--- title: "delta vs lakeFS" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/delta-io-delta-vs-treeverse-lakefs" tools: ["delta-io-delta", "treeverse-lakefs"] --- # delta vs lakeFS *GraphCanon updated Aug 3, 2026* ## Verdict Pick delta if delta is an open-source storage framework providing ACID transactions for data lakehouse architectures designed to work seamlessly with various compute engines including Apache Spark, PrestoDB, Flink, Trino, and Hive; pick lakeFS if lakeFS provides Git-like functionality for managing versions of data in a data lake, compatible with storage solutions like S3 and Azure. [delta](https://delta.io) reports 8.9k GitHub stars, 2.1k forks, and 1.6k open issues, last pushed Aug 2, 2026. [lakeFS](https://docs.lakefs.io) has 5.5k stars, 472 forks, and 437 open issues, last pushed Aug 3, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [delta's repository](https://github.com/delta-io/delta) and [lakeFS's repository](https://github.com/treeverse/lakeFS). | | [delta](/tools/delta-io-delta.md) | [lakeFS](/tools/treeverse-lakefs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An open-source storage framework for building Lakehouse architecture with various compute engines and APIs | Data version control for your data lake | | Stars | 8,928 | 5,480 | | Forks | 2,146 | 472 | | Open issues | 1,553 | 437 | | Language | Scala | Go | | Adopt for | Delta is an open-source storage framework providing ACID transactions for data lakehouse architectures designed to work seamlessly with various compute engines including Apache Spark, PrestoDB, Flink, Trino, and Hive. | lakeFS provides Git-like functionality for managing versions of data in a data lake, compatible with storage solutions like S3 and Azure. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Data & Retrieval | Data & Retrieval | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [delta](/tools/delta-io-delta.md) | [lakeFS](/tools/treeverse-lakefs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 1d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 1.6k | 437 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/delta-io-delta/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/treeverse-lakefs/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: delta - **Adopt for:** Delta is an open-source storage framework providing ACID transactions for data lakehouse architectures designed to work seamlessly with various compute engines including Apache Spark, PrestoDB, Flink, Trino, and Hive. ## Decision facts: lakeFS - **Adopt for:** lakeFS provides Git-like functionality for managing versions of data in a data lake, compatible with storage solutions like S3 and Azure. ## Choose when ### Choose delta if… - delta is primarily Scala; lakeFS is Go. - Tags unique to delta: acid, analytics, big-data, delta-lake. - When you need ACID transaction support in a data lakehouse architecture leveraging Scala and multiple compute engines like Spark, Flink, or PrestoDB. ### Choose lakeFS if… - lakeFS is primarily Go; delta is Scala. - Tags unique to lakeFS: apache-spark, aws-s3, azure-blob-storage, data-engineering. - When you need version control for large-scale datasets stored in a data lake, similar to how codebases are managed with Git. ## When NOT to use delta - When your data operations environment is restricted to a single compute engine or one not supported by Delta, like Apache Drill which isn't in the listed support scope. - If your project strictly uses open-source licenses incompatible with BSD-style licensing terms, as Delta uses Apache-2.0. - For situations where there's no need for advanced data management capabilities such as ACID transactions and you can manage with simpler storage solutions. ## When NOT to use lakeFS - If your use case involves managing small files or datasets that do not benefit from a Git-like history for data changes due to overhead. - For situations where compliance requirements preclude open-source solutions or those under the Apache 2.0 license, as lakeFS may not meet these specific needs. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between delta and lakeFS? delta: An open-source storage framework for building Lakehouse architecture with various compute engines and APIs. lakeFS: Data version control for your data lake. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose delta over lakeFS? Choose delta over lakeFS when delta is primarily Scala; lakeFS is Go; Tags unique to delta: acid, analytics, big-data, delta-lake; When you need ACID transaction support in a data lakehouse architecture leveraging Scala and multiple compute engines like Spark, Flink, or PrestoDB. ### When should I choose lakeFS over delta? Choose lakeFS over delta when lakeFS is primarily Go; delta is Scala; Tags unique to lakeFS: apache-spark, aws-s3, azure-blob-storage, data-engineering; When you need version control for large-scale datasets stored in a data lake, similar to how codebases are managed with Git. ### When should I avoid delta? When your data operations environment is restricted to a single compute engine or one not supported by Delta, like Apache Drill which isn't in the listed support scope. If your project strictly uses open-source licenses incompatible with BSD-style licensing terms, as Delta uses Apache-2.0. For situations where there's no need for advanced data management capabilities such as ACID transactions and you can manage with simpler storage solutions. ### When should I avoid lakeFS? If your use case involves managing small files or datasets that do not benefit from a Git-like history for data changes due to overhead. For situations where compliance requirements preclude open-source solutions or those under the Apache 2.0 license, as lakeFS may not meet these specific needs. ### Is delta or lakeFS more popular on GitHub? delta has more GitHub stars (8,928 vs 5,480). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are delta and lakeFS open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (delta: Apache-2.0, lakeFS: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to delta or lakeFS? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [delta alternatives](/tools/delta-io-delta/alternatives) and [lakeFS alternatives](/tools/treeverse-lakefs/alternatives) ([delta markdown twin](/tools/delta-io-delta/alternatives.md), [lakeFS markdown twin](/tools/treeverse-lakefs/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/delta-io-delta-vs-treeverse-lakefs.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, delta or lakeFS? delta: Very active. lakeFS: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for delta and lakeFS? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [delta trust report](/tools/delta-io-delta/trust); [lakeFS trust report](/tools/treeverse-lakefs/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=delta-io-delta`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=delta-io-delta) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_