Summary IconKEY TAKEAWAY
  • Databricks ETL tools help you extract, transform, and load data into the Databricks Lakehouse Platform for analytics, machine learning, and AI tasks.
  • These tools range from fully managed no-code platforms like Hevo to open-source frameworks like Airbyte, and even extend to Databricks’ own native capabilities like Delta Live Tables.
  • Native Databricks tools have built-in ETL with integrated governance using Unity Catalog.
  • Managed no-code platforms like Hevo have fully automated pipelines with very little engineering effort.
  • Open-source or self-hosted tools have the most flexibility and cost control for teams with DevOps capacity (Airbyte, Apache Airflow).
  • Code-centric tools, like Matillion, have advanced transformation features for high-level use cases

    Managing Databricks data without the right ETL tools can quickly become chaotic. You end up manually exporting datasets, patching them together, and wondering why reports never match. This slows decisions and leaves teams doubting their own numbers.

    The solution is using ETL tools built for Databricks. They automatically collect your scattered data, clean and transform it, and load it into Databricks or other destinations in a consistent, reliable way. That means no more chasing mismatched reports or second-guessing results.

    Databricks runs on Apache Spark for fast computation, Delta Lake for reliable storage, and Unity Catalog for governance. Add Delta Live Tables, Auto Loader, and Workflows, and you get pipelines that are scalable and efficient.

    At a Glance: Top Databricks ETL Tools

    Hevo LogoTry Hevo for Freefivetranairbyte logoqlik logoApache spark logoairflow logomatillionintegrateio
    Free Plangreen-tick
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    Open source
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    Open source
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    Open-source
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    Best for
    No-code, reliable, transparent pipelines
    Enterprise scale
    Open-source flexibility
    Data quality
    Code-first teams
    Multi-system orchestration
    Visual ELT
    Fixed pricing
    Setup time
    Minutes
    Minutes
    Hours–Days
    Days–Weeks
    Days–Weeks
    Days
    Hours
    Hours
    Pricing
    Predictable, event-based
    Per-connector MAR
    Capacity-based
    Enterprise
    DBU compute
    Free + hosting
    Consumption
    Fixed fee
    Free Plangreen-tick
    1M events
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    Limited
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    OSS free
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    Included
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    OSS free
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    Trial
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    Trial
    Security and governance
    SOC 2 Type II, encryption in transit & at rest, RBAC with audit logs
    SOC 2 & ISO 27001, encrypted data movement, role-based access
    Secrets management, self-hosted controls, encryption depends on setup
    Data quality rules, centralized governance, enterprise access controls
    Kerberos support, data encryption, external governance required
    RBAC for users & DAGs, secure secrets backends, infra-dependent security
    Role-based access, encrypted warehouse connections, VPC isolation
    SOC 2 compliant, encryption at rest & in transit, user permissions

    What are Databricks ETL Tools?

    Databricks ETL tools move your data from source systems into the Databricks Lakehouse Platform. They handle extraction from databases, SaaS applications and files, and turn raw data into analytics-ready formats. Then they load everything into Delta Lake tables, where you can query it with SQL or feed it into machine learning models.

    These tools work alongside Databricks’ core technologies 

    The ETL tool you choose determines how efficiently data flows through this ecosystem.

    Prerequisites for Using ETL Tools with Databricks

    Before tool comparisons, you need to ensure that your Databricks environment is ready to receive data. 

    The good news is that most prerequisites are simple, and if you’re already running analytics workloads on Databricks, you likely have much of this in place.

    Databricks workspace requirements

    Start with an active Databricks workspace on AWS, Azure, or GCP. 

    You’ll need a Premium plan or higher if you plan to use Partner Connect for one-click integrations with tools like Hevo or Fivetran.

    While not strictly necessary, we recommend enabling Unity Catalog as it centralizes governance and makes managing permissions across your data pipelines significantly easier.

    And don’t forget to check if you have the right compute resources configured.

    Access and authentication

    Most tools authenticate using personal access tokens (PAT) or OAuth credentials, which you can generate from your Databricks workspace settings.

