Organisations across industries generate, process, and store data at unprecedented rates. Data lineage helps track the journey of data from its source to its final destination, enabling better decision-making, improved compliance with regulations such as GDPR, and seamless onboarding of new employees and systems. However, choosing the right tool requires careful consideration of an organisation’s unique needs, budget, and technical capabilities.

Overview of the whitepaper
This whitepaper explores the strengths and weaknesses of 16 data lineage platforms, including popular tools like Collibra, Alation, and open-source alternatives such as Apache Atlas and Amundsen. It evaluates each tool against a set of objective criteria, including types of lineage, data source integration, granularity, visualisation, and more.

Key findings:

• Commercial vs Open-Source tools: While commercial platforms generally score higher on usability and features, open-source tools can be a cost-effective option for organisations with the right technical expertise.
• Importance of granularity and visualisation: The ability to view data lineage at the column level and customise visualisations is crucial for both technical teams and business stakeholders.
• Scalability and collaboration: Tools that facilitate team collaboration and handle large-scale data environments are increasingly necessary for growing organisations.
• Context matters: The best tool is highly context-dependent. It is vital to thoroughly understand the company’s specific requirements and objectives to ensure the right choice is made. Each organisation’s data ecosystem, resources, and long-term goals should be carefully considered when selecting a data lineage platform.

Conclusion

Selecting the right data lineage platform can have a positive impact on your organisation’s ability to manage data effectively. Whether opting for a commercial tool or an open-source solution, it is essential to assess your organisation’s requirements and technical capabilities to make an informed decision. This whitepaper serves as a starting point for that evaluation, but further research and testing are recommended to find the best fit for your specific needs.

To dive deeper into the detailed analysis of each data lineage platform, download the full whitepaper below: