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Amazon EMR Reviews

Vendor: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
3.9 out of 5
1,122 followers
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What is Amazon EMR?

Amazon Elastic MapReduce (Amazon EMR) is a web service that makes it easy to quickly and cost-effectively process vast amounts of data. Amazon EMR simplifies big data processing, providing a managed Hadoop framework that makes it easy, fast, and cost-effective for you to distribute and process vast amounts of your data across dynamically scalable Amazon EC2 instances.
Get the Amazon EMR Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Amazon EMR, Apache Spark, Cloudera Distribution for Hadoop and more!
Amazon EMR is the #3 ranked solution in top Hadoop solutions and #12 ranked solution in top Cloud Data Warehouse solutions. PeerSpot users give Amazon EMR an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. Amazon EMR is most commonly compared to Apache Spark: Amazon EMR vs Apache Spark. Amazon EMR is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 73% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 26% of all views.
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Amazon EMR
March 2025
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Amazon EMR mindshare

Product category:
Hadoop
As of April 2025, the mindshare of Amazon EMR in the Hadoop category stands at 13.3%, down from 17.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Hadoop

PeerAnalyst reports based on Amazon EMR reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryHadoopApr 1, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersApr 1, 2025Download
ComparisonAmazon EMR vs Apache SparkApr 1, 2025Download
ComparisonAmazon EMR vs Cloudera Distribution for HadoopApr 1, 2025Download
ComparisonAmazon EMR vs HPE Ezmeral Data FabricApr 1, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Apache Spark4.217.5%90%65 interviewsAdd to research
Cloudera Distribution for Hadoop4.025.1%92%50 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Amazon EMR offers scalability and cost-effectiveness, using auto-scaling and managed services for ease of use. It integrates seamlessly with Hadoop, HDFS, and multiple open-source platforms. Users appreciate its stability, reliability, and high processing efficiency with tools like Hive, Spark, and Flink. EMR provides robust data management with flexible cloud storage options. Its secure workflow management is valued, and the pricing is resource-based, supporting extensive data processing without hardware management overhead.
  • "Amazon EMR has multiple connectors that can connect to various data sources."
  • "The security of the managed workflow and the managed services are the best features for us. Since we inherited their security model and it's all managed services, those are the key benefits for our clients."
  • "The solution helps us manage huge volumes of data."

Room for Improvement

Amazon EMR requires improved user interface, better integration with tools like Hive and Prometheus Grafana, and enhanced stability. Configuration complexity poses a challenge for users. Cost control and scalability need optimization. Initial startup is slow, and legacy version compatibility is problematic. Automation for cluster resizing and enhanced support are crucial. Improved monitoring, debugging, and web support are necessary. Users suggest more flexible features and improvements in CI/CD, MLOps, and data storage management.
  • "Spark jobs take longer on Amazon EMR compared to previous experiences."
  • "The solution can become expensive if you are not careful."
  • "The product must add some of the latest technologies to provide more flexibility to the users."

ROI

ROI from Amazon EMR varies by company and usage. Many companies see significant cost savings and a high return on investment, especially those transitioning from on-premise systems. Some businesses report up to 20% cost reduction, and returns of at least two to one are common. However, some companies have not quantified their ROI, and others cannot specify exact figures.

Pricing

Amazon EMR pricing varies by vendor and usage, often considered high compared to competitors like Microsoft. Costs are primarily driven by underlying infrastructure, with no additional licensing fees, as it’s a fully managed service. Users pay only for EC2 resources, dictated by clusters and usage time. Feedback indicates prices range significantly, from $40,000 monthly costs to licensing fees reaching over a million annually for large clients. Pricing is seen as expensive, with unexpected charges possible.
  • "I rate the tool's pricing a five out of ten. It can be expensive since it's a managed service, and if you are not careful, you can run into unexpected charges. You can make a mistake that costs you tens of thousands of dollars. That's happened to us twice, so I'm sensitive to it. We're still trying to work on that. Our smallest client probably spends a hundred thousand dollars yearly on licensing, while our largest is well over a million."
  • "The product is not cheap, but it is not expensive."
  • "Amazon EMR is not very expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily utilize Amazon EMR to process large-scale data, execute Spark scripts, and manage data pipelines. They deploy EMR on cloud infrastructure, often integrating it with other AWS services like SageMaker for data analysis and personalized recommendations. Use cases include building data lakes, handling B2B project management, migrating workflows to serverless architectures, and supporting AI-driven analytics projects across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and public management systems. Data is commonly stored and processed using Amazon S3.

