Get started: Account and workspace setup

If you’re new to Databricks, you’ve found the place to start. This article walks you through the minimum steps required to create your account and get your first workspace up and running.

For information about online training resources, see Get free Databricks training.

Requirements

  • To use your Databricks account on AWS, you need an existing AWS account. If you don’t have an AWS account, you can sign up for an AWS Free Tier account at https://aws.amazon.com/free/.

Step 1: Sign up for a free trial

You can sign up for your free Databricks trial either on the AWS Marketplace or through the Databricks website. The only difference between the two is where you’ll handle the account billing after the free trial ends.

For detailed instructions on the free trial and billing, see Databricks free trial.

Step 2: Select your subscription plan

After you verify your email address and create your password, you’re asked to choose a subscription plan. Databricks recommends the Premium plan, which adds audit logging, role-based access control, and other features that give you more control over security, governance, and more.

When your trial ends, you’ll be enrolled in the Databricks plan that you selected, but you won’t be billed without your authorization.

select subscription

Step 3: Create your first Databricks workspace

After you select your plan, you’re prompted to set up your first workspace using the AWS Quick Start. This automated template is the recommended method for workspace creation. It creates Databricks-enabled AWS resources for you so you can get your workspace up and running quickly.

For instructions on the AWS Quick Start, see Create a workspace using the AWS Quick Start.

If you’re more familiar with AWS and want to create your own AWS resources, see Create a workspace using the account console.

Step 4: Explore and use the Databricks platform

At this point, you have a functional Databricks workspace. To learn how to navigate the platform, see Navigate the workspace. To jump in and start querying data, run the Tutorial: Query data with notebooks tutorial.

Next steps

Your next steps depend on whether you want to continue setting up your account organization and security or want to start building out data pipelines: