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Home/Questions/SQL/Explain the difference between Star and Snowflake schemas. When would you choose one over the other?

Explain the difference between Star and Snowflake schemas. When would you choose one over the other?

SQLmedium0.6 min readPremium

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Asked at 1 company

Category

487

questions in SQL

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130E|271M|86H

in this category

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1,863

across 7 categories

Asked at these companies

Key Concepts Tested

join snowflake sql

Expert AnswerPremium

113 wordsInterview-ready

**Star**: Central fact table with denormalized dimensions; one join per dimension. **Snowflake**: Normalized dimensions with hierarchies (e.g., region → country → city). **Why choose Star**: Query simplicity drives performance—fewer joins mean faster execution; BI tools generate simpler SQL; caching works better....

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