Overview
Snowflake is a managed cloud data platform that runs on AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. It separates storage from compute, so organisations can scale independent virtual warehouses for different workloads against the same data.
It is widely used as the central warehouse in a modern data stack, fed by ingestion tools, transformed with tools such as dbt and queried by BI platforms. It also offers secure data sharing, a data marketplace and Python and AI features inside the platform.
Key features
- Separate storage and computeIndependent virtual warehouses that scale up, down or suspend automatically.
- Data sharingShare live data with other accounts without copying it.
- MarketplaceAccess third-party datasets and applications from within Snowflake.
- SnowparkRun Python, Java and Scala code close to the data.
- Cortex AIManaged LLM and machine learning functions callable from SQL.
- Time TravelQuery or restore data as it existed at earlier points in time.
Best for
- Mid-size and large organisations centralising analytics in a cloud warehouse
- Data teams that need elastic compute for mixed workloads
- Companies sharing governed data with partners or customers
Pricing
Usage-based. Consumption pricing: compute is billed in credits and storage per volume, with rates varying by edition, cloud and region. A free trial is available.
| Plan | What you get |
|---|---|
| Standard | Core platform features. |
| Enterprise | Adds features such as multi-cluster warehouses and longer Time Travel. |
| Business Critical | Higher security and compliance controls for regulated data. |
| Virtual Private Snowflake | Fully isolated deployment for the most sensitive workloads. |
Prices and plan limits change often. Check the official website for current pricing. Last reviewed Oct 3, 2026.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Minimal infrastructure management for a large-scale warehouse
- Elastic compute isolates workloads from each other
- Strong ecosystem support across ingestion, transformation and BI tools
Cons
- Consumption costs can be hard to predict without monitoring and warehouse limits
- More platform than small teams with modest data volumes typically need
- Some newer AI and app features add their own billing dimensions
Snowflake alternatives
-
Data Open source Visit
dbt
SQL-based data transformation with testing, documentation and version control.
-
Data Open source Visit
Metabase
Open-source business intelligence for dashboards and self-serve queries.
-
Dev Tools Freemium Visit
Supabase
Open source Postgres platform with auth, storage, realtime and edge functions.
Related resources
A modern analytics stack for startups
How early-stage teams can assemble product analytics, web analytics, BI and a warehouse in stages, without building more data infrastructure than they need.
5 min read
Try Snowflake
Consumption pricing: compute is billed in credits and storage per volume, with rates varying by edition, cloud and region. A free trial is available.