Breaking Down Fivetran Pricing Model: Know What You Are Paying For

When it comes to data integration, Fivetran has established a solid reputation as one of the industry leaders. With its robust feature set, Fivetran has become a go-to option for many enterprises. But there’s a catch- Fivetran’s pricing model. It’s unique and depends on usage. 

However, Fivetran’s pricing model can be confusing and complex for many users, especially those with dynamic and unpredictable data volumes. In this blog, I will explain everything you need to know about the Fivetran pricing model, its advantages, and its challenges. In the end, I will also compare it with an alternate pricing model- Hevo, so that you can understand how it stacks up against its competitors and make an informed decision. 

So, let’s begin!

What Makes Fivetran Stand Out?

Before we get into the details of Fivetran’s pricing model, let’s have a quick look at what Fivetran brings to the table. 

Fivetran is an enterprise-level ETL tool that’s intuitively simple and compellingly easy to use. It offers completely managed data pipelines that automate your data integration to keep it refreshed without manual intervention.

Key Features

1. Data Connectors: Fivetran supports 500+ data connectors, making integrating data from multiple sources easy.
2. Automated Data Sync: It automatically synchronizes data, ensuring your data is always fresh and ready for analysis.
3. Security: Fivetran adheres to SOC 1 & 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, CCPA, GDPR, and HITRUST security regulations.
4. Support and Community: Fivetran offers robust customer support and a vibrant community, which provides ample resources for troubleshooting and learning.

What is the Fivetran MAR Pricing Model?

Fivetran uses a consumption-based pricing model. This means you are charged for the amount of data flowing through the platform. Sounds fair and easy, right? But it isn’t that simple to understand. 

The Core Metric for Pricing Calculation: MAR

Fivetran calculates monthly spending using the concept of MAR or Monthly Active Rows. MAR is calculated as the number of distinct Primary Keys transported through the Fivetran Product by an Account in a given Billing Period. Fivetran tracks the total MAR and uses that number to calculate your bill. For example, a distinct Primary Key synced 10 times during a Billing Period will count as one MAR. However, the historical MAR associated with the Initial Sync for each new Connector added is excluded. 

What are the Various Pricing Plans that Fivetran Provides?

Now that you know the concept of MAR let’s see what different plans Fivetran provides for you to choose from.

Fivetran has five pricing models- Free, Starter, Standard, Enterprise, and Business Critical. Here is a detailed explanation of what each plan contains. 

Feature	Free	Starter	Standard	Enterprise	Business Critical
Best For	For individuals, automating ELT for small volumes of data.	Small businesses or teams with simple data needs.	Mid-sized businesses with moderate data volumes and slightly more complex workflows.	Large organizations with stringent security and compliance needs.	Designed for enterprise companies that need the highest data protection and compliance levels.
Users	Unlimited	10	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Usage Limit	Up to 0.5M monthly active rows	NA	NA	NA	NA
Sync Frequency	15-minutes	1- Hour	15-minutes	1-minute	1-minute
Connectors	400+	400+ connectors, excluding Database connectors	400+ connectors, along with Database connectors.	400+ connectors, including the enterprise database connectors(Oracle and all High-Volume Agent connectors)	All the connectors that are included in Enterprise plan.
Database Connectors	✅		✅	✅	✅
Enterprise Database Connectors				✅	✅
24/7 global email support	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
1-Hour Support Response				✅	✅
Core Service SLA			✅	✅	✅
Data Delivery SLA.				✅	✅

Why Does Fivetran Pricing Feel Like Solving a Puzzle?

The USP of Fivetran’s Pricing is MAR, and ironically, that’s their pain point as well. Why so? MARs are calculated based on Unique Primary Keys in your data, and they fluctuate based on how much your data changes in a month. A slow month might keep your costs low, but a busy month where your data scales can cause an unexpected spike. Therefore, unless you have precise insights into how your data behaves monthly, it is impossible to predict the MARs you will generate. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s see what other factors can contribute to Fivetran’s complex, confusing, and expensive pricing model. 