    You’ll also need to allowlist the IP addresses your ETL tool uses to connect if your organization uses restricted network settings.

    For production pipelines, setting up a service principal rather than relying on individual user credentials is a best practice so that pipelines don’t break when team members leave or change passwords.

    Data architecture 

    Define your target catalog and schema in Unity Catalog so incoming data has a destination. 

    Decide whether you’ll use managed storage (where Databricks handles the underlying files) or external storage locations you control. 

    At last, establish data retention and lifecycle policies upfront to prevent storage costs from ballooning.

    Top 11 Best Databricks ETL Tools in 2025

    1. Hevo Data (Best for simple, reliable, and transparent pipelines)

    hevo transformations

    Hevo Data takes a very straightforward approach to data integration. The platform connects your sources to Databricks in minutes through a guided no-code interface that cuts away the complexity of pipeline development. 

    The platform’s auto-healing architecture detects pipeline failures and automatically retries with intelligent backoff. Schema changes in source systems, which is the bane of data engineers everywhere, get handled automatically. When APIs update or table structures shift, Hevo adapts without breaking your downstream processes.

    Hevo’s pricing model brings welcome transparency to a market notorious for surprise bills. Event-based pricing means you pay for data movement and not for inflated row counts or confusing credit systems. 

    Best features

    • Visual pipeline builder: Create production-ready data pipelines through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
    • Auto-healing pipelines: Built-in fault tolerance with intelligent retry mechanisms. When transient errors occur, Hevo automatically attempts recovery with exponential backoff
    • Automatic schema handling: Source schema changes propagate automatically to your destination
    • Real-time monitoring: Detailed dashboards show pipeline health, data volumes, and latency metrics at a glance
    • Native Partner Connect integration: One-click setup through Databricks Partner Connect on AWS, Azure, and GCP

    Pros

    • Setup takes minutes with minimal technical expertise required
    • Transparent, event-based pricing with no hidden fees or surprise overages
    • 24×7 customer support with rapid response times
    • Near real-time data replication (within 1-hour SLA for most sources)

    Cons

    • Cloud-only setup

    Pricing

    Event-based pricing starting at $299/month (Starter plan with 5M events). Free plan available with 1M events/month. Business and enterprise plans offer custom pricing with additional features.

    G2 Rating

    Hevo has been rated 4.4 / 5 on G2. Users consistently praise Hevo’s ease of use, responsive customer support, and straightforward integrations

    quote icon
    Hevo Data makes setting up and maintaining data pipelines extremely simple. The no-code interface, wide range of connectors, and automated schema mapping reduce the effort of integrating multiple data sources into a central warehouse. Its real-time replication capability ensures that analytics teams always have fresh data available without complex engineering setups.
    Ravi Shankar S.
    Full stack developer

    Use cases

    • Teams that need production-ready pipelines without dedicated data engineers
    • Organizations looking for cost predictability and transparent billing
    • Databricks users who want automated, maintenance-free data integration
    • Companies migrating from spreadsheets or manual data processes

    ➡️ See how Hevo can simplify your Databricks data pipelines. Schedule a demo now.

    2. Fivetran (Best for large connector coverage)

      fivetran-platform

      Fivetran is a data integration platform that automates the process of moving data from different sources into a central data warehouse or data lake. It boasts a large connector library with over 700 pre-built integrations.

      Fivetran works natively with Unity Catalog for governance. It also supports Delta Lake’s transactional capabilities and offers hybrid deployment options. However, the platform’s shift from account-wide Monthly Active Rows (MAR) to per-connector pricing caught many customers off guard. Organizations with numerous small connectors report significant cost increases. 

