Azure Databricks vs. H2O.ai

Suppose you have multiple data sources and you want to bring the data into one place, transform it and make it into a data model. Azure Databricks is a perfectly suited solution for this. Leverage spark JDBC or any external cloud based tool (ADG, AWS Glue) to bring the data into a cloud storage. From there, Azure Databricks can handle everything. The data can be ingested by Azure Databricks into a 3 Layer architecture based on the delta lake tables. The first layer, raw layer, has the raw as is data from source. The enrich layer, acts as the cleaning and filtering layer to clean the data at an individual table level. The gold layer, is the final layer responsible for a data model. This acts as the serving layer for BI For BI needs, if you need simple dashboards, you can leverage Azure Databricks BI to create them with a simple click! For complex dashboards, just like any sql db, you can hook it with a simple JDBC string to any external BI tool.

Incentivized

Most suited if in little time you wanted to build and train a model. Then, H2O makes life very simple. It has support with R, Python and Java, so no programming dependency is required to use it. It's very simple to use. If you want to modify or tweak your ML algorithm then H2O is not suitable. You can't develop a model from scratch.

Incentivized

• SQL
• Data management
• Data access

Incentivized

• Excellent analytical and prediction tool
• In the beginning, usage of H20 Flow in Web UI enables quick development and sharing of the analytical model
• Readily available algorithms, easy to use in your analytical projects
• Faster than Python scikit learn (in machine learning supervised learning area)
• It can be accessed (run) from Python, not only JAVA etc.
• Well documented and suitable for fast training or self studying
• In the beginning, one can use the clickable Flow interface (WEB UI) and later move to a Python console. There is then no need to click in H20 Flow
• It can be used as open source

Incentivized

• Their pipeline workflow orchestration is pretty primitive. Lacks some common features
• Workspace UI and navigation requires steep learning curve
• Personally, I am not fond of their autosave feature. Its dangerous for production level notebooks scripts

Incentivized

• Better documentation
• Improve the Visual presentations including charting etc

Incentivized

Based on my extensive use of Azure Databricks for the past 3.5 years, it has evolved into a beautiful amalgamation of all the data domains and needs. From a data analyst, to a data engineer, to a data scientist, it jas got them all! Being language agnostic and focused on easy to use UI based control, it is a dream to use for every Data related personnel across all experience levels!

Incentivized

The overall experience I have with H2O is really awesome, even with its cost effectiveness.

Incentivized

Against all the tools I have used, Azure Databricks is by far the most superior of them all! Why, you ask? The UI is modern, the features are never ending and they keep adding new features. And to quote Apple, "It just works!" Far ahead of the competition, the delta lakehouse platform also fares better than it counterparts of Iceberg implementation or a loosely bound Delta Lake implementation of Synapse

Incentivized

Both are open source (though H2O only up to some level). Both comprise of deep learning, but H2O is not focused directly on deep learning, while Tensor Flow has a "laser" focus on deep learning. H2O is also more focused on scalability. H2O should be looked at not as a competitor but rather a complementary tool. The use case is usually not only about the algorithms, but also about the data model and data logistics and accessibility. H2O is more accessible due to its UI. Also, both can be accessed from Python. The community around TensorFlow seems larger than that of H2O.

Incentivized

• Helped reduce time for collecting data
• Reduced cost in maintaining multiple data sources
• Access for multiple users and management of users/data in a single platform

Incentivized

• Positive impact: saving in infrastructure expenses - compared to other bulky tools this costs a fraction
• Positive impact: ability to get quick fixes from H2O when problems arise - compared to waiting for several months/years for new releases from other vendors
• Positive impact: Access to H2O core team and able to get features that are needed for our business quickly added to the core H2O product

Incentivized