Apache Kylin logo

Apache Kylin

Open-source distributed OLAP engine originated at eBay China; one of the first Chinese Apache TLPs.

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CN Est. 2014 Active DBaaS / Serverless Databases

Our Verdict

Classic cube-based OLAP that still wins on query speed, but modern MPP engines reduce its relative appeal.

Pros

  • Sub-second queries on petabyte-scale data
  • Pre-computed OLAP cubes for BI workloads
  • Supports standard BI tools via JDBC/ODBC
  • Mature Apache project with eBay heritage

Cons

  • Cube maintenance is operationally heavy
  • Less flexible than modern MPP engines
  • Adoption declining vs Doris, ClickHouse
  • Long build times for large cubes
Best for: Enterprises with fixed BI dashboards needing sub-second queries on huge datasets Not for: Ad-hoc analytics workloads where query patterns change frequently

When to Use Apache Kylin

Good fit if you need

  • Pre-computing OLAP cubes on Hadoop/Spark for sub-second BI
  • Replacing slow Hive queries with materialized cube queries
  • Powering dashboards on multi-billion row data warehouses
  • Enabling analysts to query petabyte data interactively
  • Building distributed BI on Kylin cubes with JDBC integration

Lock-in Assessment

Low 5/5
Lock-in Score
5/5

Apache Kylin Pricing

Pricing Model
free
Free Tier
Yes
Entry Price
Enterprise Available
No
Transparency Score

Beta — estimates may differ from actual pricing

1,000
1001K10K100K1M

Estimated Monthly Cost

$25

Estimated Annual Cost

$300

Estimates are approximate and may not reflect current pricing. Always check the official pricing page.

Community Discussion

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