The AI-native lakehouse for teams moving beyond Dremio
Dremio is now part of SAP. If your roadmap depends on open data, fast execution, governed AI context, and predictable growth, Altertable gives you the lakehouse runtime without the SAP gravity.
Independent
Roadmap
Unlimited
Seats and queries
DuckDB
Runtime
Governed
Agent context
One AI-native lakehouse for data, context, and execution
Altertable is not a lighter copy of Dremio. It is an AI-native Data Lakehouse built on DuckDB, bringing open data, live federation, warehouse-grade execution, a governed Context Layer, native search, orchestration, and agent access into one foundation. Analysts, builders, applications, and agents work from the same trusted layer instead of stitching together a broad lakehouse platform.
Bet on DuckDB
Run fast, vectorized SQL over open files with managed workers, columnar storage, caching, governance, search, and orchestration.
Query data in place
Query Snowflake, object storage, Iceberg, DuckDB files, databases, and warehouses without a new pipeline for every question.
Govern agent context
Attach permissions, definitions, metadata, saved insights, search, and institutional knowledge directly to the data layer.
Model costs predictably
Flat billing, unlimited seats, and unmetered SQL queries keep AI-scale usage easier to forecast.
Agents have changed what the data layer needs to do
Dremio was built for BI-era workloads and Hadoop migration. Altertable is built for AI-native lakehouse work, where agents need fast execution, governed context, open data access, and predictable scale without depending on SAP’s roadmap.
Plan for agentic demand
Human dashboards create scheduled demand. Agents generate frequent, parallel, exploratory questions that change execution and cost requirements.
Look beyond the lineage
Dremio traces back to schema-free SQL over Hadoop, NoSQL, and cloud storage—a federated-query problem rather than an agent-governance problem.
Design for concurrency
Parallel SQL calls from one agent task can expose memory pressure, timeouts, and failed workflows in a query layer built for human-paced BI.
Make governance active
Give agents working ground truth through definitions, access rules, metadata, and institutional knowledge attached to the data layer.
Modernize without a rewrite
Keep Dremio running while you evaluate Altertable in parallel. Connect existing sources, validate high-value workloads, and move governed context before moving every pipeline.
Run Altertable in parallel
Use live federation to test existing sources and workloads while Dremio remains available.
Move context before copies
Rebuild metrics, permissions, saved insights, search, and MCP access so analysts, apps, and agents inherit trusted definitions.
Cut over by workload
Move the dashboards, APIs, automations, agents, and reflection-heavy queries most exposed to roadmap, DCU, telemetry, or platform risk.
Compare your next lakehouse path
See how Dremio’s enterprise lakehouse platform compares with Altertable’s AI-native lakehouse for live SQL, governed context, predictable access, and agent workflows.
Architecture
Dremio: A lakehouse platform rooted in 2015-era SQL-on-Hadoop and federated-query architecture.Altertable: An AI-native lakehouse with open formats, DuckDB execution, federation, search, orchestration, and governed context.Scale and cost
Dremio: A usage-based DCU model whose commercial priorities may evolve under SAP ownership.Altertable: Storage-first economics for more teams, apps, automations, and agents to use governed data without per-query friction.External data
Dremio: A federated lakehouse platform built around connector-based access to external systems.Altertable: Live federation is core: query Snowflake, object storage, Iceberg, DuckDB files, databases, and warehouses through one runtime.AI work
Dremio: AI Semantic Layer, AI Agent, semantic search, and MCP server around the Dremio platform.Altertable: Use APIs, SDKs, MCP, or your own harness with shared data, permissions, search, and orchestration.Roadmap control
Dremio: Now inside SAP, where future improvements may prioritize SAP Business Data Cloud and broader portfolio goals.Altertable: An independent roadmap focused on an AI-native operational lakehouse rather than SAP portfolio consolidation.Frequently asked questions
Is Dremio truly AI-native?
Dremio has added agentic messaging and AI features. But its roots are 2015-era federated SQL and lakehouse acceleration. The question is whether AI is native to the data layer, or layered onto a platform built before agentic workloads.
What is the agentic workload risk?
Agents can ask many exploratory questions at once. That parallel query volume can create memory pressure, timeouts, and failed workflows when the execution layer assumes human-paced BI demand.
Why does SAP ownership matter?
SAP may keep investing in Dremio, but independent teams should evaluate whether future roadmap, packaging, and integration priorities will optimize for SAP Business Data Cloud or their standalone lakehouse needs.
Build on an independent lakehouse runtime
Validate high-value workloads in parallel, move governed context first, and cut over on your terms.
Dremio is a trademark of Dremio Corporation. SAP is a trademark of SAP SE. This comparison is not affiliated with Dremio or SAP.