      Best features

      • Pre-built connectors: Industry-leading connector library covering databases, SaaS applications, files and event streams
      • Automatic schema drift handling: Schema changes in source systems are detected and propagated automatically
      • Unity Catalog integration: Native support for Databricks governance features
      • Hybrid deployment options: Run pipelines in Fivetran’s cloud or within your own infrastructure for sensitive data environments
      • dbt integration: Built-in orchestration of dbt transformation workflows

      Pros

      • Industry-leading connector library with consistent reliability
      • Strong enterprise security features and compliance certifications

      Cons

      • New per-connector MAR pricing (March 2025) can increase costs for multi-source setups
      • Limited support responsiveness leading to prolonged outages and missed SLAs
      • Limited transformation capabilities within the platform
      • Annual contracts with costly commitments may not suit smaller teams

      Pricing

      Fivetran has usage-based pricing calculated per Monthly Active Rows (MAR). Each connection is now billed separately. A free plan is available.

      G2 Rating

      Fivetran is rated 4.2/5 on G2. Users like Fivetran’s connector library and zero-maintenance pipelines

      quote icon
      What I like most about Fivetran is that it is very user friendly and has a lot of resources to follow for each connection making set up easy.
      Melanie T
      Sr BI Analyst

      Use Cases

      • Large enterprises that want broad connector coverage
      • Organizations with stringent compliance requirements
      • Teams standardizing on a single, fully managed ingestion platform

      Hevo vs. Fivetran

      Fivetran offers broader connector coverage but at a much higher cost, especially after the 2025 pricing changes. Hevo offers more transparent and predictable pricing with event-based billing.

      3. Airbyte (Best for open-source flexibility)

        airbyte-platform

        Airbyte is an open-source data integration platform. Its open-core model means the fundamental data movement engine is free forever; you only pay if you want managed infrastructure or enterprise features.

        The platform’s connector ecosystem is impressive, featuring over 600 sources and destinations, with thousands more contributed by the community through Airbyte’s Connector Development Kit (CDK). You can self-host on your own infrastructure or choose Airbyte Flex for hybrid deployments that keep data in your environment while Airbyte handles orchestration.

        Best features

        • 600+ connectors: Largest ecosystem that also includes community contributions
        • Connector Development Kit (CDK): Build custom connectors in Python with minimal boilerplate
        • Flexible deployment options: Choose self-hosted (free), cloud (managed), or hybrid (data sovereignty with managed orchestration)
        • Incremental Sync and CDC: Support for change data capture ensures efficient syncs that only process modified records
        • Unity Catalog integration: Native support for Databricks Delta Lake destination with full Unity Catalog compatibility

        Pros

        • Open-source core is free forever for self-hosted deployments
        • Largest connector ecosystem, including community contributions
        • Full control over infrastructure and data residency

        Cons

        • Self-hosted deployments demand DevOps expertise
        • Only around 15% of source connectors are Airbyte-managed (as of 2025)
        • Cloud pricing can accumulate quickly at scale

        Pricing

        Open source is free. Cloud starts at $10/month. Teams and Enterprise offer capacity-based pricing for predictable costs. A 14-day free trial is available

        G2 Rating

        Airbyte is rated 4.4 / 5 on G2. G2 named Airbyte a High Performer and Momentum Leader in the Summer 2025 Report

        quote icon
        What do you like best about Airbyte? Open-Source & Flexibility: Airbyte OSS stands out for its open-source approach. It's both free and self-hostable, providing full control over data and infrastructure while eliminatiing vendor lock-in. Ease of Use: For standard data pipeline (such as PostgreSQL to snowflake), the UI is very intuitive. We can deploy new pipelines in minutes, with no coding required.
        Hardik S.
        Marketing Expert

        Use cases 

        • Organizations with strong DevOps capabilities that want infrastructure control
        • Teams that need custom connectors for proprietary systems
        • Cost-conscious startups willing to invest engineering time

        Hevo vs. Airbyte

        Airbyte offers more connectors and the option to self-host for free, but it need more DevOps expertise for production deployments

        4. Qlik Talend (Best for data quality and governance)

          qlik-platform

          After Qlik acquired Talend, the platform became an enterprise-focused data integration and management solution that combines data ingestion, transformation, data quality, and governance in a single system. 