• It has a steep learning curve, and concepts like MAR and MAR thresholds can be difficult to understand for both technical and non-technical users. 
• Different sources and use cases can drastically affect the number of active rows, making it harder to establish a baseline for costs.
• Features like database and enterprise database connectors are not provided in starter pricing models and require you to purchase expensive plans.
• Fivetran’s pricing model is not just about MAR. Additional costs can pop up based on specific use cases, making the total cost hard to predict. A few additional costs that can incur a hefty bill are:
  • Connector-specific fee: The number of MARs changes drastically based on the connector you choose, and certain connectors come with additional charges. 
  • Discrepancies in Billed Amount: Customers on G2 have often reported discrepancies in the actual usage and the amount that Fivetran billed them for. 
  • Fivetran charges extra for retaining historical data beyond a certain period. While this feature is helpful for compliance and reporting, it adds another layer to the cost structure.
  • Additional cost of HVR: Fivetran doesn’t have streaming capabilities in their SaaS deployment. If you need database replication and streaming capabilities, you need to have an on-premise HVR setup. 
• Customers have often complained on G2 about limited transparency, and Fivetran fails to provide an intuitive tool to help users simulate MAR usage scenarios and estimate future costs.

It feels like a maze that drains your wallet, doesn’t it?

But what if I told you that I have an alternative that can save you upto 40%+ of your current bill?

Yes, you heard it right. If Fivetran’s pricing feels like a puzzle that’s both confusing and expensive, it might be time to consider a better alternative—Hevo Data. Hevo provides a better ROI and can save you up to 40% on your current plan. How? Well, let me break it down for you. 

• Unlike Fivetran’s MAR-based pricing, Hevo has a transparent, tier-based pricing model that helps you avoid any surprises in your bill. 
• With Fivetran, some premium connectors and features like dbt transformations come with additional costs. Hevo, on the other hand, bundles all its connectors in all its paid plans without costing extra. 
• Hevo provides auto-schema management and allows manual overrides if necessary without charging extra. 
• Hevo doesn’t charge for every little thing. There are no hidden costs for data retention. You get clear pricing upfront, making it easy to plan your budget.
• As your business grows, so does your data. Fivetran cost can skyrocket with usage, making it difficult to scale efficiently. On the other hand, Hevo manages costs with its flat-rate pricing tiers that grow incrementally. For example, 100 million events in Fivetran will cost you around $5205 monthly, whereas Hevo will only cost you $1759. 

With Hevo, you pay for peace of mind, not just for a tool. Hevo is the smart, reliable, and cost-effective option for businesses that require heavy-duty data integration without making holes in the wallet. Ready to say goodbye to all that confusion and hello to saving money? Hevo’s here to help.

Here’s a graphical representation of how Hevo’s transparent, tier-based pricing compares against Fivetran’s complex, expensive pricing model.

1. For DB sources:

2. For SaaS sources:

3. For both DB + SaaS sources:

Note that:

• These graphs are not based on absolute numbers and are subject to various assumptions.
• I have compared the prices for Hevo’s Professional plan and Fivetran’s Starter plan.  

As you can see through these graphs, Hevo’s best pricing plan is compared to Fivetran’s Starter plan(basic without most of the necessary features) and is still more cost-effective. 

Overview of Hevo vs Fivetran Pricing Model

Feature
Pricing Model	Consumption-based (MAR)	Tier-based, transparent and predictable
Free Plan	Limited and restrictive	Robust and startup-friendly
Cost Transparency	Complex and variable	Clear and Transparent
Scalability	Ideal for enterprises, it can get very expensive as data volume increases	Flexible for SMBs and startups, it scales efficiently with growing data volumes.
Connector Fees	Additional charges for some	No additional fee, all connectors are included in most paid tiers

So, Is Fivetran Worth It?

The pricing complexity of Fivetran is undeniable, but that does not mean it is a bad platform. The MAR model can be cost-effective and flexible for large enterprises with stable data needs. However, the pricing structure can feel like a constant challenge for small and medium-sized businesses or those with unpredictable data loads.

An alternative pricing model, such as Hevo’s tiered, reliable, and transparent structure, maybe the better choice if you prefer simplicity and predictable costs. Hevo also provides transparent pricing and removes most of the pain points associated with Fivetran’s MAR system.

In a nutshell, it is up to you to determine the right platform based on your data needs, budget, and tolerance for complexity. To try Hevo’s feature-rich platform and explore more about its competitive pricing, Sign up for a 14-day free trial. 

FAQs on Fivetran’s Pricing Model