Fivetran Review 2025: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Let’s be honest: most Fivetran reviews feel like recycled marketing material. If you’re a data engineer, analyst, architect, or BI lead you need clarity.

This post gets straight to the point. We break down what Fivetran does well, where it falls short (especially with its new pricing model), and when it might be time to consider more cost-effective alternatives like Hevo. No hype, just the insights you’d expect from a teammate who’s actually used it.

Whether you’re just getting serious about modern data integration or reevaluating your current stack, this review will help you figure out where Fivetran fits and where it might not.

In this article, you’ll discover the key features that make Fivetran stand out from the competition, the real-world pros and cons backed by user reviews from G2, Gartner, TrustRadius, and Reddit, and how it compares to other data pipeline tools along with when it might be time to consider a better-fit solution like Hevo.

Let’s start with a quick look at what Fivetran actually is and why it’s become such a common name in the modern data stack.

What Is Fivetran? A Brief Overview

Fivetran moves data from different sources into your cloud warehouse. With over 700 pre-built connectors, Fivetran streamlines the Extract, Load, and Transform (ELT) process, eliminating the need for custom scripts or intensive maintenance. Once the data is synced into your warehouse, Fivetran keeps it up-to-date and error-free by automatically handling any changes in the source data schema.

As data grows, Fivetran’s MAR-based, per-connector pricing makes costs harder to predict. Many teams are now rethinking if it’s still the right fit. The added complexity and pricing volatility have caused many organizations to reconsider whether Fivetran remains the best fit for their evolving needs.

While this fully-managed solution simplifies integration for many, it may not always be the best choice as your data needs become more complex. 

Let’s dive into what Fivetran offers, how it works, and where it might fall short.

Key features: 

• 700+ Pre-built Connectors
  Fivetran integrates with over 700 popular data sources, including SaaS applications, databases, and files. This simplifies the process of pulling data into your cloud warehouse, such as Snowflake, BigQuery, or Redshift. These connectors are the foundation of Fivetran’s data extraction process.
• Fully Managed ELT Solution
  No coding required. Fivetran automates the entire ELT process by extracting data from source systems, loading it into your cloud warehouse in raw form, and enabling in-warehouse transformations using tools like dbt Core. This reduces engineering overhead and keeps your team focused on analysis.
• Automated Schema Management
  When a source system changes such as adding a new field or changing a data type, Fivetran automatically adapts. This prevents pipeline breakages and keeps data flowing smoothly without manual intervention.
• Flexible Sync Intervals
  Sync frequency can be customized based on your needs and plan. Options range from every few minutes to daily, helping you keep data up to date without unnecessary load.
• Real-Time Data Sync (Enterprise Level)
  For businesses with mission-critical data needs, real-time syncing is available on higher-tier plans. This ensures near-instant data availability in your warehouse.

Fivetran Reviews and Ratings: What Users Are Really Saying

Fivetran’s cloud-based ELT platform has made waves in the data integration space for its ability to automate data extraction, loading, and transformation with minimal manual intervention. But how does it really stack up according to those who use it every day? 

Let’s take a deep dive into customer feedback to uncover the truth about its pricing, performance, and support, and highlight the real pros and cons.

G2 Average Rating:	4.2/5
Capterra Average Rating:	4.3/5

#1 Pricing: The Elephant in the Room

Fivetran’s pricing model has been one of the major pain points for users, especially after significant changes in March 2025. Previously, Fivetran used a bulk-based MAR (Monthly Active Rows) model, where costs were calculated based on the total number of rows processed across all connectors. However, as of March 2025, the company switched to a more granular per-connector pricing system. 

For companies with many connectors, especially small or evenly distributed ones, this change has led to unexpected spikes in costs. Fivetran claims that the change will have a “neutral” effect on most users, but the reality has been quite different, with many reporting significant price hikes.

When it comes to Fivetran, the pricing model has been one of the biggest sticking points for users. Fivetran previously relied on an account-wide MAR (Monthly Active Rows) model, but as of March 2025, they switched to a more granular per-connector pricing model. The result? A sharp rise in costs for businesses with many small or evenly distributed connectors.

What Users Are Saying:

This reflects a common frustration after Fivetran’s shift in pricing. Predictability and transparency have been the foundation of many users’ satisfaction with Fivetran, but with this new model, users are finding that their monthly bills are far harder to estimate, especially with multiple connectors in play. 

While this review acknowledges Fivetran’s high-quality product, it shows the growing concern over the pricing model. The cost increase, especially in light of the changes, has made users rethink whether the value justifies the expense. This mirrors the sentiments expressed by other users, as the new pricing model makes it harder to justify the investment for growing businesses.

The shift to per-connector pricing has significantly increased costs for many users, particularly those with smaller, numerous connectors. This pricing change, although marketed as being “neutral for typical users,” has raised prices for those relying on multiple data sources. Users are now struggling with unpredictable billing, forcing them to seek alternatives or adjust their data strategies to fit the new model.

#2 Connectors: A Wide Reach, But Not Without Hiccups

Fivetran’s standout feature is undoubtedly its vast library of over 700 pre-built connectors. This extensive selection allows businesses to integrate data from a wide range of SaaS tools, databases, and more, making it easy to centralize all that data in cloud data warehouses like Snowflake and BigQuery. 

Users generally praise the library for its depth and breadth, noting that it covers everything from common tools like Google Ads, HubSpot, and Shopify, to more niche systems like Zuora, Snowplow, and even ERP and finance tools. The ability to integrate so many data sources with minimal custom development is a huge selling point for teams without dedicated data engineers.

