Apache Drill vs Query Streams
Apache Drill
drill.apache.org
Query Streams
querystreams.comSide by side
| Figure | Apache Drill | Query Streams |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Data Virtualization Software | 9.0 (#2) | 9.1 (#1) |
| License | The Apache Drill site identifies the project as licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. | The service and Agent are proprietary commercial software licensed for internal business use; the terms prohibit copying, modification, reverse engineering and redistribution. |
| Purpose | Apache Drill is a schema-free SQL query engine for Hadoop, NoSQL and cloud storage. | Query Streams provides governed access to databases and APIs for spreadsheets, AI clients, apps, and scheduled data syncs through an outbound-only Network Agent. |
| Security | Documented security features include Kerberos, username and password authentication, Digest authentication, authorization and user impersonation. | The Network Agent initiates an encrypted outbound connection, requires no inbound ports or VPN, and enforces SELECT, WITH, and EXPLAIN-only queries; database credentials stay on the user's network. |
| Support | The project directs questions to its drill-dev mailing list and welcomes contributions. | The site provides a contact form for questions and links to its documentation archive. |
| What it does | Apache Drill is a schema-free SQL query engine for Hadoop, NoSQL databases, and cloud storage. | Query Streams runs governed live SQL against databases and APIs and delivers results to spreadsheets, AI clients, REST endpoints and scheduled destinations. |
Plans
Query Streams
- FreeFree
- Personal Core$15 a month
- Personal Plus$30 a month
- Business Core$50 a month
In their own words
Apache Drill
Apache Drill is a schema-free SQL query engine for Hadoop, NoSQL databases, and cloud storage. It can query raw data where it resides without first loading it, defining schemas, or transforming it. Its JSON data model supports complex and nested structures, and a single query can join data across multiple datastores. Listed sources include HBase, MongoDB, HDFS, Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, Swift, NAS, and local files. JDBC and ODBC drivers connect Drill to tools including Tableau, Qlik, MicroStrategy, Spotfire, SAS, and Excel; developers can also use its REST API in custom applications. Drill can run embedded on a laptop or in distributed mode on a server cluster, and the homepage lists Mac, Windows, and Linux. Documented security options include Kerberos, username and password authentication, Digest, authorization, and impersonation. The software is free under Apache License 2.0. A compatibility limit: official support for Hadoop 2 and Java 8 was dropped with Drill 1.22.0.
Query Streams
Query Streams gives spreadsheets, AI clients, apps, and scheduled syncs governed access to databases and APIs through an outbound-only Network Agent. Nova AI accepts plain-English questions, reads a database schema, runs read-only SQL, and returns metrics, tables, and charts. A hosted MCP server connects sources to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and Grok using a revocable key. Excel and Google Sheets add-ins run shared saved queries and stream live results into cells without exposing SQL to recipients. Federated queries join data from multiple databases and API sources in one SQL statement. Scheduled results can be sent to supported services as often as every five minutes. The Network Agent makes an encrypted outbound connection, needs no inbound ports or VPN, restricts queries to SELECT, WITH, and EXPLAIN, and keeps database credentials on the user's network. The Free tier is free and includes 5 MB/month query traffic; paid plans start at $15 a month. New accounts receive a 30-day trial with every feature unlocked and no credit card.