          It includes built-in data quality and profiling features, such as dataset trust indicators, to help teams evaluate reliability and usage. Talend runs natively on Apache Spark and supports pushdown optimization. 

          At the same time, teams often experience a steep learning curve, increased operational complexity as deployments scale, and licensing costs that may be difficult to justify for simpler data integration use cases.

          Best features 

          • 1,000+ pre-built connectors: Extensive coverage across cloud and on-premises sources, including SAP, mainframes, and legacy systems that other tools struggle with
          • Native Spark processing: Transformations execute directly in Databricks using pushdown optimization
          • Built-in data quality: Automated profiling, Trust Scores, and validation rules embedded in pipelines
          • AI transformation assistant: Convert natural language instructions into SQL transformations
          • Master data management: Comprehensive governance tools for maintaining data consistency across the enterprise

          Pros

          • Extensive data quality capabilities embedded in pipelines
          • Strong hybrid cloud and on-premises support
          • Codeless data integration with a drag-and-drop interface

          Cons

          • More intimidating learning curve compared to simpler tools
          • Enterprise pricing can be a lot to handle
          • Implementation typically requires weeks, compared to days for competitors

          Pricing

          Custom enterprise pricing. You need to contact the vendor for quotes. Tiered plans (Starter, Standard, Premium, Enterprise) available.

          G2 Rating

          Qlik is rated 4.3 / 5 on G2. Qlik was recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Augmented Data Quality Solutions for the sixth time.

          quote icon
          What I like the most about Talend is its visual interface and the creation of the workflow, because it is very intuitive and has a great capacity to integrate the product into our workflow easily and quickly.
          Verle P
          Developer

          Use cases

          • Enterprises that are looking for robust data quality enforcement
          • Organizations with complex hybrid environments
          • Regulated industries in the market for comprehensive governance

          Hevo vs. Qlik Talend

          Talend shines in data quality and governance for regulated industries, but requires weeks of implementation versus Hevo’s minutes. Choose Hevo when simplicity and speed matter more than comprehensive data quality features

          5. Apache Spark (Best for code-first teams)

            spark-platform

            Apache Spark isn’t an ETL tool in the traditional sense; it’s rather the processing engine at Databricks’ core. You can write PySpark, Scala, SQL, or R to handle any transformation complexity. Or you can process batch and streaming data with unified APIs. The Photon engine accelerates queries without code changes. When pre-built connectors can’t handle your edge case, custom Spark code always can.

            The trade-off is development effort. There are no pre-built connectors; you write custom code for each source. Error handling, retries, and monitoring all require implementation and maintenance falls on your team. 

            Best features

            • Unified batch and streaming: Process historical and real-time data with the same APIs. Structured Streaming handles continuous data ingestion with exactly-once guarantees
            • Native Delta Lake integration: Direct access to ACID transactions, time travel, and schema evolution
            • Multi-language support: Write transformations in Python, Scala, SQL or R. Choose the language that fits your team’s skills and the task at hand
            • Photon engine: Vectorized query engine accelerates SQL and DataFrame operations without code changes
            • Spark ML libraries: Access machine learning capabilities directly within ETL workflows

            Pros

            • Maximum flexibility and control over data processing
            • No additional licensing costs (part of Databricks)
            • Best performance for complex transformations at scale

            Cons

            • It needs Spark programming expertise
            • There are no pre-built connectors; you need custom code for each source
            • Higher development and maintenance overhead

            Pricing

            Included with Databricks compute costs. Pay only for DBUs (Databricks Units) consumed during processing.

            G2 Rating

            4.5 / 5 (for Databricks Platform) – Users appreciate how Databricks brings together data engineering, analytics, and machine learning into a single platform

            quote icon
            What I like best about the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is how it brings everything data engineering, analytics, and machine learning together in one unified environment. It’s very user-friendly despite being powerful, and it makes collaboration between technical and non-technical teams much easier. The platform handles large volumes of data efficiently, scales smoothly, and integrates well with cloud services, which saves a lot of time and effort. Overall, it helps turn raw data into meaningful insights faster without making the process overly complex.
            ANIKET S
            Student

            Use cases

            • Data engineering teams that already have Spark expertise
            • Complex transformation logic that exceeds tool capabilities
            • Organizations that build custom data products

            Hevo vs. Apache Spark

            Spark gives you unlimited flexibility but requires Spark programming expertise and development effort. Hevo provides ready-to-use pipelines in minutes with no coding.

