache.org

Free plan WebLinuxAPISelf-hosted
Visit kylin.apache.org
Spec score 8.5 #4 of 28 in Query Engine Software

What it is

Apache Kylin is an open-source OLAP engine for data analytics, designed for large-scale workloads with many concurrent users. Its pre-calculation approach is intended to support sub-second SQL queries. Kylin 5 can build models from SQL text, suggest index changes using query history, and use Apache Gluten as a native compute engine; the product overview describes a 2–4× improvement compared with vanilla Spark. For mixed data workloads, it supports Kafka streaming sources and fusion models for batch and streaming analysis, as well as internal tables for flexible queries and lakehouse scenarios. Teams can connect Tableau, Power BI, or Excel. A web UI supports table management, model design, job execution, and configuration. Deployment offers query, job, or all server modes. Kylin runs on Linux and uses Spark with Yarn or Standalone mode. Data storage can use HDFS or S3-compatible systems, while MySQL or PostgreSQL can hold metadata. The project is free under Apache License v2, with source and binary packages available. APIs use Basic Authentication; HTTPS is supported in Kylin 5 but disabled by default.

Spec sheet

Product
Apache Kylin is an open source OLAP engine for big data analytics, designed for sub-second queries on trillions of records.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Deployment
Kylin provides a web UI and can be deployed with query, job, or all server modes.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Support
The project directs users to its user mailing list and Apache Kylin JIRA for questions and issues.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
License
The project homepage states that Apache Kylin is distributed under the Apache License v2.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Founded
2014Read 28 Sep 2026 · kylin.apache.org
API security
Kylin's APIs use Basic Authentication, and users can authenticate through an API request that stores authentication information in cookies for later visits.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
BI integrations
The product page names Tableau, Power BI, and Excel as BI tools it can connect to.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Compute
Kylin 5 integrates Apache Gluten as a native compute engine; the overview describes 2–4× performance improvement compared with vanilla Spark.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Downloads
The download page offers version 5.0.4 source and binary packages, with ASC and SHA-256 verification files.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
HTTPS
Kylin 5 supports HTTPS, which the documentation says is disabled by default; it supports a bundled certificate or third-party certificates.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Internal tables
Kylin 5 supports internal tables for flexible queries and lakehouse scenarios.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
License and maker
The site identifies Apache Kylin as an Apache Software Foundation project distributed under the Apache License v2.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Modeling
Kylin 5 can create models from SQL text and recommend index optimizations based on query history.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Operating system
The environment check documentation says Kylin supports Linux operating systems only.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Query performance
The product site describes sub-second queries using pre-calculation technology and support for large-scale, high-concurrency analytics.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Query speed
Its pre-calculation technology is designed to provide sub-second queries and support large-scale, high-concurrency analytics.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Storage
Kylin supports HDFS or S3-compatible file systems for data storage, and MySQL or PostgreSQL for metadata.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Streaming
Kylin supports Apache Kafka as a streaming data source and fusion models for streaming and batch analysis.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Technical requirements
Deployment documentation says Kylin uses Apache Spark for compute, supports Yarn or Standalone mode, and supports MySQL or PostgreSQL for metadata.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org
Web interface
Kylin Server provides a web UI for managing tables, designing models, triggering jobs, and maintaining configurations.Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org

Plans and prices

Apache Kylin Free Open source OLAP engine · source and binary packages available under Apache License v2 Read 8 Oct 2026 · kylin.apache.org

Every Apache Kylin plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free, open-source software under Apache License v2
  • Supports Kafka streaming and batch fusion models
  • Connects to Tableau, Power BI, and Excel
  • Offers query, job, or all server modes

Limits

  • Supports Linux operating systems only
  • HTTPS is disabled by default
  • Requires Spark and supported metadata storage

Who it suits

Kylin suits teams running SQL analytics on Linux that need high concurrency, streaming and batch analysis, or BI tool connections. It is also relevant to organizations able to deploy and operate its Spark-based infrastructure.

Verdict

Kylin specifies its deployment modes, storage and metadata options, and BI integrations alongside its analytics capabilities. Its Linux-only support and infrastructure requirements are important considerations for deployment.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to Apache KylinAll alternatives →