Service and Support

Amazon EMR's customer service and support show inconsistency, with experiences ranging from exceptional responsiveness to dissatisfaction with response times. Many users express satisfaction with technical support's knowledge and responsiveness, while some highlight challenges in integration with open-source solutions. Premier Partners appreciate direct contact with product teams. Several users commend their timely assistance through chat portals, contributing to high ratings, while others desire faster response times. There is admirable satisfaction among numerous organizations.

Deployment

Amazon EMR's initial setup is described as straightforward and easy by many users. It often requires minimal time for deployment, ranging from 30 minutes to a day, depending on configurations and familiarity with the tool. While some complexities are noted, especially for new users, many find using the AWS Console or Terraform beneficial. Challenges such as configuring multi-factor authentication can arise. Teams generally consist of a few members, with tasks divided among DevOps and cloud specialists.

Scalability

Amazon EMR is widely perceived as highly scalable, accommodating various user needs related to memory, storage, and GPU. It performs well for enterprises and large organizations with up to thousands of users, allowing flexible scaling. Some report issues with resource allocation timing and computational performance between cloud and on-premises environments. Users mention a scalable platform that can be customized for specific needs, demonstrating reliability in handling extensive data processing tasks.

Stability

Amazon EMR is described as a stable and reliable platform by multiple users, with no significant issues noted in terms of stability. Some mention necessary configuration adjustments for optimal performance. Occasional issues arise but are not frequent. The tool is rated high in terms of stability, with some suggesting minor improvements. High availability and data integrity are highlighted, contributing to its reliability. Users consistently find Amazon EMR to be stable.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Amazon EMR Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
8%
University
6%
Healthcare Company
5%
Media Company
4%
Government
3%
Retailer
3%
Insurance Company
3%
Construction Company
2%
Energy/Utilities Company
2%
Comms Service Provider
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Logistics Company
1%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Hospitality Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Non Profit
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%

Compare Amazon EMR with alternative products

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Learn more about Amazon EMR

Amazon EMR was previously known as Amazon Elastic MapReduce.

Amazon EMR customers

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Hadoop
Cloud Data Warehouse

Popular Comparisons

Popular Comparisons
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Amazon EMR reviews

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JC
Director of Data Science at HealthWorks Analytics
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Jun 17, 2024
Manages workflows but can become expensive if the user is not careful

Pros

"The security of the managed workflow and the managed services are the best features for us. Since we inherited their security model and it's all managed services, those are the key benefits for our clients. "

Cons

"The solution can become expensive if you are not careful. "

What is our primary use case?

We use the tool to maintain workflows on behalf of our customers.  We use it in the medical field, particularly in public health and government healthcare. However, our primary role is maintaining and developing the solution for our clients rather than using it internally.

What is most valuable?

The security of the managed workflow and the managed services are the best features for us. Since we inherited their security model and it's all managed services, those are the key benefits for our clients.

*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Read full review (662 words)
Prashant Singh - PeerSpot user
Vice President -Product Management at Paytm
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Nov 26, 2024
Seamless data integration enhances reporting efficiency and an easy setup

Pros

"Amazon EMR has multiple connectors that can connect to various data sources."

Cons

"Spark jobs take longer on Amazon EMR compared to previous experiences."

What is our primary use case?

I am a solution provider using Amazon EMR. Our main customer, American Express, pulls data from multiple sources, processes it, and provides analytics reporting. Amazon EMR supports AI-driven projects by allowing on-the-fly execution of algorithms to segregate data based on character properties.

What is most valuable?

Amazon EMR has multiple connectors that can connect to various data sources. The service charges are based on processing only, depending on the resources used, which can help save money. It is easy to integrate with other services for storage, allowing data to be shifted to cheaper storage based on usage.

