Query engines & federation · Presto Foundation (Linux Foundation)
Presto
Open-source distributed SQL engine originally built at Facebook for interactive queries across large datasets.
Presto is an open-source distributed SQL query engine originally developed at Facebook to run interactive, ad hoc analytic queries against very large datasets stored across Hive, object storage and other systems. Like its fork Trino, it uses a coordinator/worker architecture with in-memory, massively parallel execution and a connector model that lets a single query span multiple data sources without an ETL step. Presto (now governed as PrestoDB under the Presto Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation) continues independent development driven largely by Meta, Uber and IBM, alongside the separately governed Trino project that split off in 2020. It is self-hosted and typically run on-premises or on Kubernetes; managed offerings exist through cloud vendors such as AWS (Amazon Athena uses a Presto-derived engine) rather than a single dedicated commercial vendor. Teams choose between Presto and Trino largely based on which community and connector ecosystem best fits their stack.
At a glance
| Vendor | Presto Foundation (Linux Foundation) |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source + paid options |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Open source | Yes (Apache-2.0) |
| Best for | Organizations running large-scale interactive SQL over Hadoop/lake storage who want an Apache-governed alternative to Trino. |
Pricing
Free and open source under the Presto Foundation; no single vendor sells a dedicated managed Presto service.
Pricing has not been verified yet — see the vendor's site.
Features
- Federated SQL queries across Hive, object storage and databases
- Coordinator/worker distributed execution
- Pluggable connector architecture
- ANSI SQL support
- Cost-based optimizer
- Used as the engine behind Amazon Athena
Integrations
Profile last reviewed September 21, 2026