Should you prioritize ease of use or depth in a data integration tool? That’s the question that most users face when choosing between Fivetran and Qlik.
Fivetran is the go-to for quick, no-code data syncs from SaaS tools. Qlik is known for its enterprise-grade replication and deep analytics capabilities. Both are strong contenders for data integration.
The real challenge is choosing between them. No need to stress! This article clears up your Fivetran vs Qlik dilemma.
We’ll explore these tools based on their setup effort, connector coverage, CDC support, pricing, and more. By the end, you will be able to make an informed choice.
Key TakeawaysFivetran is a fully managed ELT platform built for fast setup, simplicity, and automation. It connects over 700 sources and is ideal for teams that want plug-and-play pipelines without deep engineering effort.
Qlik is a data integration and analytics platform offering ETL and ELT workflows. It provides real-time replication with Qlik Replicate and strong visualization through Qlik Cloud Analytics.
When to choose:
Choose Fivetran if you want an easy way to ingest data from SaaS apps or databases and don’t want to worry about managing it. However, transformations might require some technical know-how.
Choose Qlik if you require enterprise-grade data governance, advanced transformations, and real-time replication with built-in analytics. It’s better suited for enterprise teams with hybrid environments who have the resources to manage complex setups.
Why Hevo? Hevo offers the ease of use that Fivetran provides, along with the flexibility and transformation control that Qlik offers. It supports real-time sync, pre- and post-load transformations, intuitive monitoring, and transparent pricing. It’s a well-rounded choice for growing teams.
Table of Contents
What Is Fivetran?
G2 Rating: 4.2 (436)
Gartner Rating: 4.6 (296)
Fivetran is a no-code ELT data integration platform that enables data movement from 700+ sources like SaaS tools and databases. It loads raw data directly into cloud warehouses, such as Snowflake or BigQuery, and allows for transformations later.
Once connected, it runs your pipelines on minimal oversight with features like automated monitoring and error recovery.
Fivetran is a great fit for teams looking to scale data operations without building pipelines from scratch. It lets you invest time in analysis instead of management.
Key features of Fivetran
- Automated Change Data Capture (CDC): Uses log-based CDC to sync only the changed data from supported databases, reducing load for real-time sync.
- Schema drift handling: Automatically adjusts to changes in source schema, like new columns or data types, without breaking pipelines.
- Built-in transformations: Supports post-load transformations with dbt directly within the warehouse.
- Integrated alerting: Sends real-time alerts via Slack, email, or Webhook if a data pipeline fails or hits performance issues.
- High-volume database replication: Handles billions of rows efficiently, making it ideal for large data workloads.
Use cases
- Centralizing customer data: Combine customer information from CRMs, product usage platforms, and ad networks for better insights.
- Accelerating machine learning workflows: Feed cleaned data into ML pipelines for faster model training and deployment.
- Finance operations automation: Integrate billing, payment, and accounting data to automate financial reporting, forecasting, and compliance tracking.
- Supply chain visibility: Centralize logistics and inventory data to optimize operations and reduce delays.
Pricing
Fivetran’s pricing is a volume-based model determined by Monthly Active Rows (MAR) across all connectors in use.
- Free plan: Allows 500,000 MAR and 5,000 model runs per month.
- Standard: Begins at $500 for the first one million MAR.
- Enterprise: Includes features like 1-minute syncs, hybrid deployment, etc.
- Business Critical: Adds features like customer-managed encryption keys for security.
It offers a 14-day free trial. Higher MAR usage increases the cost.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Supports reverse ETL through Census integration.
- 24/7 technical support.
- Hybrid deployment options.
- Connector SDK for custom connectors.
Cons:
- Consumption-based pricing gets expensive unexpectedly.
- No built-in analytics, dashboards, or visualization.
- Focuses on batch processing.
- Complex transformations require coding.
What Is Qlik?
G2 Rating: 4.3 (125)
Gartner Rating: 4.3 (268)
Qlik is a data integration and analytics platform known for its intuitive dashboards and advanced visualization tools. It helps connect, clean, and analyze data from multiple sources without deep technical expertise.
It offers products like Qlik Talend Cloud for integration, Qlik Cloud Analytics for insights, and Qlik Replicate as a real-time database replication tool.
What sets Qlik apart is its AI-driven analytics, real-time processing through CDC, and focus on data governance. It’s suitable for teams seeking a secure, scalable solution for smarter decision-making.
Key features of Qlik
- Wide connector library: Offers 200+ plug-and-play connectors for integration with SaaS apps, databases, and files.
- Augmented analytics: Provides AI-powered suggestions, pattern detection, and natural language querying to support faster, deeper data exploration.
- Visual data pipelines: Supports drag-and-drop pipeline building, allowing users to automate workflows without coding.