*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Read full review (338 words)
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Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon EMR. Updated March 2025
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Ilya Afanasyev - PeerSpot user
Senior Software Development Engineer at Yahoo!
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Aug 22, 2022
Great for big jobs, reliable, and doesn't require an elaborate setup

Pros

"When we grade big jobs from on-prem to the cloud, we do it in EMR with Spark. "

Cons

"The problem for us is it starts very slow. "

What is our primary use case?

We usually use EMR with Spark and bring in Airflow or something. For example, when we grade big jobs from on-prem to the cloud, we do it in EMR with Spark. 

What is most valuable?

In the main application, we use Hive, Spark, and Flink, and there are some additional small tools. We have to do this job inside EMR itself and run from Airflow. We also use a service from Amazon, and we manage jobs through Airflow. There's lots of scheduling, et cetera, that happens. Before, we used Jenkins. Now, we also integrate from Jenkins to Airflow and its processes. It's easier to have everything connected via Amazon. 

*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Read full review (473 words)
Quan Vu - PeerSpot user
Data Governance Manager at VPBFC
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Aug 25, 2023
Provides efficient data processing features and has good scalability

Pros

" It allows users to access the data through a web interface."

Cons

"There is no need to pay extra for third-party software."

What is our primary use case?

We use Amazon EMR for data processing. We read the data from S3 and then write the processed data back to S3. It allows users to access the data through a web interface.

What is most valuable?

The product has affordable pricing. We can integrate it easily with multiple open-source platforms.

*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Read full review (463 words)
RahulJadhav - PeerSpot user
Hadoop Administrator at Capgemini
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Oct 18, 2022
Product version discussed: 5
User-friendly, easy to deploy, and good fault tolerance

Pros

"In Amazon EMR it is easy to rebuild anything, easy to upgrade and has good fault tolerance."

Cons

"Amazon EMR can improve by adding some features, such as megastore services and HiveServer2. Additionally, the user interface could be better, similar to what Apache service provides, cross-platform services."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Amazon EMR for big data processing. We have a client which has financial data and we are using a big data framework to process the data. Amazon EMR is providing all these features needed and we are using Amazon S3 for storage purposes.

We are in the process of moving many aspects of our processes into clouds, such as AWS Managed Services for metrics. We want to migrate our graph and many other aspects to Amazon AWS.

What is most valuable?

In Amazon EMR it is easy to rebuild anything, easy to upgrade and has good fault tolerance.

*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Read full review (518 words)
Prashant Singh - PeerSpot user
Vice President -Product Management at Paytm
Verified user of Amazon EMR
May 30, 2022
Product version discussed: 6.x
Easy to manage and reliable but the cost is hard to control

Pros

"The solution is pretty simple to set up. "

Cons

"We don't have much control. If we have multiple users, if they want to scale up, the cost will go and increase and we don't know how we can restrict that price part. "

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for tech processing. 

How has it helped my organization?

It's made life very easy. Now, a lot of things are very automated. 

*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Read full review (491 words)
CG
AWS / Big Data Engineer at Waste Management, Inc.
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Aug 5, 2023
Suitable for online deployments with a serverless architecture

Pros

"The initial setup is straightforward. "

Cons

"There is room for improvement in pricing. "

What is our primary use case?

EMR Serverless is useful for online deployments that require a serverless architecture. We were previously using a server-based architecture, but we have since switched to serverless.

How has it helped my organization?

The product is very well-designed. It is easy to use, and it is very cost-effective.  

*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Read full review (363 words)
VinayKumar2 - PeerSpot user
Lead Data Engineer at Seven Lakes Enterprises, Inc.
Verified user of Amazon EMR
Aug 21, 2023
Simplifies running big data frameworks, but needs to improve its modules

Pros

"It has a variety of options and support systems. "

Cons

"Modules and strategies should be better handled and notified early in advance."

What is our primary use case?

EMR is used to analyze data for projects where we wish to ingest multiple data sources into our analysts' data lakes. EMR is further used to process millions of roles within a fixed span of hours.

What is most valuable?

It gives us multiple options from Infra to the WES and different tools. It has a variety of options and support systems. Plus, it makes life easy for our developers, whether in the cloud or on-prem. Related DevOS installations are quick and easy to maintain.

*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Read full review (428 words)