Why choose Apache Iceberg over Databricks’ Delta Lake

Apache Iceberg is emerging as a preferred table format over Databricks' Delta Lake due to its open and community-driven development strategy, which contrasts with Delta Lake's more insular approach tied to the Databricks ecosystem. Iceberg's open ecosystem allows for broad, cross-platform adoption and flexibility, enabling organizations to avoid vendor lock-in and optimize costs by decoupling storage and compute. Initially designed for Trino by Netflix, Iceberg offers a modern, open table format that integrates seamlessly with various systems, fostering a collaborative environment that accelerates innovation. This openness has led companies like Starburst to leverage Iceberg for increased adaptability and cost efficiency, as evidenced by significant compute cost reductions in data warehouse migrations. As organizations transition from legacy systems like Hive, Iceberg's ability to support multiple tools and its alignment with the current era's demand for heterogeneity and flexibility position it as a leader in the evolving data landscape.