Dremio Review
An Iceberg-native data lakehouse for SQL analytics and AI agents
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Looking for a Dremio alternative? See our ranked comparison.→What is Dremio?
Dremio is a data lakehouse platform built directly on Apache Iceberg. Instead of copying your data into a warehouse, it runs SQL queries against Iceberg tables in place, using its own query engine (built on Apache Arrow) and a caching layer called Reflections to speed up repeat queries.
It comes in three forms: a free self-managed Community Edition, a self-managed Enterprise edition with added governance and cataloging (built on Apache Polaris), and a fully managed Dremio Cloud offering billed by consumption. In 2026 Dremio pushed hard into AI. It added an in-product AI agent, a semantic layer that gives LLM agents business context, and SQL functions like AI_GENERATE and AI_CLASSIFY for calling models straight from queries. SAP announced an agreement to acquire Dremio in May 2026 and completed the acquisition on July 6, 2026. Dremio now operates as part of SAP.
Dremio screenshots
Who it's for
- ✓ Teams that already store data as Apache Iceberg tables and want to query it without moving it into a warehouse
- ✓ Organizations that need a self-managed or on-prem lakehouse option alongside a cloud one
- ✓ Data teams testing LLM or agent access to governed enterprise data through a semantic layer
Who should look elsewhere
- ✗ Teams that want one predictable per-seat price instead of usage-based DCU billing
- ✗ Smaller teams without in-house skills to run and tune a self-managed Enterprise deployment
- ✗ Buyers wary of a platform that just changed ownership, where roadmap, pricing, and support terms could shift now that Dremio is part of SAP
Pros
- + Community Edition is free with no time limit and no row or data caps for self-hosting
- + Queries Iceberg tables directly, so you skip a separate ETL or copy step into a warehouse
- + Reflections (materialized, auto-maintained accelerations) can cut repeat-query latency a lot without manual tuning
- + Consumption pricing on Cloud ($0.20/DCU) means idle time costs nothing, unlike fixed-capacity warehouses
Cons
- – Enterprise pricing is quote-only, so it's hard to budget or compare against fixed-price competitors upfront
- – Community Edition leaves out governance and cataloging features, pushing serious deployments toward paid tiers
- – DCU-based billing is confusing for newcomers since it depends on Reflection activity and background processing, not just query count
- – Now owned by SAP after the July 2026 acquisition closed, adding uncertainty about independent product direction and support terms going forward
Dremio pricing
What you pay for
Dremio charges by usage, not by seat. On Dremio Cloud you pay $0.20 per Dremio Compute Unit (DCU), a time-based measure covering query execution, Reflections, and background processing, so the bill scales with what you run. The cheapest paid option is Dremio Cloud itself, since Enterprise is quote-only through sales. There's a free Community Edition with no time limit, plus $400 in trial credit for 30 days on Dremio Cloud and a 30-day trial for Enterprise.
You pay for what you consume rather than a per-seat fee, so cost scales with usage.
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Community | Free | Self-managed on Docker or Kubernetes (on-prem or any cloud) · Cost-based query optimizer, live reflections, federated queries · No governance features or data cataloging |
| Cloud | $0.2/mo | Fully managed on AWS (Azure coming soon) · Billed per Dremio Compute Unit (DCU), consumption-based · Zero-downtime upgrades, autoscaling, AI agent and semantic layer included |
| Enterprise | Custom | Self-managed on Kubernetes, on-prem or any cloud · Consumption-based billing · Data lineage, audit history, fine-grained access control, Polaris-powered Open Catalog |
Dremio Cloud costs $0.20 per Dremio Compute Unit (DCU). A DCU is a time-based unit that covers query execution, Reflections, background processing, and platform overhead. For example, a 20-DCU engine running for 10 hours uses 200 DCUs. Enterprise is also consumption-based, but you need to talk to sales for a quote since Dremio doesn't publish a list price. Community Edition is free forever, but it's self-managed and skips governance and catalog features.
Pricing verified July 6, 2026 · source
How Dremio's pricing compares
Dremio next to its closest alternatives on entry price, billing, and whether pricing is public.
| Tool | Starting price | Billing | Free option | Pricing disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dremio | $0.2/DCU | usage-based | Yes | Partly public |
| Databricks | Free tier + custom | usage-based | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Snowflake | Custom / quote | usage-based | Trial (30 days with $400 in free credits) | Not disclosed |
| Google BigQuery | $6.25/TiB scanned | usage-based | Yes | Public |
| Amazon Redshift | $0.375/RPU-hour | usage-based | Trial ($300 credit (90-day expiration) for first-time Redshift Serverless users; in regions without Serverless, a two-month free trial for provisioned clusters (up to 750 hours/month)) | Partly public |
| Starburst | $0.5/credit | usage-based | Yes | Public |
Is Dremio still actively developed?
Last significant update: July 2026. SAP announced it has completed its acquisition of Dremio, bringing the Iceberg-native lakehouse into SAP's data and AI lineup. The deal was first announced in May 2026 and closed on schedule. Dremio's site now states "Dremio is now part of SAP."
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Dremio FAQ
Is Dremio free?+
The Community Edition is free forever and self-managed via Docker or Kubernetes, but it lacks governance and data-cataloging features. Dremio Cloud and Enterprise are paid tiers billed by consumption.
How does Dremio Cloud pricing work?+
Dremio Cloud bills $0.20 per Dremio Compute Unit (DCU), a time-based measure of engine runtime that covers query execution, Reflections, and background processing rather than a per-query charge. New accounts get $400 in credit for 30 days with no credit card required.
How much does Dremio Enterprise cost?+
Dremio doesn't publish Enterprise pricing. It's consumption-based but quote-only, so you need to contact sales for a price.
Is Dremio being acquired?+
SAP announced on May 4, 2026 that it had agreed to acquire Dremio, and closed the acquisition on July 6, 2026. Dremio is now part of SAP.