Apache Atlas is a leading open-source data catalog software. It has a vibrant community of contributors from various industries. However, its interface can be complex for users.See How Atlan Simplifies Data Governance – Start Product Tour
Considering alternatives like Amundsen, DataHub, and Metacat is essential. These tools offer improved data discovery and management features. They are tailored to fit different organizational contexts.
Table of content
Permalink to “Table of content”- What are some alternatives to Apache Atlas?
- Amundsen
- DataHub
- Metacat
- How organizations making the most out of their data using Atlan
- FAQs about Apache Atlas Alternatives
- Apache Atlas: Related Resources
What are some alternatives to Apache Atlas?
Permalink to “What are some alternatives to Apache Atlas?”Apache Atlas is a popular open-source data catalog software. It enjoys an active community of committers from businesses like Hortonworks, Aetna, Merck, IBM, and Target. Contributors to the project who keep developing and expanding it year on year.
Yet, it can be a bit clunky to use and navigate. Here are Apache Atlas alternatives to consider while researching for an open-source data catalog tool that is best suited to your organizational needs.
3 open source Apache Atlas alternatives
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Amundsen
Permalink to “Amundsen”Built by the Lyft engineering team, Amundsen is a popular open source data discovery platform and metadata engine.
It was introduced to the world in April 2019 and open sourced later that year for adoption outside Lyft. It was primarily built to improve the productivity of data scientists, engineers, and analysts at Lyft.
Amundsen enjoys high adoption at Lyft and has an open-source community spanning 750+ members, and 37+ organizations who are officially using it.
Typical use cases of Amundsen include:
- Simple text search powering easy data discovery
- More context on data with automated and curated metadata
- Ease of sharing context with others
- Learning more about data usage
Further reading for Amundsen, as an Apache Atlas alternative
Permalink to “Further reading for Amundsen, as an Apache Atlas alternative”- Amundsen Overview
- Amundsen Demo
- Amundsen GitHub Repository
- Amundsen Vs Atlas: Similarities and differences.
DataHub
Permalink to “DataHub”DataHub is an open-source metadata search and discovery tool that was built at LinkedIn.
DataHub, which was open-sourced in 2020, is actually LinkedIn’s second attempt at solving data discovery and cataloging as a problem. Their first attempt was WhereHows in 2016.
DataHub has the following main capabilities:
- Ease of data discovery via searching and browsing a data asset
- Understanding data with context
- Automated metadata ingestion from diverse data sources
Further reading for DataHub, as an Apache Atlas alternative
Permalink to “Further reading for DataHub, as an Apache Atlas alternative”Data catalogs are going through a paradigm shift. Here’s all you need to know about a 3rd Generation Data Catalog
Download EbookMetacat
Permalink to “Metacat”Metacat is an open source federated metadata management platform that powers data discovery and metadata interoperability at Netflix.
It is used to catalog, discover, process, and manage data. It forms a single access layer for data residing across the diverse mesh of data sources operating at Netflix.
Metacat is primarily known for the following capabilities:
- Common abstraction layer
- Provision for user and business defined metadata storage
- Easy data discovery
- Notifications related to data changes
Further reading for Metacat, as an Apache Atlas alternative
Permalink to “Further reading for Metacat, as an Apache Atlas alternative”How organizations making the most out of their data using Atlan
Permalink to “How organizations making the most out of their data using Atlan”The recently published Forrester Wave report compared all the major enterprise data catalogs and positioned Atlan as the market leader ahead of all others. The comparison was based on 24 different aspects of cataloging, broadly across the following three criteria:
- Automatic cataloging of the entire technology, data, and AI ecosystem
- Enabling the data ecosystem AI and automation first
- Prioritizing data democratization and self-service
These criteria made Atlan the ideal choice for a major audio content platform, where the data ecosystem was centered around Snowflake. The platform sought a “one-stop shop for governance and discovery,” and Atlan played a crucial role in ensuring their data was “understandable, reliable, high-quality, and discoverable.”
For another organization, Aliaxis, which also uses Snowflake as their core data platform, Atlan served as “a bridge” between various tools and technologies across the data ecosystem. With its organization-wide business glossary, Atlan became the go-to platform for finding, accessing, and using data. It also significantly reduced the time spent by data engineers and analysts on pipeline debugging and troubleshooting.
A key goal of Atlan is to help organizations maximize the use of their data for AI use cases. As generative AI capabilities have advanced in recent years, organizations can now do more with both structured and unstructured data—provided it is discoverable and trustworthy, or in other words, AI-ready.
Tide’s Story of GDPR Compliance: Embedding Privacy into Automated Processes
Permalink to “Tide’s Story of GDPR Compliance: Embedding Privacy into Automated Processes”- Tide, a UK-based digital bank with nearly 500,000 small business customers, sought to improve their compliance with GDPR’s Right to Erasure, commonly known as the “Right to be forgotten”.
- After adopting Atlan as their metadata platform, Tide’s data and legal teams collaborated to define personally identifiable information in order to propagate those definitions and tags across their data estate.
- Tide used Atlan Playbooks (rule-based bulk automations) to automatically identify, tag, and secure personal data, turning a 50-day manual process into mere hours of work.
Book your personalized demo today to find out how Atlan can help your organization in establishing and scaling data governance programs.
FAQs about Apache Atlas Alternatives
Permalink to “FAQs about Apache Atlas Alternatives”1. What are the best alternatives to Apache Atlas for data governance?
Permalink to “1. What are the best alternatives to Apache Atlas for data governance?”Amundsen, DataHub, and Metacat are among the best alternatives to Apache Atlas. Each tool offers unique features that enhance data governance and discovery, making them suitable for various organizational needs.
2. How do Apache Atlas alternatives compare in terms of features and usability?
Permalink to “2. How do Apache Atlas alternatives compare in terms of features and usability?”Apache Atlas alternatives like Amundsen and DataHub provide user-friendly interfaces and robust features. They focus on simplifying data discovery and management, making them more accessible than Apache Atlas for many users.
3. What are the key benefits of using alternatives to Apache Atlas?
Permalink to “3. What are the key benefits of using alternatives to Apache Atlas?”Alternatives to Apache Atlas often offer improved usability, better integration capabilities, and tailored features for specific industries. They can enhance data governance and streamline data management processes.
4. Which Apache Atlas alternatives are most suitable for small to medium-sized businesses?
Permalink to “4. Which Apache Atlas alternatives are most suitable for small to medium-sized businesses?”Amundsen and DataHub are particularly suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. They provide essential data discovery features without the complexity often associated with larger platforms like Apache Atlas.
5. How do Apache Atlas alternatives handle data lineage and metadata management?
Permalink to “5. How do Apache Atlas alternatives handle data lineage and metadata management?”Most Apache Atlas alternatives, including DataHub and Metacat, offer robust metadata management and data lineage capabilities. They ensure that users can track data changes and maintain data integrity effectively.
6. Are there any open-source alternatives to Apache Atlas that I should consider?
Permalink to “6. Are there any open-source alternatives to Apache Atlas that I should consider?”Yes, Amundsen, DataHub, and Metacat are all open-source alternatives to Apache Atlas. They provide powerful data discovery and management features while being accessible to organizations looking for cost-effective solutions.
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