What Users Are Saying:

The sheer volume of Fivetran’s connectors is a major advantage, but the reliability can be inconsistent. While popular connectors perform seamlessly, users often encounter challenges with newer or niche integrations. These occasional issues with certain connectors do not overshadow Fivetran’s overall efficiency, but they are worth considering when evaluating your integration needs.

#3 Implementation Complexity: Easy, But Not Always

Fivetran is renowned for its simplicity in getting started. The setup is mostly a matter of picking your data sources, authenticating, and letting Fivetran handle the rest. However, as the data needs of businesses grow, the complexity of scaling with Fivetran can increase, especially when it comes to handling custom transformations and working with complex data architectures.

What Users Are Saying:

#4 Core Features & Abilities: Powerful, But Room for Improvement

Fivetran promises a fully automated data pipeline, from extraction to transformation, with automatic schema management and flexible sync intervals. However, while these features shine in theory, real-world performance can vary, especially as businesses push the tool to handle larger, more complex data flows. 

What Users Are Saying:

While Fivetran’s transformation and schema management capabilities are a major strength, users have called for more built-in flexibility, particularly when it comes to pre-load data transformations and custom logic.

#5 Performance & Scalability: Great for Small to Medium, But Watch Out for Growing Pains

Fivetran excels in providing reliable data syncing, with customizable sync frequencies ranging from every minute (on higher-tier plans) to daily. For smaller teams or medium-sized businesses, this can be a huge advantage. However, as companies scale and require faster syncing or more robust transformations, Fivetran’s performance can become a bottleneck.

What Users Are Saying:

 The sync performance is solid, but as organizations expand their data footprint, the complexities of scaling Fivetran while keeping costs in check become a major challenge.

#6 Vendor Support & Community: Support When You Need It, But Not Always

Fivetran’s customer support is one area where feedback is truly mixed. Users on higher-tier plans report a more responsive, prioritized support experience, while those on lower plans may find themselves waiting longer for resolution. Documentation is comprehensive but assumes a certain level of technical knowledge.

What Users Are Saying:

Fivetran’s support can be a hit or miss depending on your plan. Many users appreciate the helpful documentation and the support they receive at higher tiers, but for businesses relying on quick fixes, the slower response times can be frustrating.

When to Use Fivetran and When to Switch

Choosing between Fivetran and Hevo depends on the scale of your data operations and the level of flexibility and simplicity you need. Both platforms offer robust capabilities, but they cater to different types of businesses and technical requirements.

Hevo vs. Fivetran: Detailed Feature Comparison

When to Choose Fivetran

Fivetran is the go-to solution for larger, data-intensive organizations that need scalability and flexibility across a wide variety of data sources. With its expansive library of 700+ pre-built connectors, Fivetran excels at automating the data pipeline process from extraction to loading and allows businesses to scale efficiently as data needs grow.

Fivetran’s strength lies in its robust feature set, including advanced schema management, dbt support for transformations, and integrations with tools like Census for data activation. It’s perfect for enterprises with complex, multi-source environments that require detailed control over data governance and security.

However, Fivetran’s usage-based pricing model, based on Monthly Active Rows (MAR), can get expensive, especially for smaller or mid-sized teams. Also, real-time syncing is only available for higher-tier plans, making Fivetran a better fit for enterprises with larger budgets.

When to Choose Hevo

On the other hand, Hevo is a no-code platform designed for teams looking for simplicity, speed, and real-time syncing without the complexities of extensive setup or advanced technical requirements. Hevo shines when businesses need a platform that can get up and running quickly with minimal manual intervention.

Hevo’s transparent event-based pricing ensures more predictability in costs, which is particularly beneficial for growing teams or those on a tight budget. Additionally, Hevo’s real-time streaming capabilities are available out of the box, without gating it behind premium plans, unlike Fivetran, which offers real-time syncing only on higher-tier plans.

Another key advantage of Hevo is its ability to handle pre-load transformations. Using drag-and-drop features or Python scripts, users can clean, transform, and shape data before it enters the warehouse. This flexibility makes it easier to automate the entire ETL process  using ETL Tools without needing additional engineering resources or relying on third-party tools like dbt.

Hevo also offers 24/7 support for all plans, ensuring that even businesses on free trials can get help if needed, whereas Fivetran reserves its best support for higher-tier plans.

Which One Should You Choose?

• Choose Fivetran if your organization deals with complex data needs, has a large-scale infrastructure, and requires advanced data transformations. Its expansive connector library and deep integrations with major SaaS platforms make it ideal for large enterprises, but it’s more suited for businesses that can handle the unpredictable pricing model and the complexity of real-time syncs only being available at premium tiers.
• Choose Hevo if you are a growing team, mid-market business, or startup that values simplicity, real-time data syncing, and predictable pricing. Hevo is perfect if you need to centralize data from various sources quickly, with minimal configuration and no-code transformations. Its transparent pricing model and real-time streaming make it a better fit for teams that want to avoid the complexities of Fivetran’s batch-based architecture and variable costs.

Final Verdict

Both Hevo and Fivetran are great tools for automating data integration, but they cater to different needs. Hevo is best suited for growing teams looking for a simple, scalable, and cost-effective solution. Try Hevo to experience real-time data syncing and user-friendly interfaces that don’t require coding, or opt for Fivetran if you need a powerful, scalable platform for a sophisticated enterprise environment. 

Want to see how Hevo compares? Start with Hevo’s 14-day free trial and see how it streamlines your data integration. 

FAQs on Fivetran Review