Databricks vs Google BigQuery Pricing (2026)

Databricks vs Google BigQuery

Data Warehousing pricing comparison · 2026

Databricks pricing ranges from $0–$0.4/month, while Google BigQuery ranges from $0–$312.5/month. These products use different pricing models (Custom enterprise pricing vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

Data Warehousing

Databricks

$0–$0.4
/month
4 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Data Warehousing

Google BigQuery

$0–$312.5
/month
3 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — Databricks uses Custom enterprise pricing pricing while Google BigQuery uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Custom enterprise pricing

Databricks

$0–$0.4 / month
See full Databricks pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Google BigQuery

$0–$312.5 / month
See full Google BigQuery pricing →

Databricks and Google BigQuery both operate in the data warehousing category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Databricks Google BigQuery
Free Trial Free /month Free /month
Data Engineering Custom Custom
Data Warehousing Custom Custom
AI/ML Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Databricks

7 scenarios
$500
Small Data Engineering Team
$1,500/month (including cloud infrastructure)
$3,000
Mid-Size Analytics Team
$8,000/month (including cloud infrastructure)
$15,000
Enterprise ML Platform
$50,000/month (including cloud infrastructure)
See all 7 scenarios →

Google BigQuery

4 scenarios
$0/month (within free tier)
Small Team / Free Tier
$500
Growing Analytics Team
$2,000/month
$5,000
Enterprise Data Platform
$30,000/month
See all 4 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

Databricks

Median annual cost
$249,960
Average negotiated discount
13%
Based on
171 deals

Google BigQuery

Median annual cost
$612
Based on
12 deals

What Users Say

Databricks

Trustpilot
1.5/5 (2)
TrustRadius
8.8/10 (5)
Top complaints
  • Unpredictable and escalating costs
  • Pricing calculator inaccuracy leading to budget overruns
  • Steep learning curve for new users

Google BigQuery

Trustpilot
1.3/5 (24)
TrustRadius
9/10 (6)
Top complaints
  • Unexpected billing charges without hard spending limits
  • Free credits not automatically applied to prevent charges
  • Difficult to reach customer support for billing issues

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Databricks 5 hidden costs

critical
Support Fees 12-30% of license costs
high
Idle Cluster Costs 10-30% of license costs
critical
Pricing Calculator Inaccuracy $150,000-$2,000,000
medium
Azure Marketplace Upfront Payment Requirement $250,000-$2,000,000
medium
Data Egress and Cross-Region Transfer Fees $1,000-$10,000/month in cloud provider egress charges
See all Databricks hidden costs →

Google BigQuery 3 hidden costs

high
Unexpected Query Costs Without Hard Limits Variable - users report £240-€327 in unexpected charges
medium
Concurrent Query Limits and Quotas 5-10% of license costs
medium
Non-Transparent Billing Reports Variable
See all Google BigQuery hidden costs →