Best for teams that are
- Enterprises converging massive volumes of IT and OT data
- Supply chains needing secure data sharing across external partners
- Organizations building a scalable SQL-based cloud data foundation
Skip if
- Small manufacturers operating entirely on-premise without cloud
- Non-technical teams wanting a drag-and-drop visualization tool
- Businesses with small data volumes that do not justify a data cloud
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Snowflake redefines data warehousing by decoupling storage from compute, allowing enterprises to scale resources independently and instantaneously. Research indicates its 'Data Cloud' architecture enables secure, live data sharing across organizations without the need for complex ETL pipelines. Furthermore, its achievement of DoD IL5 authorization demonstrates a level of security and compliance that few commercial data platforms can match.
Pros
- Separates storage and compute for independent scaling
- Near-zero maintenance fully managed SaaS model
- Secure live data sharing without copying
- Native support for semi-structured data (JSON/Avro)
- Top-tier security with DoD IL5 authorization
Cons
- Unpredictable costs and potential for bill shock
- No on-premises deployment option available
- Steep learning curve for cost optimization
- Gen 2 warehouses have higher credit burn rates
- Requires separate BI tool for advanced visualization