Best Data Lake Software in 2026
Updated
In short: HPCC Systems is ranked #1 of 17 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of AWS Lake Formation and HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric. The best-ranked option with a free plan is AWS Lake Formation. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Tencent Cloud CDN at CNY 21/mo.
Data lake software covers tools for bringing data together, organizing it, and making it available for use. Compare ingestion modes and query interfaces with governance controls, metadata catalogs, data sharing, and support for open table formats. Deployment model, free-plan availability, and paid starting prices add context about environment and cost. HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric, lakeFS, and HPCC Systems begin the ranked entries, followed by Unilake and AWS Lake Formation. Look at the listed capabilities in relation to how your organization takes in, catalogs, shares, and queries data, and consider which deployment approach fits your setup.
17 data lake software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 HPCC Systems Top pick · 7.3 Free plan · Free
#2 AWS Lake Formation Runner-up · 7.1 Free plan · Free
#3 HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric Also great · 6.9 - Free plan apiextensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Ingestion modes
- batch
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxself-hostedWebRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- Free trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial api
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatformsCNY 21/mofirst paid tier About Tencent Cloud CDNVisit site - api
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebWindowsLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Ingestion modes
- both
- Metadata catalog
- Yes
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Governance controls
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which data lake software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
HPCC Systems is ranked #1 of 17 with a score of 7.3. AWS Lake Formation is second and HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 17 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Tencent Cloud CDN has the lowest first paid tier we found: CNY 21/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.