The Death of Apache Drill

Apache Drill, once a promising SQL query engine with features like schema-on-the-fly, has faced decline due to its dependency on Hadoop and performance issues, exacerbated by Hewlett Packard Enterprise's withdrawal of support. In contrast, Trino, an open-source SQL query engine, has gained popularity for its independence from Hadoop, lightweight architecture, and ability to integrate with various infrastructures, including cloud and on-premises environments. Trino's success is driven by its capacity to federate data from multiple sources using a wide range of connectors and industry-standard SQL, appealing to enterprises with legacy systems seeking analytics solutions without vendor lock-in. As proprietary solutions lose favor, open-source projects like Trino offer companies a future-proof alternative, evidenced by its rapid growth, community engagement, and continuous feature development.