- Qlik Trust Score: Delivers a data quality score by tracking lineage, usage, and reliability across the platform.
- Embedded analytics: Enables teams to embed live dashboards into internal tools or customer-facing applications for decision-making.
Use cases
- Self-service for teams: Explore data and build dashboards for insights in teams like sales, HR, and marketing.
- Real-time operations decisions: Equip frontline staff with real-time dashboards to monitor operations, enabling faster decisions in manufacturing, logistics, or retail.
- Smarter product development: Combine user behavior, feedback, and performance data to shape better product roadmaps.
- Risk and fraud monitoring: Detect anomalies, track transaction patterns, and manage risks using real-time analytics and alerts.
Pricing
Qlik Talend Cloud follows a custom, subscription-based pricing model.
- Starter: Move data from SaaS apps and databases with pre-built connectors and ready-to-query schemas.
- Standard: Adds real-time sync with CDC and optimized delivery to Qlik Cloud Analytics.
- Premium: Includes advanced transformation, lake automation, and self-service data preparation.
- Enterprise: Includes AI-ready pipelines, governance tools, and Qlik Talend Trust Score for data quality.
A 14-day free trial is available.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Supports batch and real-time sync.
- Uses in-memory compression to save storage.
- Offers APIs and flexible architecture.
- Offline mobile access.
Cons:
- Unclear pricing.
- Steep learning curve.
- UI may lag on large dashboards.
- Initial setup may require expert help.
Fivetran vs Qlik vs Hevo: Detailed Comparison Table
 |  |  Try Hevo for Free | |
| Reviews |  4.2 (400+ reviews) | 4.3 (100+ reviews) | 4.5 (250+ reviews) |
| Pricing | MAR-based pricing | Volumne-based pricing | Usage-based pricing |
| Free Plan |  |  | |
| Free Trial | 14-day free trial | | 14-day free trial |
| Core functions | Automated ELT | ELT/ ETL automation | ELT/ ETL automation |
| Ease of setup | Quick, easy setup | Complex workflows require expert help | Quick, easy setup |
| Connector coverage | 700+ connectors | 200+ connectors | 150+ connectors |
| Real-time sync | Limited to higher-tier plans | Real-time sync via Qlik Replicate | Real-time sync |
| Transformation capabilities | Post-load via dbt | Pre and post-load options | Pre and post-load options |
| Deployment options | Cloud and hybrid | Cloud, hybrid, and on-premises | Cloud SaaS |
| UI/UX simplicity | Clean | Complex | Intuitive |
| Visualization | No | Yes, visualization and dashboarding | No |
| Support SLAs | 24/7 severity-based support | Varies by plan, 24/7 for Enterprise | Tiered 24/7 support |
Fivetran stands out for ease of use, a large connector library, and a solid free tier for smaller teams. However, it falls short in post-load-only transformations, unpredictable pricing, and limited real-time sync capabilities.
Qlik supports real-time data sync and pre-load transformations. It can run in cloud, on-prem, or hybrid environments. However, it lacks Fivetran’s ease of use and has unclear pricing.
That’s where Hevo finds its sweet spot.
It’s as easy to set up as Fivetran but supports both pre- and post-load transformations and real-time syncing, like Qlik. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about surprise bills.
So, if you are looking for Qlik or Fivetran alternatives, Hevo is the way to go.
Qlik vs Fivetran: In-Depth Feature & Use Case Comparison
While the table offered a snapshot of the two data integration tools, let’s dig a little deeper to help you make a practical choice.
1. Ease of use
Fivetran: Built for simplicity so teams can get data pipelines running fast, often in minutes. The interface is clean, the onboarding is smooth, and there’s little to manage most of the time.
Qlik: The learning curve can be steep if you’re building multi-step workflows or handling advanced data modeling. You might need technical help to get the setup right.
Fivetran wins for helping teams run data pipelines without technical resources.
2. Transformation capabilities
Fivetran: Follows the ELT model, pushing data into warehouses first, with transformations handled later using tools like dbt. While this is ideal for teams who want to keep the warehouse as the source of truth, it’s not ideal if you need custom logic before ingestion.
Qlik: Supports both ETL and ELT approaches. You get more control over how and when data is transformed, which is helpful for real-time business logic.
Qlik offers more flexibility. Hence, it is a better option for transformations.
3. Connector coverage
Fivetran: Offers over 700 pre-built connectors across SaaS tools, databases, and file systems. These connectors are fully managed, automatically updated, and constantly expanding.
Qlik: Provides access to 200+ connectors with Qlik Talend Cloud. These connectors are also fully managed but with a greater focus on SaaS sources.
Fivetran wins for a wider connector base.
