Fivetran is a low-code/no-code ELT (Extract, load and transform) solution that allows users to extract data from multiple sources and load it into the destination of their choice, such as a data warehouse. The fact that it focuses on data movement via ELT only, businesses with broader data integration and management requirements look for Fivetran alternatives. So, in this article, we will explore some of the best alternatives to Fivetran.

But first, let’s get some basics out of the way.

Fivetran Features

Here are some of the key features of Fivetran:

• Built-in connectors for various files, applications, databases, and data warehouses
• SQL transformations supported through dbt core
• Pre-built data models
• Volume based pricing
• No-code setup
• Local data processing

Fivetran Limitations

While Fivetran is a viable tool for basic ELT projects, it does come with some limitations when it comes to broader data integration projects, especially in large enterprises. Here are some of its limitations that prompt organizations to look for Fivetran alternatives:

• The first thing that you should know about Fivetran is that it is only meant for ELT. So, in case your data requires extensive transformation or cleaning, Fivetran is not the ideal solution. Fivetran might be a viable solution if your data is already in good shape, and you need to leverage the computing power of the destination system.
• Fivetran offers volume-based pricing and charges you based on monthly active rows (MARs). While this might be a good start for small enterprises, the costs can quickly go out of control. You need to keep a check on the usage since accurately predicting the incurred costs is a hassle.
• As far as the destinations are concerned, Fivetran supports data warehouses and databases, but it doesn’t support most data lakes.
• Fivetran is also not an ideal solution if you are looking for a complete enterprise-grade data management solution as it doesn’t support data governance or offer advanced capabilities to improve data quality.
• It also offers limited data transformation capabilities and that too through dbt core, which is an open source tool. While it enables you to conduct complex transformations in your destination through SQL statements, the constant switching between different interfaces means it’s not really a unified solution.

7 Best Fivetran Alternatives in 2024

Due to its inherent limitations, many businesses often seek Fivetran alternatives. We have listed some other data integration tools and platforms that can be a great replacement for Fivetran.

1.      Astera

Astera is a 100% no-code data management platform that has been designed with a focus on accessibility for business users. The platform is built on an industrial strength ETL/ELT engine that can easily process large volumes of data, delivering analysis-ready data for decision-making.

With Astera, you get:

• A visual drag-and-drop interface that allows users to easily build data pipelines within minutes.
• AI-powered data extraction capabilities that can extract data from PDFs, text files, spreadsheets, and other unstructured data sources, for example, purchase orders and invoices.
• Built-in connectors for various file formats (Excel, JSON, Parquet, Avro, and more), databases (Amazon Redshift, Oracle, Netezza and more), Cloud storages (SharePoint, Blob storage and more) data warehouses (Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, etc.) and data lakes (Amazon S3 and Azure Data Lake). It also supports various applications natively as well as through its custom connectors.
• Various advanced transformations and functions that allow you to manipulate data however you like. All you need to do is just drag and drop the transformations in the data flow designer.
• AI-powered auto mapper that automatically maps fields from source to destination.
• Powerful data quality features that allow you to easily cleanse, de-duplicate and validate your data based on your business rules.
• Change data capture (CDC) for all relational databases in one platform.
• Workflow automation and process orchestration.
• Award-winning customer support.

Astera also offers components for building a data warehouse from scratch, managing APIs, as well as EDI management.

As far as pricing is concerned, Astera operates on a license-based pricing model, which means you only pay one time annually regardless of the volume of the data or the connectors you are using. It also provides full visibility into how much you will pay. Additionally, Astera offers a 14-day free trial so that you can see if it fits your use-case before you commit. Together, these features and offerings make Astera stand out from the rest of the Fivetran alternatives.

2.      Talend (acquired by Qlik)

Talend, now acquired by Qlik, is a data integration platform. It’s known for its open-source version, Talend Open Studio, as well as its commercial offerings like Talend Data Integration and Talend Cloud. Here are some key features of Talend:

• Talend Open Studio is an open-source version that allows you to get started with ETL processes at no cost. It can be a viable solution if you work in a small business. However, being a free tool, Talend Open Studio has quite a lot of limitations.
• As far as the commercial license is concerned, Talend is on the pricier side.
• Talend includes features for data quality and governance, allowing you to address data quality issues during the ETL process.
• The tool comes with a broad set of connectors for various databases, cloud platforms, and applications.
• The platform provides a visual design interface for building data integration jobs. You can easily design and orchestrate complex workflows.
• Talend provides version control features, so you can manage and track changes to your data integration jobs over time.

Users new to ETL tools or those without a strong technical background might find that the learning curve is rather steep. The tool’s extensive capabilities and features can be overwhelming for beginners, prompting them to look for Talend alternatives.

