At a glance
| Metadata ingestion and connectors | Hooks for Hadoop components (Hive, HBase, Impala, Kafka, Sqoop, Storm) and REST APIs |
| Lineage | Yes, UI and REST APIs |
| Business glossary | Yes, terms and categories |
| Stewardship and workflows | Not documented as a workflow feature |
| Access policies | Fine-grained access to entities; data access enforced through Apache Ranger |
| Classification | Manual classifications with propagation through lineage |
| Search and discovery | Basic and DSL search in UI and REST |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, built from source (Maven, Java 8, 11 or 17); Docker build available |
| Licensing | Apache 2.0, free |
Apache Atlas fits organisations running Hadoop-based platforms with Hive, HBase, Kafka and Apache Ranger, where classification-based security policies are the main goal. Development continues with a 2026 release, but it is a framework you build and operate yourself, and it covers modern cloud warehouses and BI tools far less than newer open source catalogs.
Overview
Apache Atlas is a set of core governance services for Hadoop that lets enterprises model, classify and audit their data assets. It ships predefined metadata types for Hadoop and non-Hadoop systems, lets you define your own, and records entities and lineage through REST APIs and hooks that capture metadata from Hive, HBase, Impala, Kafka, Sqoop, Storm and other components.
Its best-known feature is classification: you attach labels such as PII or SENSITIVE to entities, the labels propagate along lineage, and Apache Ranger can enforce access and masking policies based on them. Atlas also provides a glossary of terms and categories, plus search by type, classification, attribute or free text and a SQL-like DSL. Releases are source-only archives; 2.5.0 is current, with 2.6.0 in release candidates.
Key features
- Extensible type system with predefined Hadoop and non-Hadoop metadata types
- Classifications that propagate through lineage
- Lineage UI and REST APIs to read and update lineage
- Business glossary with terms and categories assignable to entities
- Search by type, classification, attribute or free text, plus a SQL-like DSL
- Apache Ranger integration for classification-based authorization and data masking
- Hooks for Hive, HBase, Impala, Kafka, Sqoop and Storm
Integrations and ecosystem
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free Apache project with continued releases in 2026
- Classification propagation and Ranger tag-based policies are well suited to Hadoop security
- Extensible type system and REST APIs
Cons
- Source-only releases: you build, package and operate it yourself
- Hooks focus on Hadoop components; cloud warehouses and BI tools are not covered by the documented hooks
- No stewardship workflows or managed edition from the project
Pricing
Apache Atlas is free open source software under the Apache 2.0 licence, with no paid edition from the Apache Software Foundation. Releases are published as source archives that you build with Maven, and you pay only for the infrastructure you run it on.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Hadoop platform teams that use Apache Ranger and want classification-driven access control and lineage on Hive, HBase and Kafka.
Typical use cases
- Tagging PII columns in Hive and enforcing masking through Ranger tag-based policies
- Tracing lineage from ingestion to Hive tables for audits
- Maintaining a glossary of business terms mapped to Hadoop assets
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams on cloud warehouses and modern BI tools who want broad connectors and a polished discovery UI: look at DataHub or OpenMetadata.
Verdict
Apache Atlas is still maintained and remains the natural catalog where Hadoop and Ranger are the centre of the platform. Outside that world its narrow set of hooks and do-it-yourself packaging make newer open source catalogs or a cloud-native catalog the more practical choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Atlas still maintained?
Yes. Version 2.5.0 was released on 30 April 2026, and 2.6.0 release candidates were tagged between August and September 2026. Development continues, with a focus on the Hadoop ecosystem.
Does Apache Atlas work with Apache Ranger?
Yes. Ranger can use Atlas classifications for classification-based authorization and data masking, so a PII tag set in Atlas can drive access policies.
Is there a binary download of Apache Atlas?
The Apache download site publishes Atlas releases as source archives. You build the distribution with Maven, or use the Docker build in the repository.
Sources
- Apache Atlas website
- Apache Atlas GitHub repository
- Apache Atlas tags (release candidates)
- Apache Atlas downloads
- Apache Atlas overview (documentation source)
Checked November 2026.
Listed in: Data Catalog & Governance.
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