Fivetran vs AWS Glue: Compare Leading ETL Tools with Features and Pricing

Choosing between Fivetran and AWS Glue for data integration is challenging, as they offer the same broad ETL services.

Fivetran comes with its user-friendly, automated ELT pipelines and over 700 pre-built connectors. On the other hand, AWS Glue is a serverless ETL solution offering deep AWS integration and customizable transformations.

So, what will you choose? And more importantly, how will you choose, as it will impact your team and your organization?

Trust us, you are not alone in this predicament.

That’s why, in this blog post, we address this dilemma by comparing the unique features, pricing, and use cases of Fivetran vs. AWS Glue in detail.

By the end, you will know with clarity which tool aligns best with your organization’s data strategy and technical requirements.

What is Fivetran

G2 Rating: 4.2(377)

Capterra Rating: 4.7(20)

Fivetran is a fully managed data integration platform for businesses with complex, large-scale integration needs.

The platform helps automate data extraction, load, and transformation from 700+ data sources, such as SaaS applications, ERPs, databases, and files, to modern data warehouses, data lakes, and analytical tools. Fivetran automates schema drift, system updates, and pipeline failures while offering zero-maintenance data integration.

Using Fivetran’s data movement platform, your team can:

1. Free up time by reducing pipeline fixes and monitoring needs
2. Deliver real-time insights at speed across the organization
3. Keep your cloud strategy moving without disruption
4. Expand AI models confidently and efficiently

Learn More: Discover Top Fivetran Alternatives

Key features of Fivetran

1. Log-based CDC for databases: Captures only changed rows via database logs, minimizing source system load and enabling sub-minute latency on supported sources like PostgreSQL and SQL Server.
2. Intelligent retry logic: Automatically detects failure causes (API limits, network blips, source outages) and resumes syncs without duplicates or manual restarts.
3. Hybrid connector support: Securely tunnels on-premises databases and private VPCs to cloud destinations using Fivetran’s managed Elastic Network Interface.
4. dbt Cloud integration: Runs SQL transformations directly in pipelines post-load, with version control and CI/CD for collaborative model management.

Use cases

• Centralized analytics: Sync data from different sources into one cloud warehouse for unified reporting.
• Enhanced customer understanding: Integrate customer data across CRMs, support platforms, and product usage for a 360-degree customer view.
• Real-time analytics for operations and AI: Use Fivetran HVR to replicate databases and ensure fresh data for dashboards, fraud detection, and machine learning models.

Pricing

Fivetran’s pricing charges upon Monthly Active Rows (MAR) per connection.

• Free plan: 500,000 MAR and 5,000 model runs monthly.
• Standard: Starts at $500 for the first million MAR.
• Enterprise: Volume-based pricing with extra features.
• Business Critical: Added security for regulated sectors.

Paid plans include a 14-day trial. After the monthly limit, extra charges apply per million MAR.

Pros

• Provides uptime and reliability for high-volume data.
• Automates historical data syncs.
• Integrates with major cloud platforms, like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
• Provides error-handling and idempotent loading.

Cons

• MAR billing is unpredictable and increases costs.
• Transformations depend on external tools, like dbt.
• Limited visibility into the underlying code.
• Batch syncs run on a 6-hour default cycle.

Customer testimonial

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

View Review

What is AWS Glue

G2 Rating: 4.2(189)
Capterra Rating: 4.1(10)

AWS Glue is a fully managed, serverless ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) service designed for businesses needing scalable, cost-effective data integration within the AWS ecosystem.

The platform automates data discovery, transformation, and loading from diverse sources into data lakes, warehouses, or analytics tools. AWS Glue’s Data Catalog centralizes metadata management and comes with a visual interface and auto-generated code for easy ETL pipeline creation. As one of the top ETL tools, AWA Glue also supports batch, streaming, and ELT workflows with seamless AWS integration.

Using AWS Glue’s serverless data integration, your team can:

1. Streamline ETL processes with minimal infrastructure management
2. Accelerate analytics with real-time and batch processing
3. Scale effortlessly to handle petabyte-scale data
4. Enhance data workflows with built-in AI and Spark optimization
5. Connect with Amazon S3, RDS, Redshift, and 100+ other data stores

Learn More: Explore the Top AWS Glue Alternatives

Key features of AWS Glue

1. Glue Crawlers: Automatically scans S3, RDS, Redshift, and 200+ sources to infer schemas, populate the Data Catalog, and classify data formats like Parquet or JSON for query optimization.
2. PySpark/Glue Studio scripting: Combines drag-and-drop visual jobs with editable Python/Scala code on Apache Spark, enabling complex joins, ML transforms (via SageMaker), and dynamic frames for schema evolution.
3. Job bookmarks: Tracks processed files or CDC offsets across incremental runs, preventing reprocessing of unchanged data in S3 or streaming sources like Kinesis.
4. Lake Formation integration: Enforces fine-grained permissions, row/column-level security, and governed tables directly in ETL jobs for compliant data lakes.

