The best ETL tools for Salesforce data movement in 2025

Think about every time a customer interacts with your brand. It could be something as small as browsing your website, reaching out to ask a question, or as big as making a major purchase. All these interactions leave a trace of valuable data, and to use it effectively, you refer to your customer relationship management (CRM) platform, like Salesforce.

And if you need to integrate it, say, with your data analysis tool, then there’s no shortage of options. But that means you’ll need to spend a good amount of time researching for the right ETL tool for Salesforce.

Well, not today, because in this article, we list the best Salesforce ETL tools that enable you to move data efficiently.

Built-in Salesforce ETL tools and capabilities

Among several CRMs, Salesforce stands out as it’s a fully integrated, cloud-based ecosystem that helps you build and manage customer relationships, optimize sales, provide customer support, and, most importantly, achieve a single source of truth (SSOT) for customer data.

With that, it also offers tools and capabilities that you can use for basic data extraction, transformation, and loading tasks:

Salesforce Data Loader

A client application by Salesforce that enables you to import and export data in bulk. Specifically, you can insert new data as well as update, delete, and export existing records. Keep in mind that with Data Loader, you have the option to upload data either via a CSV format or a database connection, while data exports only support CSV files. Additionally, you’ll need to split records into multiple batches if you have more than 50,000 records.

Salesforce Data Import Wizard

If you only need to load data into Salesforce, the Data Import Wizard can be a viable option, albeit in very specific situations. This is because the capability requires that data be ready to import, i.e., the data’s quality must be impeccable. Once again, there are file size and record limitations, as in the case of Data Loader. Coupling that with the need for another tool to prepare data beforehand makes it clear that it’s rarely viable.

Salesforce Connect

A better alternative to Salesforce Data Loader and Data Import Wizard is Salesforce Connect. It enables you to access and query data from external sources like files and databases without having to replicate data into Salesforce. This option is ideal when you have high-volume data that you want to access but don’t want to move into Salesforce.

However, Salesforce Connect only supports data sources with connectors that support API. With that, there are also per-hour callout limits depending on whether you’re using the Enterprise or Developer edition, which means you will need to create a support case if you reach the limit.

Why do you need an ETL tool for Salesforce then?

So, what’s missing? A lot, especially if we consider the key phrase here, i.e., customer data.  While Salesforce offers a good amount of information on your customers, it’s far from complete. You must integrate this information with data from other systems—whether it’s a data warehouse, an analytics platform, or another business application before you can get the full picture of your customers’ journey. And to integrate this data, you need an ETL tool for Salesforce.

Here are specific reasons why you would be better off with an integration tool for Salesforce data:

• Salesforce is a CRM platform, which means you will need a fully functional data warehouse to analyze the data properly
• Salesforce’s built-in data integration and ETL capabilities are restrictive and do not work well with complex data environments or legacy systems
• You still need a separate tool or platform to manage data quality
• The built-in tools Salesforce offers do not support complex transformations
• Lack of features for scheduling and automating workflows

In short, with an ETL tool, you can extract data from Salesforce, transform it, and load it into your centralized data repository for data analysis according to your specific requirements.

The best Salesforce ETL tools for data integration and analysis

Astera

Astera offers an AI-based data management platform that enables you to build end-to-end data pipelines without writing a single line of code. Whether you need to extract structured data from unstructured sources, ETL Salesforce data, build a fully functional data warehouse, or design, publish, and monitor APIs, everything is a matter of drag-and-drop.

 Astera’s native Salesforce connector means you can quickly ETL data into or out of Salesforce, all the while ensuring that it’s healthy and transformed the way your systems need it.

Here are some reasons why users love Astera:

• The ability to connect multiple Salesforce instances simultaneously and integrate data
• Support for both standard and custom entities and fields created in Salesforce
• Support for the Data Source Browser to view all the entities in your Salesforce instance at a glance
• The ability to bulk insert large volumes of Salesforce data both in single and multiple batches of a specified size

Pricing: Astera offers pricing that’s tailored to the specific needs of your business. For information on pricing, contact us.

