DuckDB vs. MotherDuck — should you switch to the cloud version?

DuckDB is an open-source, embedded OLAP database ideal for fast data aggregation from local files or cloud storage without requiring a server setup, but it lacks scalability and user management. MotherDuck, currently in Beta, extends DuckDB's capabilities into the cloud, offering managed storage, data sharing, and collaborative features, allowing hybrid execution of queries on both cloud and local data. While DuckDB provides a powerful local solution, MotherDuck enhances scalability and convenience with features like a SQL IDE, secrets management, and collaborative tools, which are beneficial for teams needing to manage and share data efficiently. The DuckDB Foundation supports its development as an MIT-licensed project, and DuckDB Labs partners with MotherDuck to integrate its SaaS offerings. Users can begin with DuckDB for local processing and transition to MotherDuck for more extensive, cloud-based applications once it becomes generally available, although some features, like UDFs and stored procedures, are not yet supported by MotherDuck.