Use cases

• Cloud data warehousing: Transfer and transform data sourced from S3 for analytical use in Redshift or Athena.
• Machine learning preparation: Catalog and prepare data across AWS services for machine learning workflows.
• Data migration: Migrate on-premises data to AWS cloud storage and databases.
• Real-time streaming processing: Build event-triggered ETL pipelines using Kinesis and Glue.

Pricing

AWS Glue uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model based on resource consumption.

• ETL jobs and interactive sessions: Pricing based on Data Processing Unit (DPU) consumption, at $0.44 per DPU-hour, charged by the second with a 1-minute minimum.
• Data Catalog: The first million metadata objects and access requests are free monthly. Beyond this, you’re charged $1.00 per 100,000 objects and $1.00 per million requests.
• Crawlers: Charged $0.44 per DPU-hour with a 10-minute minimum.
• DataBrew: Interactive sessions are $1.00 per 30-minute session. DataBrew jobs are $0.48 per node hour.
• Data Quality: Priced at $0.44 per DPU-hour for recommendations, evaluations, anomaly detection, and model retraining.
• Zero-ETL: No base fee but charges $1.50 per GB for data ingestion compute resources.

Prices vary by region. AWS offers a free tier for specific Glue components.

Pros

• Supports schema versioning and evolution.
• Provides built-in monitoring and alerting.
• Ensures enterprise-grade security.

Cons

• Limited support for non-AWS sources.
• Cold start latency.
• Costs are hard to predict.

Customer testimonial

AWS Glue offers a user-friendly interface and a range of tools that make it relatively easy to set up and manage data integration workflows. The graphical interface for creating ETL jobs simplifies the process, allowing users to define data sources, transformations, and targets with little to no coding.

Nausheen A

Big Data Engineer

View Review

Fivetran vs. AWS Glue vs. Hevo Data: A Quick ETL Tool Comparison

Fivetran vs AWS Glue: In-Depth Feature and Use Case Comparison

Connectors

Fivetran offers over 700 connectors, which is one of the biggest advantages of using the platform. These connectors enable users to seamlessly integrate with databases, cloud storage, and SaaS platforms like Salesforce and Google Analytics.

Fivetran’s extensive, pre-built connectors simplify data ingestion, which makes it one of the top data pipeline tools for businesses with diverse data sources, including legacy systems.

Users on G2 praised Fivetran’s vast connector library for its ease and reliability.

With over hundereds of ready to use connectors, we've been able to support a wide range of our client's data sources with ease.

Verified User

Information Technology and Services

At the same time, AWS Glue supports over 70 data sources, primarily AWS-centric, like S3, RDS, and Redshift. It excels in AWS-native environments but lacks the breadth of SaaS connectors. This is one area where AWS Glue features come short for businesses outside the AWS ecosystem.

As such, businesses that have systems outside the AWS ecosystem will have a tough time integrating AWS Glue into them.

Verdict: Fivetran’s superior connector range makes it the clear winner here.

Vendor Support

Fivetran provides robust vendor support with 24/7 email and chat availability based on the plan you are on. Its support team is known for proactive communication and offers detailed guidance for setup and troubleshooting.

However, not all plans have full support. For example, only higher-level plans have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with one-hour response support.

This is reflected in many Fivetran reviews on G2:

Customer support is below average. If an issue moderate to hard they will close your ticket and not address it.

Eric A.

Chief Data Officer

Similarly, AWS Glue also offers tiered vendor support. Its basic plans offer limited access, while premium tiers provide 24/7 phone, email, and chat support.

Its documentation is extensive but often complex, which may require its users to be familiar with AWS ecosystems.

However, despite the shortcomings, many users have rated the platform’s support positively on G2:

It is easy to implement. Good customer support.

Anshul J.

Analyst

Verdict: There is no clear winner in this criterion, as both Fivetran and AWS Glue have limitations when it comes to vendor support.

Learn More: A Comprehensive Guide to Learn All About AWS Glue ETL

Deployment Options

Fivetran offers a fully managed, cloud-based deployment model that helps streamline data integration with minimal setup.

It supports hybrid deployments and allows on-premises data sources to connect securely to cloud destinations. This makes Fivetran ideal for businesses seeking simplicity and flexibility across diverse environments without managing infrastructure.

AWS Glue is a serverless ETL service deployed within the AWS ecosystem. This enables the platform to seamlessly integrate AWS services like S3, Redshift, and Aurora.

Although it supports cloud-native and hybrid setups, it requires configuration for on-premises data. Glue’s serverless model suits AWS-centric organizations comfortable with managing AWS infrastructure dependencies.

Verdict: Fivetran’s simple, fully managed deployment options make it better for businesses that need flexibility. However, for businesses already in the AWS ecosystem, AWS Glue is the better choice.

Learn More: AWS Glue Tutorial: Learn All About AWS Glue

Data handling and transformation

Fivetran excels in automated ELT with seamless data extraction and loading from 700+ sources with built-in normalization.