            6. Apache Airflow (Best for multi-system orchestration)

              Airlfow

              Apache Airflow is a workflow orchestrator that coordinates complex pipelines across multiple systems. When your data pipeline involves Databricks, external APIs, legacy databases and downstream services, Airflow ensures everything runs in the right sequence with proper error handling.

              The platform’s Python-based DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) definitions give engineers complete control over workflow logic. You can define dependencies, implement conditional branching, configure per-task retry policies, and respond to external events.

              Best features

              • DAG-based workflow definition: Define complex workflows programmatically in Python
              • Databricks operators: DatabricksSubmitRunOperator and DatabricksRunNowOperator trigger Databricks jobs directly from DAGs
              • Extensive operator ecosystem: Hundreds of operators for external systems, including databases, cloud services, and SaaS applications
              • Sensor operators: Event-driven scheduling waits for external conditions before proceeding
              • Strong community support: Active development, frequent updates, and extensive documentation

              Pros

              • Excellent for adapting Databricks within larger data ecosystems
              • Highly customizable with Python-based DAGs
              • Active community with frequent updates

              Cons

              • Requires infrastructure management (scheduler, workers, metadata DB)
              • Not a data movement tool; it needs to be paired with ETL solutions
              • Operational overhead for version upgrades and maintenance

              Pricing

              Open source and free. Managed Airflow services (AWS MWAA, Google Cloud Composer, Astronomer) add hosting costs

              G2 Rating

              Rated 4.4 /5: Users in industries like IT, banking, and healthcare praise Airflow’s extensibility and Python-based workflows.

              Use cases

              • Organizations that work with complex multi-system dependencies
              • Teams already using Airflow for other workloads
              • Hybrid pipelines that combine Databricks with other processing systems

              Hevo vs. Apache Airflow

              Airflow adapts workflows but doesn’t move data. It needs pairing with ETL tools. Hevo provides integrated data movement and basic orchestration in one platform. 

              7. Matillion (Best for visual ELT with pushdown processing)

                matillion-platform

                Matillion targets the sweet spot between no-code simplicity and engineering power. The platform’s Data Productivity Cloud provides a visual interface for building sophisticated transformations while executing everything inside your Databricks cluster. 

                This pushdown architecture means transformations use compute you’re already paying for and not external processing that adds latency and cost. The platform also introduced Maia in 2025, an agentic AI. Maia acts as a virtual team member and can build validated pipelines step by step with governance built in. This AI assistance expands capacity without adding headcount for teams struggling with data engineering backlogs. 

                Best features

                • Low-code visual pipeline designer: Drag-and-drop interface for building complex transformations
                • Pushdown processing: Transformations execute inside Databricks, not in Matillion’s infrastructure
                • Maia AI Assistant: Agentic AI builds validated pipelines from natural language descriptions
                • Medallion architecture support: Native support for Bronze, Silver, and Gold table patterns
                • Delta Lake and Unity Catalog integration: Full support for ACID transactions and Databricks governance

                Pros

                • Purpose-built for cloud data platforms with native optimizations
                • Visual interface that is accessible to non-engineers
                • Strong transformation capabilities beyond basic ELT

                Cons

                • Pricing starts at $1,000/month; expensive for smaller teams
                • Fewer native connectors compared to pure ingestion tools
                • It needs Matillion expertise that may be harder to find

                Pricing

                Pricing revealed on request. Consumption-based pricing with usage credits. A free trial is also available

