Apache Beam vs FME Flow
Apache Beam
beam.apache.orgFME Flow
fme.safe.comSide by side
| Figure | Apache Beam | FME Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · ETL Software | 9.1 (#1) | 7.6 (#16) |
| Founded | 2016 | 1993 |
| Security | Apache release files include OpenPGP signatures and SHA-512 checksums so users can verify downloaded files. | Safe Software says it is certified to ISO 27001 and has a SOC 2 Type 2 report; its security page also lists PCI DSS, GDPR, and PIPEDA. |
| Support | Beam users can get community support through the user mailing list, Stack Overflow, and the Beam Slack channel. | Standard one-to-one customer support is for customers with active maintenance or subscription on supported versions; stated support hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday, excluding recognized Canadian holidays. |
Plans
In their own words
Apache Beam
Apache Beam is an open-source programming model for building data-processing pipelines across batch and streaming workloads. The same model can support both patterns in production, while runners provide different execution back ends, including Dataflow, Flink, Spark, and the Direct Runner. SDKs and quickstarts cover Java, Python, Go, and TypeScript. Pipeline building blocks include ParDo, GroupByKey, Flatten, and Combine, alongside windowing and triggering. Beam I/O connectors supply read and write transforms for external storage in batch or streaming pipelines, with catalog examples such as BigQuery, Snowflake, Apache Parquet, and Apache Iceberg. Beam Playground provides a way to try examples and transforms without a local installation. The software is free and open source; the listed plan is free, but execution costs depend on the runner and infrastructure selected. It targets data and software developers building pipelines on supported back ends. APIs may change before the first stable 1.x release, and semantic-versioning practice has exceptions.
FME Flow
FME Flow deploys workflows and data-powered solutions through automation, no-code web apps and related tools. It supports ETL, data replication and synchronization, with instant or event-triggered runs to keep data and applications current. Teams can create no-code web apps for workflow coordination and collaboration, and expose FME-powered services through an OpenAPI interface. Safe Software says FME offers more than 1,000 application integrations, with additional community-built options through FME Hub. Deployment can be cloud, on-premises, hybrid, containerized or distributed. FME Flow Hosted runs on Amazon Web Services, while Safe Software handles server maintenance and backups. Subscriptions include unlimited web users and system connections, with pricing tailored to each client. Listed platforms include API, iOS, Linux, self-hosted, web and Windows. Safe Software, founded in 1993 in Surrey, British Columbia, lists ISO 27001 certification, a SOC 2 Type 2 report, PCI DSS, GDPR and PIPEDA.