Azure Synapse Analytics vs Firebolt
Azure Synapse Analytics
azure.microsoft.com
Firebolt
firebolt.ioSide by side
| Figure | Azure Synapse Analytics | Firebolt |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Spec score · Query Engine Software | 6.2 (#21) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · Data Warehouse Software | 6.2 (#20) | 7.9 (#10) |
| Spec score · Analytics Databases | 6.2 (#26) | 8.0 (#13) |
| Spec score · OLAP Databases | 6.1 (#26) | 7.9 (#14) |
| Spec score · OLAP Software | 6.2 (#28) | 7.9 (#18) |
| Spec score · Columnar Databases | 6.2 (#24) | 7.9 (#13) |
| Spec score · Analytics Data | 6.2 (#28) | 8.0 (#15) |
| Spec score · Big Data Analytics Software | 6.0 (#28) | 7.8 (#19) |
Plans
Azure Synapse Analytics
- Serverless SQL poolPriced on request
- Dedicated SQL pool — pay as you goPriced on request
- Dedicated SQL pool — 1-year reservedPriced on request
- Dedicated SQL pool — 3-year reservedPriced on request
- Apache Spark — Memory OptimizedPriced on request
- Apache Spark — GPU acceleratedPriced on request
- Data Explorer computePriced on request
In their own words
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Firebolt
Firebolt is an open-source analytical database for engineers, with Postgres-compatible SQL and options for self-managed or managed deployment. It can run as a single binary on a laptop or scale to a cluster of hundreds of nodes in a customer’s cloud. Firebolt is designed for sub-second query latency and high-concurrency analytics, and supports Apache Iceberg and DuckLake using open storage standards. Deployment choices include a single binary, Helm chart, Kubernetes Operator, and managed service. Firebolt Core is free forever for self-hosted use, with no usage limits; it cannot be used to build a hosted SaaS that competes with Firebolt’s managed service. Managed compute is billed per second, with scale-to-zero, automatic start and stop, and autoscaling. Object storage is pass-through at $0.0264 / GB·mo, and the managed service includes $200 free credits. AI capabilities include query and embedding functions, vector search, an MCP Server, and a preview agent. Self-managed availability includes AWS and GCP, with Azure in preview; the managed service is currently AWS-only.