Editorial take
Why it stands out
Apache Atlas should be described as governance-heavy metadata infrastructure with big-data roots, not as a lightweight modern catalog app.
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Tool profile
Open-source governance and metadata framework for classifying, governing, and tracking data assets, especially across Hadoop-oriented environments.
Data governance
Apache Atlas is worth adding because it remains a foundational open-source governance and metadata framework in the Hadoop ecosystem and still influences how many teams think about data governance infrastructure. It is not the newest entrant, but it has real stack relevance wherever organizations need classification, governance, and metadata management tied to big-data platforms.
Its pricing posture is the cleanest possible OSS case. Apache Atlas is an Apache Software Foundation project, the repository is Apache 2.0 licensed, and the official project site does not provide a commercial pricing page. Editorially, the right framing is free open-source governance infrastructure whose cost is operational complexity and surrounding platform ownership rather than software subscription fees.
Quick fit
Editorial take
Apache Atlas should be described as governance-heavy metadata infrastructure with big-data roots, not as a lightweight modern catalog app.
What it does well
Primary use cases
Fit notes
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Pressure-test this pick against nearby alternatives.
Pricing snapshot
Apache Atlas is a free Apache 2.0 licensed open-source project with no official commercial pricing page. Costs come from deployment, integration, and operational ownership rather than software subscription fees.
Alation
PaidEnterprise data catalog
Enterprise data intelligence and catalog platform for search, governance, trust, and AI-ready knowledge layers over organizational data.
Choose Alation when the buying problem is enterprise trust, governance, and discoverability across data assets.