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Talend (Qlik)

Talend, now acquired by Qlik, is an ETL platform that enables you to transfer data to and from Salesforce in a visual drag-and-drop UI. Like Astera, it offers the ability to transform data without relying on external integrations.

Although it provides a visual UI, learning and using the tool to its full potential takes considerable time, suggesting that the learning curve is considerably steep. Moreover, since Talend relies on Salesforce APIs, you may still be affected by Salesforce API limits, potentially slowing down data transfers during high-demand periods. Given the limitations, you might want to check out some Talend alternatives.

Pricing: Talend (Qlik) offers four plans: Starter, Standard, Premium, and Enterprise. You’ll need to contact their team to get a quote.

Jitterbit

Jitterbit is another platform to move your data to and from Salesforce via ETL. It offers the ability to connect to different sources, enabling you to synchronize and integrate data for analysis.

Jitterbit’s UI is easy to navigate; however, it’s not a fully no-code platform. This means you’ll need to use code in most cases, especially when performing complex data transformations and implementing data validation rules that go beyond basic checks.

Pricing: Jitterbit offers three plans with varying features. You’ll need to contact the vendor to get a quote.

Blendo (Rudderstack)

Blendo, now merged with RudderStack, a data engineering platform, combines ETL functionality with real-time event streaming. Like Astera and other platforms, it provides a dedicated connector that enables syncing of Salesforce data to cloud data warehouses.

Rudderstack’s developer-centric focus means it’s highly customizable and may appeal to your data engineering teams familiar with coding. At the same time, it also means that it’s not approachable for business users who are more likely to use ETL features for Salesforce data movement. This, in turn, translates to increased reliance on technical personnel and costs.

Pricing: In addition to a free plan with limited capabilities, Rudderstack offers Starter, Growth, and Enterprise plans with custom pricing.

Dataloader.io

Developed by MuleSoft, dataloader.io is a lightweight, Salesforce-native ETL tool to import, export, and delete data within Salesforce environments. It is primarily geared toward Salesforce administrators and business users who need a basic tool to handle Salesforce data migrations without extensive technical set up.

With that, it’s important to keep in mind that the tool is limited to basic ETL capabilities. Additionally, dataloader.io is exclusively for Salesforce data, which means you will still need a full-fledged ETL tool to combine Salesforce data with multiple data sources.

Pricing: Dataloader.io offers Professional and Enterprise plans in addition to a free version with pricing that’s based on the number of users.

Hevo Data

Hevo Data is another option to move data into and out of Salesforce if you need a cloud-based solution. Like Astera, it features a drag-and-drop UI and offers a Salesforce connector to ingest data and apply transformations within the platform.

Although the tool offers solid transformation options, it lacks the in-depth customization and flexibility that tools like Astera provide for more complex, conditional workflows. Hevo Data also relies on Salesforce APIs for data extraction, which means it can be affected by Salesforce’s API limits during high-volume syncs.

Pricing: Like other ETL tools, Hevo Data offers multiple pricing options. You must contact their team to get a quote if you need an enterprise-grade solution.

Fivetran

Fivetran is a data movement platform that relies on ELT to extract data from Salesforce and load it into a data warehouse. This means that you will be dependent on the target system for data transformation. Its integration with dbt allows transformations in the data warehouse, where you can apply SQL-based models to Salesforce data.

Transforming Salesforce data in a data warehouse requires SQL knowledge, which can be a barrier for non-technical users. Additionally, Fivetran charges based on usage and offers a premium, automated service, which can become costly if you sync Salesforce data frequently.

Pricing: Fivetran offers several pricing options for different settings. You’ll need to contact their sales team to get a personalized quote.