3.      Stitch Data

Next up in our list of Fivetran alternatives is Stitch that started in 2018 and was later acquired by Talend. It is a cloud-based ELT tool that is a better fit for small enterprises. Here are some key features of Stitch data:

• Stitch data is good for replicating data from databases and applications.
• The tool supports basic transformations but for more complex transformations, you need to use Talend, making the process less intuitive.
• Stitch supports various connectors for popular databases, SaaS applications, cloud platforms, and more. For connectors that are not supported by the tool, you can create custom integrations, but you need to be familiar with Singer, which can complicate the process for business users.
• It can automatically detect changes in source data schemas and adjust the destination schema accordingly.
• Stitch is designed to work with cloud-based data warehouses, and its compatibility might be limited if you’re using on-premises data storage solutions.

As far as pricing is concerned, Stitch offers three types of data plans: the Standard plan at $100 for a monthly data processing capacity of 5 million rows, and it can scale up to $1250 for a capacity of 300 million rows, however you can still only connect to 1 destination. The Advanced plan costs $1,250/month for only 100 million rows and only 3 destinations. Finally, the Premium plan costs $2,500/month for a billion rows and only 5 destinations.

4.      Matillion

Matillion, a cloud-based data integration solution, comes in at fourth in our list of Fivetran alternatives. The platform is designed to run on popular cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Here are some of the key features of the platform:

1. It provides a low-code interface that allows data teams to build and orchestrate data pipelines. Unlike Astera, it’s not a truly no-code solution.
2. The tool supports various connectors to popular databases, data warehouses and SaaS applications.
3. It also offers version control, allowing you to keep track of all your ETL jobs.
4. Another feature that Matillion offers is that you can save a list of values or variables and use them in another component.
5. Matillion supports post load transformations. You can either create transformation components or you can use SQL statements, which can be tedious.

Matillion also offers variable pricing. It offers three different packages: basic, advanced and enterprise costing $2, $2.5, and $2.75 per credit, respectively. And this is where it gets tricky to predict the actual cost that will be incurred.

5.      Airbyte

Airbyte is an open-source ELT tool that was launched in 2020. The fact that it’s open-source, make it one of the best Fivetran alternatives. Here are some key features of Airbyte:

• It has a wide range of connectors for sources and destinations including the popular data warehouses, data lakes and databases. What is different about Airbyte connectors is that they are open-source and users can customize them accordingly. However, the users must have a sound technical background.
• It also comes with a connector builder that allows users to build their own connectors, which is why most of the connectors have been contributed by the community.
• As Airbyte is an ELT tool, it doesn’t support any transformations. The only way users can transform data is through SQL or through deep integration with dbt.
• As far as pricing is concerned, Airbyte offers credit-based pricing. Credits are consumed based on volume.

6.      Integrate.io

Integrate.io is a cloud-based data integration tool with a focus on ETL and data warehouse integration. The company was founded in 2021 and is a result of the merger between Xplenty, FlyData, DreamFactory, and Intermix.io.

It is a low-code platform that runs on Amazon Web services, which means it’s not the best solution for organizations that want to empower their businesses users and reduce reliance on IT. Here are some key features of integrate.io:

1. It comes with a visual interface and various transformations such as sort, filter, join etc.
2. The tool supports ELT, ETL, CDC as well as Reverse ETL.
3. It also has inbuilt support for various databases, SaaS platforms, data warehouses, and BI tools.
4. It offers an API generation tool that allows you to connect to data sources that don’t offer APIs.

As far as the pricing is concerned, Integrate.io has a different pricing structure for each of its components. For example, there are three packages for ETL and Reverse ETL including starter, enterprise and professional. The starter package starts from $15000. The starting price for ELT and CDC is $159 per month for 5M rows. As for the API generation component, you need to contact the sales team for a custom quote.

7.      Hevo Data

Hevo Data, the last in our list of Fivetran alternatives, is another ETL/ELT tool that transfers data from source systems to destination. You can use the platform to collect data from various sources and send it to a data warehouse or a database. Here are some key features of Hevo Data:

• It supports various connectors to popular databases, data warehouses and SaaS applications. It includes 40+ free connectors.
• With Hevo Data, you can pre-load transformations through Python.
• The flexibility to execute transformation code for each event within the configured data pipelines. To perform these transformations, you need to edit the properties of the event object received as a parameter in the transform method, which can be complex, and, therefore, time-consuming.

Which is the Best Fivetran Alternative?

The tool that you opt for depends on your use case and the size and budget of your company. If you are a small enterprise, then you could opt for a tool that offers variable pricing as it can be a viable option to get things going.

However, if you are a large enterprise with broader data integration and management needs then you should opt for a complete data management solution such as Astera. The platform is packed with features and, most importantly, it is easy to use so you can get started with it immediately. Astera offers an annual license, making it easier to budget.

Ready to try Astera? Download the 14-day free trial today.