4. Real-time data sync
Fivetran: Strength lies in batch processing. While real-time sync is available, it’s limited to higher-tier plans and specific connectors. For most users, syncs are scheduled rather than continuous.
Qlik: Real-time data replication happens with dedicated CDC tools like Qlik Replicate. It supports low-latency sync across sources and targets, making it ideal for live dashboards and operational analytics.
Qlik is the better choice due to its specialized tool.
5. User interface
Fivetran: The UI is minimalistic and simple. Everything is easy to find and configure, which helps reduce the setup time and learning curve.
Qlik: The interface is more powerful but also complex and layered. It offers advanced visualization and workflow options, but they feel overwhelming at first. Large data sets might also slow the UI down.
Hence, Fivetran wins with a smoother experience.
6. Pricing
Fivetran: Charges based on usage of the Monthly Active Rows (MAR). It’s relatively transparent, but the prices shoot up as the data volume scales.
Qlik: Offers a subscription-based yet unclear custom pricing. Cost is hard to predict without contacting sales, and add-ons can make the plan even more expensive.
Tie. Neither wins here. Fivetran is more transparent, but costs can spiral. Qlik might offer flexibility, but it’s harder to predict.
However, there are exceptions. Fivetran’s pricing can be beneficial if you have a consistent data volume.
Similarly, Qlik’s pricing can make sense for large enterprises that require strong data integration and advanced visualization in one platform.
When to Choose Fivetran?
Go with Fivetran if you’re looking for a reliable and easy way to move data from SaaS apps and databases into your cloud warehouse. It’s useful if you want a quick setup, minimal management, and accurate replication without heavy engineering effort.
Fivetran HVR, its high-volume replication solution, is ideal for enterprises that need log-based, real-time data movement at scale. While it’s optimized for ELT workflows and works best with post-load transformation, it’s a strong choice for stable pipelines.
Want to explore similar options? Here’s a detailed Hevo vs Fivetran comparison.
When to Choose Qlik?
Choose Qlik if you are looking for a platform that does more than just data integration. It’s suitable for enterprises that need competitive data transformations, real-time replication, and built-in analytics and visualization tools.
It also supports hybrid cloud environments, making it versatile for teams working across on-premises and cloud systems. It comes with a steeper learning curve and may require more setup time. However, the depth it offers is worth it for teams that have the technical resources to manage it effectively.
Why Does Hevo Stand Out?
Hevo stands out for simply how practical and user-friendly it is compared to the two data pipeline tools. You get built-in pre-load and post-load transformations, so there’s no need to manage separate tools just to clean or format your data.
Setup is quick, and the UI makes it easy for non-engineering teams to monitor pipelines and resolve issues with detailed logs and alerts.
It supports real-time sync and fully managed connectors with error monitoring and schema management. Hevo’s pricing is easy to understand, and its free plan includes enough features to be genuinely helpful for small teams.
No sales calls needed, no surprises later.
For teams that want fast execution without heavy technical investment, Hevo saves time and removes guesswork.
Sign up for Hevo’s 14-day free trial today!
FAQs about Fivetran vs Qlik
Q1. What is the key difference between Fivetran and Qlik?
The key difference lies in their core approach.
Fivetran is designed as a plug-and-play ELT solution, focused on automation and simplicity for data replication into cloud warehouses. Qlik offers broader data integration and analytics capabilities, including powerful transformation logic and data visualization.
While Fivetran is more hands-off and minimalistic, Qlik gives more control and customization.
Q2. Which is more cost-effective for smaller companies, Fivetran or Qlik?
Fivetran can be more cost-effective for smaller companies with steady, low-volume data needs. You only pay based on Monthly Active Rows, which keeps costs low. However, scaling might cause a steep cost surge.
Qlik’s pricing, while more flexible, is more suitable for enterprise teams. Since the prices are unclear and add-ons can inflate costs, smaller teams might find it expensive.
Q3. Is Fivetran easier to use than Qlik for ELT pipelines?
Yes. Fivetran is generally easier to use for ELT pipelines if you’re starting. It requires minimal setup where you just connect your source and destination, and you’re good to go. It also adapts to schema changes automatically.
Qlik offers more customizations but also demands more configuration, making it slightly difficult to learn for someone unfamiliar with data engineering tools.
Q4. Between Fivetran vs Qlik, which data integration tool is better for real-time sync?
Qlik is better at real-time syncs compared to Fivetran. Qlik Replicate is built specifically for continuous data movement using change data capture (CDC). It can track and push updates almost instantly.
Fivetran can handle near real-time syncs too, especially with its HVR product, but its core platform leans more towards scheduled batch processing.
Share it with your connections.
-
Share To LinkedIn
-
Share To Facebook
-
Share To X
-
Copy Link