Stitch (Qlik) 

Stitch Data, a product of Qlik, is a lightweight, cloud-based tool that’s simple to use. You can use it to synchronize data between sources, including Salesforce. Stitch can be a viable solution if you need a straightforward way to move data from Salesforce into data warehouses via ETL.

Although it offers ETL for Salesforce, it is important to note that it lays emphasis on ELT and lacks robust in-tool transformation capabilities. This means you’ll have to rely on the capabilities of your data warehouse to handle complex transformations. In contrast, tools like Astera and Talend offer robust transformation options within the ETL process itself.

Pricing: Stitch offers Standard, Advanced, and Premium plans. The Standard plan’s pricing is based on rows per month.

Factors to consider before deciding on a tool for Salesforce ETL

When choosing an ETL tool for Salesforce data, you’ll want to consider both the specific needs of your Salesforce environment and the broader data infrastructure of your organization. In addition to ensuring that the tool has native support for Salesforce’s API and can handle both Salesforce objects and custom fields, here are some of the key factors and considerations you should take into account:

Pricing that suits your usage

Some tools offer pay-per-use models, which are ideal if you have variable data transfer needs, while others offer flat-rate or subscription models that might better suit businesses with predictable, high-volume data processing. Depending on the rest of your data infrastructure, you will need to decide which of these aligns with your data volume, frequency of syncs, and integration needs.

Usage-based pricing appeals to many businesses due to its flexibility and low initial investment requirements. However, keep in mind that as your data needs grow, not only do the associated costs rise, but it also becomes increasingly difficult to estimate the actual cost.

Ease-of-use for your team

Integrating a user-friendly and intuitive tool into your data stack ensures it benefits the intended users. In addition to streamlining Salesforce data processing and driving productivity, it allows more people to take charge of their own BI and analytics initiatives.

The volume of your data

While you may not reach a definite number, it’s still important to have a good understanding of the volume of data you need to move and how often. As noted above, Salesforce has API limits, so the ideal tool will be one that is optimized for bulk data extraction and efficiently manages API quotas.

Your data transformation needs

Not all platforms are equal when it comes to built-in data transformation capabilities. If complex transformations, like joins or data cleansing, will form an essential part of your workflows, you should prefer a solution that can transform data without performing any complicated steps or writing code.

Data quality management capabilities

Storing and handling large amounts of customer data is only useful for decision-making if it’s healthy. The good news is that most ETL tools offer different features and capabilities to clean data. These generally include automated deduplication, validation rules, and error detection. The not-so-good news is that you’ll need to strike a balance between ease of use and effectiveness, as these features vary widely.

Automation and scheduling requirements

The option to automate routine syncs is invaluable, especially if you handle large volumes of customer data. At a bare minimum, automation should support scheduled syncs to keep your data consistently updated across platforms without manual intervention. The baseline functionality helps reduce data lag and prevents manual errors that could compromise data quality.

Ideally, though, look for automation features that go further. Real-time or near-real-time sync capabilities deliver data available at any given moment. Scheduling options and dependency-based automation further enhance performance, allowing you to run data syncs when needed or trigger them upon meeting specific conditions.

Why you should choose Astera to integrate Salesforce data

The best Salesforce ETL tool will be the one that caters to your specific requirements most efficiently. Astera stands out from the competition as it offers a single, unified platform for end-to-end Salesforce data management. Here are some more reasons to consider Astera for your Salesforce ETL needs:

• 100% no-code, easy-to-use interface means all your data teams can manage their own Salesforce ETL pipelines without relying on IT
• The ability to connect with cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments using native and custom connectors enables you to combine data from diverse sources and load it to the destination of your choice
• Adaptive data pipelines that adjust to any changes in the sources automatically
• Built-in transformations enable you to format your Salesforce data however you want for deeper analysis
• The ability to automate routine tasks and workflows effortlessly speeds up Salesforce data analysis
• Consistently reliable customer support available round the clock, regardless of geographic location

Take the first step to streamline your Salesforce ETL pipeline with Astera’s 14-day free trial.