Apache Spark vs FME Form
Apache Spark
spark.apache.orgFME Form
safe.comSide by side
| Figure | Apache Spark | FME Form |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · ETL Software | 8.3 (#10) | 7.5 (#17) |
| Founded | 2009 | 1993 |
| Integrations | The listed ecosystem includes pandas, TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Apache Kafka, Kubernetes, Delta Lake, and Apache Iceberg. | Safe says FME has over 1,000 integrations, with additional community-built items on FME Hub. |
| Operating systems | Spark runs on Windows and UNIX-like systems, including Linux and macOS, where a supported Java version is available. | FME Form downloads are offered for Windows, macOS, and Linux. |
| Purpose | Apache Spark is a unified engine for large-scale data analytics. | FME Form is a no-code authoring environment for building data workflows. |
Plans
In their own words
Apache Spark
Apache Spark is a free, open-source engine for large-scale data analytics. It processes batches and real-time streams using Python, SQL, Scala, Java, or R. Spark SQL runs distributed ANSI SQL queries on structured tables and unstructured data such as JSON or images; MLlib provides machine-learning algorithms for local use or cluster scale. The project also describes exploratory analysis on petabyte-scale data without downsampling. Listed ecosystem components include pandas, TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Apache Kafka, Kubernetes, Delta Lake, and Apache Iceberg. Deployment options include standalone, Hadoop YARN, and Kubernetes. Spark runs on Windows and UNIX-like systems, including Linux and macOS, when a supported Java version is available. The 4.2.0 documentation lists Java 17, 21, or 25, Scala 2.13, Python 3.10+, and R 4.0+ (deprecated). Spark Connect separates client applications from clusters for remote access. Security is not enabled by default; Spark supports TLS for RPC connections and encryption of temporary local-disk data. The project is licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0.