Its transformation capabilities rely on dbt integration for SQL-based custom transformations. For anyone who wants simplicity, this is a great choice. However, complex transformations may require external tools.

Fivetran’s focus on simple data transformation needs has enabled it to receive a positive response from its users on G2:

It focus on the data transformation process instead of building out and monitoring the data pipelines, and it has become an integral part of our day to day operations.

Verified User in Higher Education

At the same time, AWS Glue provides robust data handling with Apache Spark for large-scale ETL. This makes it ideal for businesses that need Python and Scala for custom transformations.

For AWS-centric teams needing powerful, code-driven transformations, there is no better option than this, thanks to the robust AWS Glue architecture.

Verdict: There is no clear winner here, as AWS Glue wins for complex transformations, while Fivetran is better for automated, simpler workflows.

Pricing

Fivetran pricing is consumption-based, calculated by Monthly Active Rows (MAR) processed. It starts with a free tier for 500,000 MAR.

Although the cost scale with data volume in Fivetran, its pricing lacks transparency, with enterprise plans being costly for high usage. This is a concern that might alienate potential buyers from Fivetran.

Many users of the platform have noted expensive bills due to variable data processing, as pointed out by the following user on G2.

The pricing model can become expensive at scale, especially when dealing with large volumes of data or many connectors.

Verified User in Insurance

AWS Glue uses a pay-as-you-go model. While it is cost-effective for AWS-native users, the overall cost can be unpredictable and complex.

AWS Glue cost may not be an ideal situation that many businesses would appreciate as they have no control over the pricing with high data processing needs.

You can see a similar sentiment reflected in the following user’s review of AWS Glue on G2:

Now, while AWS Glue is pretty handy, it’s not without its quirks. One thing to keep in mind is the cost. If you are not careful, it can sneak up on you, especially if you are dealing with a ton of data. So,budgeting and monitoring your usage are crucial.

Pranshu G.

Software Developer

Verdict: While Fivetran suits predictable, smaller workloads, AWS Glue is more cost-effective for AWS ecosystems. Although both come with their limitations, in terms of cost-effectiveness, AWS Glue edges out Fivetran to be the winner.

Why Is Hevo Data Better Than Fivetran and AWS Glue?

Fivetran and AWS Glue are both powerful ETL tools, but they come with trade-offs, such as unpredictable pricing, limited pre-load transformation, and complexity in setup or customization. Hevo Data addresses these gaps through three core principles: reliability, simplicity, and transparency (RST).

Reliable: Real-time data replication you can count on

Where Fivetran’s self-healing pipelines are table stakes, and AWS Glue vs Fivetran requires manual intervention to handle failures, Hevo’s Reliability Engine uses isolated pipelines with auto-retries and fail-safes to prevent cascading failures. 

Hevo keeps pipelines running without engineering babysitting. On top of that, Hevo’s Observability and Alerts feature gives teams live visibility with actionable alerts, so issues are caught and surfaced before they affect downstream reporting or analytics.

Real users back this up. One customer on G2 noted:

What do you like best about Hevo Data? 1. Real-time Data Replication 2. No-code platform that is super easy to use 3. Minimal Maintenance 4. Broad Connector Support 5. Built-in Transformations

Shishir P

Business Analyst

View Review

Simple: No-code setup and flexible transformations

Hevo Data’s no-code platform simplifies data pipeline creation with a four-step setup process. Its drag-and-drop interface and pre-built templates enable pipelines in minutes, reducing reliance on data engineers and saving time and resources. Hevo also supports ETL and ELT with diverse transformation options, in-flight transformations, drag-and-drop, and Python-based logic so both technical and non-technical users can prepare data for analytics or AI models without external tools.

Transparent: Predictable pricing with no surprises

Hevo Data’s event-based pricing starts with a free plan offering 1 million events monthly, ideal for testing. Paid plans scale clearly:

• Starter: $239/month (5M events)
• Professional: $679/month (20M events)
• Business critical: Custom pricing

There are no hidden fees, no unpredictable billing spikes. Every plan includes transparent, predictable costs so businesses of all sizes can budget with confidence, whether they’re just starting out or scaling to enterprise.

Hevo vs Fivetran: Which ELT Solution Will Drive Your Data Strategy Forward?

Customer support and assistance

Hevo Data offers 24/7 email and in-app chat support across paid plans. It also offers comprehensive documentation and Hevo Smart Assist for proactive guidance.

Users on the Business Critical plan can also seek a 1-hour SLA to solve urgent issues that, if unresolved, may impact their operations.

With reliable and accessible support, Hevo Data focuses on minimizing downtime and enhancing user experience, regardless of team size or technical expertise.

Take the first step to reducing your total cost of ownership by 50% and save 30% of your analytics team’s time. Sign up for a 14-day free trial with Hevo.

FAQ on Fivetran vs AWS Glue