                G2 Rating

                Rated 4.4 / 5: Users praise Matillion’s visual job designer and cloud platform integration

                quote icon
                What I like best about Matillion is its seamless integration with major cloud platforms like AWS, GCP and Azure. This is very user friendly platform for ETL. It's visual interface makes complex workflows look easier. It offers great scalability, making it suitable for big and small scale users. It helps to reduce the complexity of ETL Process with its no code working ability.
                Nikhil L.
                Data Engineer

                Use cases

                • Teams that need sophisticated transformations without writing code
                • Organizations that rely on Databricks compute for processing
                • Companies with visual or GUI-focused data teams

                Hevo vs Matillion

                Matillion offers more advanced transformation capabilities with pushdown processing, but at a higher cost. Hevo excels at simple data movement with transparent pricing; Matillion shines when you need complex SQL transformations in a visual interface.

                8. Integrate.io (Best for predictable pricing at scale)

                  integrate-platform

                  Integrate.io combines ETL, ELT, CDC, and Reverse ETL in a unified offering. Real-time change data capture with 60-second latency keeps Databricks tables fresh. Reverse ETL pushes transformed data back to operational systems like Salesforce and HubSpot. This bidirectional capability eliminates the need for separate tools for each direction of data flow.

                  Integrate.io’s Universal REST API connector deserves a mention. Unlike generic REST connectors that require significant configuration, this one exposes full programmatic control through a customer-facing API. 

                  Best features

                  • Fixed-fee unlimited pricing: Eliminates consumption-based surprises and simplifies budgeting for high-volume use cases
                  • Real-time CDC: Change data capture with 60-second latency and keep Databricks tables synchronized with source systems in near real-time
                  • Reverse ETL: Push transformed data from Databricks back to operational systems
                  • Universal REST API connector: Highly customizable connector for any REST API
                  • Enterprise security: Field-level encryption, SOC 2 compliance, HIPAA and GDPR support

                  Pros

                  • Fixed-fee pricing eliminates consumption-based surprises
                  • Unified platform for ETL, ELT, CDC and Reverse ETL
                  • Strong security features for enterprise compliance

                  Cons

                  • Starting price of $1,999/month may exceed smaller budgets
                  • Fewer connectors than some competitors
                  • Less flexibility for custom transformation logic

                  Pricing

                  Fixed-fee starting at $1,999/month with unlimited data volumes. 14-day free trial available.

                  G2 Rating

                  Rated 4.3 /5: Users love the friendly interface and the responsive customer support

                  quote icon
                  Integrate.io simplifies data tranformation by allowing you to build and reuse processes. In addition to this, you can set up schedules to automate your workflow. It has many features that allow you to get exactly what you need from the data. To top things off, the customer service is fantastic.
                  Verified User
                  Insurance

                  Use cases

                  • Organizations that prioritize cost predictability at scale
                  • Teams that need bidirectional data flows (ETL + Reverse ETL)
                  • Companies with high data volumes that are concerned about consumption costs

                  Hevo vs. Integrate.io

                  Integrate.io offers fixed-fee unlimited data, but at a higher starting price ($1,999/month vs $299/month). Hevo’s event-based pricing works better for smaller data volumes.

                  9. Databricks native tools (Delta Live Tables, Lakeflow) (Best for native governance)

                  Databricks has unified its data engineering powers under the Lakeflow umbrella, bringing together what was previously called Delta Live Tables, Auto Loader, and Workflows into a cohesive platform. 

                  Lakeflow Declarative Pipelines (formerly DLT) lets you define transformations in SQL or Python, then handles orchestration, cluster management, and error recovery automatically. Data quality expectations are embedded directly in pipeline definitions; declare that a column should never be null, and the pipeline enforces it. The platform now includes Lakeflow Connect with 40+ GA connectors for common sources like Salesforce, Workday, Oracle and PostgreSQL. 

