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Snowflake Cortex review — The Jouster's take

Snowflake Cortex review: the AI suite built into Snowflake for analysis and content generation from your data. Pricing, alternatives, who it's for.

J
The Jouster
Tests AI tools for real, from Paris
Updated
4 min read
Tool fact sheet
Snowflake Cortexsnowflake.com0Le Jouteurprofil
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Snowflake Cortex
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Snowflake Cortex in brief

Snowflake's AI suite lets you run LLMs directly on data stored in Snowflake without moving it. Extremely powerful if you're already in the Snowflake ecosystem. Pointless otherwise.

  • PricePay as you go
  • CategoryData
  • RecommendedYes

The Essentials

  • AI suite built into Snowflake for analytics and generation from your data
  • Pay as you go (Snowflake credits)
  • LLMs (Mixtral, Mistral, Llama) directly on Snowflake data, Cortex Search, Cortex Analyst
  • For data teams on Snowflake who want to integrate LLMs without leaving the platform

What is Snowflake Cortex?

Snowflake Cortex is Snowflake's full AI feature set. The pitch: run LLMs directly on data stored in Snowflake, no exports, no external API calls. Features include AI SQL functions (COMPLETE, SUMMARIZE, CLASSIFY), Cortex Search for semantic search across tables, and Cortex Analyst for natural language questions over your data. The key: everything stays inside Snowflake, with the same security and governance guarantees you already have.

Strengths

LLMs directly on your Snowflake data

No extraction, no external API call, data doesn't move. For enterprises with strict data constraints, that's a major security win.

Native AI SQL functions

SNOWFLAKE.CORTEX.COMPLETE() in SQL directly on a table: generate text, summarize, classify from standard SQL queries. Highly accessible for data engineers.

Cortex Analyst for NL to SQL

Ask a data mart questions in plain English with Cortex Analyst. Non-tech stakeholders can query data without writing SQL.

Limits

You need to be on Snowflake

If your data isn't in Snowflake, Cortex doesn't apply. It's an add-on feature for existing Snowflake customers.

Additional cost in credits

Every Cortex call burns Snowflake credits. At scale, the cost can add up fast.

Pricing

Pay as you go in Snowflake credits. Check snowflake.com/en/product/ai for Cortex pricing.

Alternatives

For ML on data without Snowflake: MindsDB. For NL to SQL: Vanna AI. For cloud text-to-SQL: ThoughtSpot.

Verdict

Snowflake Cortex is excellent for teams already on Snowflake who want to integrate LLMs into their data pipeline. Security and governance are baked in. For teams outside Snowflake, more accessible alternatives exist.

FAQ

Which LLMs are available in Snowflake Cortex?

Cortex offers several models: Mistral, Mixtral, Meta's Llama, and potentially others. Check snowflake.com for the current list.

Is Snowflake Cortex available in all Snowflake regions?

Availability may vary by region. Check Snowflake docs for Cortex availability in your region.

Can you use Cortex with unstructured data?

Cortex Search and the LLM functions can handle unstructured text data stored in Snowflake.

Is Snowflake Cortex enterprise security certified?

Snowflake holds numerous certifications (SOC2, ISO 27001, HIPAA). Cortex inherits the platform's security guarantees.


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Screenshots Snowflake Cortex

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Snowflake Cortex homepage, data & analysis AI tool
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Snowflake Cortex pricing page: plans and rates
Pricing
Snowflake Cortex features, data & analysis AI tool
Features
The Jouster's verdict

Snowflake Cortex : 0/10.

Snowflake's AI suite lets you run LLMs directly on data stored in Snowflake without moving it. Extremely powerful if you're already in the Snowflake ecosystem. Pointless otherwise..

Test Snowflake Cortex yourself

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