Comparison
Delta LakevsIceberg
Delta Lake
there is a _delta_log folder of JSON commits next to the Parquet, and reading the table means replaying that log.
An open table format whose metadata is an ordered transaction log of commits alongside the data files. It came out of the Spark ecosystem and is deeply integrated with it, and its log-based design makes change data feeds and time travel natural. The practical difference from other formats is mostly ecosystem and maintenance vocabulary rather than capability.
Full entry →Iceberg
the table's partitioning was changed without rewriting any of the existing files, and old queries kept working.
An open table format built around explicit manifests and hidden partitioning, where the partition transform is stored in metadata rather than in the file path. That indirection is its distinguishing feature: a query filtering on a timestamp gets pruning without knowing the layout, and the layout can be changed later. It is a name said as a noun in architecture conversations, which is why it appears here rather than as a vendor footnote.
Full entry →