                  Best features

                  • Declarative Pipeline definitions: The platform handles scheduling, scaling, and error recovery automatically.
                  • Auto Loader: Incremental file ingestion from cloud storage with automatic schema inference
                  • Built-in data quality expectations: Declare data quality rules as part of pipeline definitions
                  • Automatic Lineage via Unity Catalog: Full data lineage tracking from source to destination
                  • Lakeflow Connect: 40+ managed connectors for popular sources

                  Pros

                  • No additional licensing; these are included with Databricks
                  • Deep integration with Unity Catalog governance
                  • Automatic optimization, scaling and recovery

                  Cons

                  • Limited pre-built source connectors compared to dedicated tools
                  • Requires familiarity with Databricks-specific concepts
                  • Best suited for teams already committed to the Databricks ecosystem

                  Pricing

                  Included with Databricks. You just pay for compute (DBUs) used during pipeline execution. DLT pricing is competitive; it is up to 5x better price to performance for ingestion per Databricks benchmarks

                  G2 Rating

                  Rated 4.6 /5: The unified platform is a user favorite. Delta Lake and native ETL capabilities also receive consistent praise.

                  quote icon
                  Databricks data intelligence is a platform that helps in accommodating all of our business and official data and share it with different team departments so that they can analyse it and create a detailed analytics of past performances and also make required changes on it for future growth.
                  Kriti K
                  CFO

                  Use cases

                  • Teams that are trying to minimize tool sprawl
                  • Organizations that prioritize native governance integration
                  • Medallion architecture implementations with quality gates

                  Hevo vs. Databricks Native Tools

                  Databricks native tools require familiarity with Databricks-specific concepts and have fewer pre-built source connectors. Hevo connects more SaaS sources with zero Databricks expertise required.

                  10. Custom code (Python, SQL, or ETL Scripts) (Best for full flexibility)

                    Sometimes no tool fits. Proprietary data sources, unusual transformation requirements, or security constraints may demand custom development. Python, PySpark, and SQL scripts offer complete control over every aspect of the data pipeline if you have a strong engineering reserve. 

                    Custom code deletes vendor lock-in and licensing costs. You can handle any edge case, integrate with any system, and optimize for your specific performance requirements. Moreover, direct access to Spark APIs enables complex processing that commercial tools may not support.

                    However, development takes longer, and maintenance falls entirely on your team. Before committing to custom development, honestly see whether your team has the capacity to build and maintain production-grade pipelines.

                    Best features

                    • Unlimited flexibility: You can handle any transformation logic, any source system, any edge case
                    • Full Spark API access: Direct access to Spark’s distributed computing capabilities
                    • No vendor lock-in: Code runs anywhere Spark runs. You can migrate between clouds or deployment models without rewriting integrations
                    • Integration with any system: You can connect to proprietary APIs, legacy databases, or custom applications
                    • Maximum performance optimization: Tune every parameter for your specific data characteristics without generic configurations limiting throughput.

                    Pros

                    • No vendor lock-in or licensing dependencies
                    • Can handle any edge case or proprietary system
                    • Maximum performance optimization potential

                    Cons

                    • The highest development and maintenance burden
                    • Requires experienced data engineers
                    • No pre-built error handling or observability

                    Pricing

                    Development costs only (engineer time). Compute costs via Databricks DBUs.

                    Use cases

                    • Highly specialized or proprietary data sources
                    • Organizations with strong in-house engineering capabilities
                    • Proof-of-concept work before adopting commercial tools

                    Hevo vs. Custom Code

                    Custom code has unlimited flexibility but requires experienced data engineers and maintenance investment. Hevo offers production-ready pipelines in minutes with built-in error handling and monitoring. 

                    Factors to Consider When Choosing a Databricks ETL Tool

                    With so many options available, you have to know what matters most for your team and use case. Price, features, and ease of use are all important, but the weight you give each factor depends on your data sources, engineering capacity, and also your long-term goals. 

                    Here’s what to focus on (technically) as you narrow down your options

                    Connector coverage and extensibility

                    Find out whether the tool supports your current data sources out-of-the-box. Beyond the total connector count, take into account the quality and maintenance of the connectors you’ll use. 

                    Some tools like Fivetran and Airbyte have the biggest libraries, while others like Hevo focuses on well-maintained, tested connectors for the most common sources.

