---
title: "Quickstarts"
meta:
    description: Start building on managed ClickHouse with Tinybird.
---

# Quickstarts

Tinybird combines managed ClickHouse® with a developer experience and tooling fine-tuned for agentic coding and modern development workflows. Build analytics features by ingesting data, transforming it with SQL, and exposing the results to applications, tools, and agents.

## What Tinybird adds to ClickHouse

- Ingest streaming and batch data through the Events API and managed [Connections](/forward/core-concepts/connections) for Kafka, Amazon S3, and Google Cloud Storage.
- Define Data Sources, Connections, Pipes, API Endpoints, and Materialized Views as code with TypeScript, Python, or datafiles.
- Develop with [Tinybird Local](/forward/core-concepts/tinybird-local) and isolated [Cloud Branches](/forward/development-workflow/using-cloud-branches), then deploy through [CI/CD](/forward/development-workflow/cicd).
- Query data through Endpoints, the [Query API](/api-reference/query-api), the [ClickHouse® interface](/forward/query-data/clickhouse-interface), or [MCP](/forward/query-data/mcp).

## Choose how to build

{% html %}
<ul role="list" class="list-none pl-0! grid gap-4 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
  <li role="listitem" class="relative block rounded border border-v-border-02 p-4 hover:border-v-border-03 dark:hover:border-v-text">
    <a class="absolute inset-0 z-10" href="/docs/forward/quickstarts/typescript-sdk" aria-label="Open TypeScript SDK quickstart"></a>
    <p class="t-body-2-semibold">TypeScript SDK</p>
    <p class="t-body-4 text-v-text-01 mt-1"><span class="block">Define Data Sources and Endpoints with typed resources.</span></p>
  </li>
  <li role="listitem" class="relative block rounded border border-v-border-02 p-4 hover:border-v-border-03 dark:hover:border-v-text">
    <a class="absolute inset-0 z-10" href="/docs/forward/quickstarts/python-sdk" aria-label="Open Python SDK quickstart"></a>
    <p class="t-body-2-semibold">Python SDK</p>
    <p class="t-body-4 text-v-text-01 mt-1"><span class="block">Define resources in Python and deploy with the Tinybird CLI.</span></p>
  </li>
  <li role="listitem" class="relative block rounded border border-v-border-02 p-4 hover:border-v-border-03 dark:hover:border-v-text">
    <a class="absolute inset-0 z-10" href="/docs/forward/quickstarts/cli" aria-label="Open Tinybird CLI quickstart"></a>
    <p class="t-body-2-semibold">Tinybird CLI</p>
    <p class="t-body-4 text-v-text-01 mt-1"><span class="block">Use datafiles, the Tinybird CLI, and cloud branches.</span></p>
  </li>
</ul>
{% /html %}

## Not sure where to start?

- Prefer SQL-first workflows and datafiles: start with [Tinybird CLI](/forward/quickstarts/cli).
- Want typed resources and a TypeScript-native workflow: start with [TypeScript SDK](/forward/quickstarts/typescript-sdk).
- Want Python-native resource definitions and runtime usage: start with [Python SDK](/forward/quickstarts/python-sdk).

## Work with Tinybird using AI agents

[Tinybird Agent Skills](/forward/development-workflow/agent-skills) give compatible coding agents instructions for creating and reviewing Tinybird project files, SQL, tests, and deployments. Install them in your coding environment:

```shell {% title="Install Tinybird Agent Skills" %}
npx skills add tinybirdco/tinybird-agent-skills
```

The [Tinybird MCP server](/forward/query-data/mcp) gives an agent Token-scoped access to a live Workspace. The agent can inspect and query data and call published Endpoints according to the Token's permissions. Use Agent Skills and MCP together when an agent needs both project guidance and access to live Workspace data.

## Frequently asked questions about Tinybird

### Why use Tinybird instead of managing ClickHouse yourself?

Self-hosting ClickHouse requires you to operate clusters, sharding, replicas, security, monitoring, updates, backups, and deployment pipelines. Tinybird manages the ClickHouse infrastructure and adds ingestion, API publishing, authentication, and development tooling so you can focus on building analytics features. See [Migrate from ClickHouse self-hosted to Tinybird](/forward/guides/migrate-from-clickhouse).

### When should you choose Tinybird instead of ClickHouse Cloud?

Choose Tinybird when you need an app development workflow around ClickHouse®: managed ingestion, resources as code, authenticated API Endpoints, Tinybird Local, Cloud Branches, CI/CD, and MCP. You can still connect existing SQL clients and BI tools through the [ClickHouse® interface](/forward/query-data/clickhouse-interface).

### Does Tinybird support data branching and schema iteration?

Yes. [Cloud Branches](/forward/core-concepts/branches) create isolated environments where you can change schemas, queries, APIs, and connector ingestion without affecting production. A Branch can attach the latest production partition without copying the underlying data, so you can validate changes before deploying them to your main Workspace.

### How do you define and deploy Tinybird resources as code?

Define Tinybird resources with the [TypeScript SDK](/forward/quickstarts/typescript-sdk), [Python SDK](/forward/quickstarts/python-sdk), or [datafiles](/forward/dev-reference/datafiles). Commit them to Git, test with Tinybird Local or Cloud Branches, and deploy with the Tinybird CLI or [CI/CD](/forward/development-workflow/cicd).

### Which ingestion sources and managed Connections does Tinybird support?

Use the [Events API](/forward/ingest-data/events-api) for HTTP streaming, managed Connections for [Kafka](/forward/ingest-data/connectors/kafka), [Amazon S3](/forward/ingest-data/connectors/s3), and [Google Cloud Storage](/forward/ingest-data/connectors/gcs), or upload local files. Connections store credentials and integration settings and deploy with the rest of your Tinybird project.

### How can apps and AI agents query Tinybird?

Apps can call published [Endpoints](/forward/core-concepts/api-endpoints), run SQL through the [Query API](/api-reference/query-api), or use the ClickHouse® interface. AI agents can use the [Tinybird MCP server](/forward/query-data/mcp) to query permitted data and call published Endpoints. [Tokens](/forward/core-concepts/tokens) control which resources each client or agent can access.

### Which Tinybird pricing plans are available?

Tinybird offers Free, Developer, and SaaS plans on shared infrastructure, plus an Enterprise plan with a dedicated ClickHouse® cluster. See [Pricing plans](/forward/pricing) for plan features and the current [Tinybird pricing](https://www.tinybird.co/pricing) for prices.