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Apache Spark vs npm comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Spark
Ranking in Java Frameworks
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
Hadoop (1st), Compute Service (5th)
npm
Ranking in Java Frameworks
4th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Java Frameworks category, the mindshare of Apache Spark is 10.0%, up from 7.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of npm is 1.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Java Frameworks Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Apache Spark10.0%
npm1.5%
Other88.5%
Java Frameworks
 

Featured Reviews

Devindra Weerasooriya - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Architect at Devtech
Provides a consistent framework for building data integration and access solutions with reliable performance
The in-memory computation feature is certainly helpful for my processing tasks. It is helpful because while using structures that could be held in memory rather than stored during the period of computation, I go for the in-memory option, though there are limitations related to holding it in memory that need to be addressed, but I have a preference for in-memory computation. The solution is beneficial in that it provides a base-level long-held understanding of the framework that is not variant day by day, which is very helpful in my prototyping activity as an architect trying to assess Apache Spark, Great Expectations, and Vault-based solutions versus those proposed by clients like TIBCO or Informatica.
Harsh Dabas - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior QA Automation Engineer at LogMeIn, Inc.
Automation has boosted test coverage and now supports reliable CI workflows
BrowserStack is able to solve every issue which we have been facing, so I would rate it as a 10 out of 10 in terms of my experience. Regarding pricing, I think the organization takes care of that. I am not really aware of the pricing of this, but I have made some personal projects as well in which I use GitHub Actions for free. We can push our code as well. As of now, I am using the free version for my personal use. For the organization, I think the organization is taking care of the same, so we do not need to bother about it.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Apache Spark is known for its ease of use. Compared to other available data processing frameworks, it is user-friendly."
"ETL and streaming capabilities."
"The data processing framework is good."
"The fault tolerant feature is provided."
"The memory processing engine is the solution's most valuable aspect. It processes everything extremely fast, and it's in the cluster itself. It acts as a memory engine and is very effective in processing data correctly."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"It provides a scalable machine learning library."
"Spark replaced other costly products, reducing costs by thirty-eight percent."
"The solution is scalable."
"BrowserStack is able to solve every issue which we have been facing, so I would rate it as a 10 out of 10 in terms of my experience."
"NPM is user-friendly, has a smooth workflow, and has great security."
"It is a requirement for us to work with NPM for our APM to run, we need to have that NPM as a base."
"There are a lot of features that are very fast in npm, even though it was developed 10 or 12 years back."
"The solution is scalable, and approximately ten users are utilizing this solution in our organization."
"The most valuable feature of NPM is to trigger APMs."
"It's an open-source setting that's very scalable and easily approachable. I like that you can plug in many features to my product."
 

Cons

"This solution currently cannot support or distribute neural network related models, or deep learning related algorithms. We would like this functionality to be developed."
"Although you are able to perform complex transformations using Spark libraries, the support for SQL to perform transformations is still limited."
"Apache Spark lacks geospatial data."
"Stability in terms of API (things were difficult, when transitioning from RDD to DataFrames, then to DataSet)."
"Sometimes it is a nightmare on Linux trying to figure out what happened on the configuration and back-end."
"The main concern is the overhead of Java when distributed processing is not necessary."
"Apache Spark is very difficult to use. It would require a data engineer. It is not available for every engineer today because they need to understand the different concepts of Spark, which is very, very difficult and it is not easy to learn."
"The main problem is, now in the market, there are not many people certified in Apache Spark."
"I would like to see compatible versions, and what new features they will be providing."
"The product should be compatible with various programming languages, including both native and upcoming languages."
"Some of the libraries that we try to use in npm have issues with security."
"I would like to see compatible versions, and what new features they will be providing. If it is a useful feature I can merge it. If it is not a usable feature, then I can ignore the newer version."
"The only room for improvement for npm is their audit capabilities; otherwise, I am satisfied with the solution."
"NPM can improve the package manager."
"The product can be improved by updating the libraries. Previously, libraries were missing, and we had difficulty building them."
"Some of the libraries that we try to use in npm have issues with security. Also, because it's an open-source solution, I think there are lots of challenges with security. So, the security layer could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They provide an open-source license for the on-premise version."
"Since we are using the Apache Spark version, not the data bricks version, it is an Apache license version, the support and resolution of the bug are actually late or delayed. The Apache license is free."
"It is an open-source platform. We do not pay for its subscription."
"The tool is an open-source product. If you're using the open-source Apache Spark, no fees are involved at any time. Charges only come into play when using it with other services like Databricks."
"I did not pay anything when using the tool on cloud services, but I had to pay on the compute side. The tool is not expensive compared with the benefits it offers. I rate the price as an eight out of ten."
"We are using the free version of the solution."
"Licensing costs can vary. For instance, when purchasing a virtual machine, you're asked if you want to take advantage of the hybrid benefit or if you prefer the license costs to be included upfront by the cloud service provider, such as Azure. If you choose the hybrid benefit, it indicates you already possess a license for the operating system and wish to avoid additional charges for that specific VM in Azure. This approach allows for a reduction in licensing costs, charging only for the service and associated resources."
"Apache Spark is an expensive solution."
"We use the open-source version, so it is free."
"The licensing cost is around one hundred and fifty dollars on a quarterly basis."
"It's an open-source solution, and there are no hidden fees."
"NPM is an open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
23%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise32
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Spark?
We use Spark to process data from different data sources.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Spark?
Apache Spark is open-source, so it doesn't incur any charges.
What needs improvement with Apache Spark?
I find that there really lacks the technical depth to do any recommendations for future updates of Apache Spark. I used it for two years for our prototype work and testing things, but because I had...
What needs improvement with NPM?
Audit capabilities should be improved. Regarding npm, I think that's all I remember for anything else I would like to add or improve. The only room for improvement for npm is their audit capabiliti...
What is your primary use case for NPM?
I have experience in both GitHub and JMeter. I used JMeter in the earlier phase of my career for performance testing for around two to three years, and with GitHub, I have been using it almost ever...
What advice do you have for others considering NPM?
I can talk about BrowserStack regarding the features I find most valuable in LambdaTest. npm is a 10 out of 10 for me. I am currently working as a Senior QA Automation Engineer for Cosm. My overall...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

NASA JPL, UC Berkeley AMPLab, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, UC Santa Cruz, TripAdvisor, Taboola, Agile Lab, Art.com, Baidu, Alibaba Taobao, EURECOM, Hitachi Solutions
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Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Spark vs. npm and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.