                    Ease of use and onboarding time

                    You need to factor in your team’s technical capabilities and timeline. 

                    No-code platforms like Hevo can have pipelines running in minutes, while self-hosted solutions like Airbyte usually require days of infrastructure setup. Visual tools like Matillion offer a middle ground with GUI-based development.

                    Transformation complexity (ELT vs. Full ETL)

                    Modern Databricks pipelines generally follow ELT, as in loading raw data first and transforming in the lakehouse. 

                    However, some use cases demand pre-load transformations; for example, filtering PII before it reaches your warehouse. Tools vary a lot in transformation capabilities.

                    Observability, lineage, and error handling

                    Production pipelines need monitoring, alerting and debugging capabilities. Look for tools with real-time dashboards, automatic error detection, data lineage tracking and integration with your existing observability stack.

                    Deployment model (SaaS vs. self-managed)

                    Fully managed SaaS tools reduce operational overhead but may not meet data residency requirements. 

                    Self-managed options like Airbyte OSS provide control but require DevOps investment.

                    Scalability and performance with Databricks workloads

                    As data volumes grow, your ETL tool must scale accordingly. 

                    Look for auto-scaling capabilities, efficient handling of large initial loads and CDC support for incremental updates.

                    Hevo is the Best Choice for Databricks ETL

                    After weighing all these factors, you might be torn between flexibility and simplicity. Ideally, you want a tool that connects to your sources, handles schema changes gracefully, and doesn’t require a dedicated engineer to babysit pipelines, all without unpredictable costs eating into your budget.

                    This is where Hevo fits well.

                    Hevo is a fully managed platform that gets pipelines running in minutes through a guided, no-code interface. 

                    Hevo’s simplicity doesn’t come at the expense of reliability. Its architecture includes auto-healing pipelines, intelligent retries and automatic schema handling that adapts when upstream systems change. 

                    With Hevo, you get enterprise-grade reliability without its complexity.

                    See how Hevo can simplify your Databricks pipelines. Try Hevo for free now.

                    FAQs

                    What is the difference between ETL and ELT for Databricks?

                    ETL transforms data before loading it into Databricks, typically using an external processing system, whereas ELT loads raw data into Databricks first, then transforms it using Spark’s compute power within the lakehouse.

                    ELT is increasingly preferred for Databricks because it uses the platform’s processing capabilities and preserves raw data for flexible downstream transformations.

                    Is Databricks a replacement for ETL tools?

                    Not entirely. While Databricks provides native ETL capabilities through Delta Live Tables (Lakeflow Declarative Pipelines) and Auto Loader, these are primarily designed for transformation and ingestion from cloud storage or streaming sources. 

                    For extracting data from SaaS applications, databases, and other external systems, most organizations still need dedicated ETL and ELT tools that offer pre-built connectors and automated sync capabilities.

                    Which ETL tools work best with Databricks?

                    The best tool depends on your requirements. 
                    For no-code simplicity and transparent pricing, Hevo offers a strong combination. Fivetran provides the broadest connector coverage for enterprises. Airbyte suits teams wanting open-source flexibility. Matillion excels at visual transformations. For native governance, Databricks’ own Delta Live Tables integrates deeply with Unity Catalog.

                    Should I use open-source or managed tools for Databricks ingestion?

                    You have to choose based on your team’s capabilities and priorities. Managed tools like Hevo or Fivetran minimize operational overhead and provide guaranteed reliability. This is ideal if your team lacks dedicated DevOps resources. 
                    Open-source options like Airbyte offer more control and lower licensing costs but require infrastructure management and troubleshooting capacity.

                    Vaishnavi Srivastava
                    Technical Content Writer

                    Vaishnavi is a tech content writer with over 5 years of experience covering software, hardware, and everything in between. Her work spans topics like SaaS tools, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, AI, smartphones, and laptops, with a focus on making technical concepts feel clear and approachable. When she’s not writing, she’s usually deep-diving into the latest tech trends or finding smarter ways to explain them.