Fivetran vs RudderStack Comparison

Integrating and transforming data efficiently is crucial for businesses seeking actionable insights. ETL tools have become essential for companies, making data integration and transformation smooth and efficient. With so many ETL tools available, choosing the right one for your needs can be challenging. This post lets you contrast the popular platforms, Fivetran vs RudderStack. By examining their features and pricing, we’ll help you determine how to choose the right tool for your needs.

What is Fivetran?

G2 Rating: 4.2(377)

Capterra Rating: 4.7(20)

Fivetran is a leading data integration tool designed to simplify syncing data from various sources to a data warehouse. It automates data extraction and loading, making it easier for organizations to consolidate their data.

Key Features of Fivetran

• Automated Data Pipelines: Fivetran provides automated connectors for various data sources.
• Schema Management: It automatically handles schema changes, ensuring data consistency.
• Pre-built Connectors: Over 500+ pre-built connectors.
• ELT Process: Fivetran focuses on Extract, Load, and Transform (ELT) processes, allowing users to perform transformations within the data warehouse.

What is RudderStack?

G2 Rating: 4.7/5(42)

Capterra Rating: 5/5(1)

RudderStack offers open-source customer data infrastructure platforms and cloud options focusing on event tracking. It offers a flexible solution for managing customer data across different tools and platforms.

Key Features of RudderStack

• Event Tracking: RudderStack excels in tracking user interactions and events across web and mobile applications.
• Data Pipeline Management: It provides easy tools for managing and routing data pipelines.
• Custom Integrations: Allows custom integrations through its flexible API and SDKs.

Comparison Metrics

Metrics	Fivetran	RudderStack
Ease of Use	User-friendly interface allows users to set up and manage data pipelines with minimal effort.	As it is open-source, it requires more technical expertise to set up and manage. While the Cloud option offers more customer support.
Scalability	Its cloud-native architecture and automatic scaling capabilities make it a highly scalable solution.	It also offers scalability, although its self-hosted nature may require more manual configuration and maintenance as the data volumes increase.
ETL/ELT	ELT	ETL and Reverse ETL
Pricing	Pricing is based on Monthly Active Rows.	Pricing is based on Events per Month.
Customer Support	24/7 access to a team of technical specialists.	Slack support in all tiers. Email support starts from the Starter tier.
Reverse ETL	No	Yes
Security	SOC 1 & 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, CCPA, GDPR, HITRUST	Data privacy and security with compliance to GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, SOC2
Deployment Options	Hybrid, SaaS, Self-Hosted	Cloud-based and self-hosted options available
Vendor Lock-In	Yes	No
Free Platform Demo	Yes	Yes

Fivetran vs. RudderStack: Head-to-Head Comparison

Ease of Use

• Fivetran: Known for its user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process, it is accessible to users without extensive technical expertise.
• RudderStack: It offers powerful features but may require more technical knowledge for setup and customization, given its focus on event tracking and custom integrations.

Integration Capabilities

• Fivetran: It supports 500+ sources and destinations, including databases, cloud storage, and SaaS applications.
• RudderStack: It supports integrations to send data to over 200 cloud destinations and has 16 RudderStack SDKs.

Data Transformation

• Fivetran:
  • Offers built-in transformation capabilities within the data warehouse, leveraging ELT processes.
  • Fivetran Transformations equips data teams to organize, analyze, and visualize their data. The transformations run in the user’s destination after they load the data in, so you’ll always have the raw data alongside the transformed data.
  • If a transformation fails, you don’t lose data. And if your analytical needs change, you can edit your transformations and rerun them on that raw data.
• RudderStack: 
  • You can quickly build, manage, debug, and reuse transformations.
  • Bring advanced customization to your in-flight events by applying custom logic before delivering those events to your destinations.
  • Use the power of templates to transform your designs for specific use cases.
  • Write the transformations in both JavaScript and Python.

Pricing:

• Fivetran:
  • Fivetran charges are based on monthly active rows (MAR) for data pipelines.
  • The pricing plans are as follows:
    • Free Plan: This plan is for those wishing to automate ELT for lightweight volumes of data. It grants them access to features in the Standard Plan, which comes with up to 500,000 MAR per month for free.
    • The Starter Plan: This plan is designed to achieve modern ELT for your application and file sources. It allows up to ten users access for a one-hour sync. In contrast, Fivetran does not allow Database connectors in its starter plan; it is limited to only an enterprise plan.
    • Standard Plan: This allows a single-location centralization of the product and transactional data resident in its databases—unlimited users; syncs every 15 minutes.
    • Enterprise Plan: You can connect to the Enterprise database connector for one-minute syncs. It also facilitates detailed roles and team support. Some connectors are not available in plans less than the Enterprise plan.
• RudderStack:
  • RudderStack charges based on Events per month.
  • The pricing plans are as follows:
    • Free Plan: $0/month for up to 1 million events. Ideal for startups and small teams.
    • Starter Plan: $500/month for up to 3 million events. This plan offers increased event volume, near real-time data, and Email support.
    • Growth Plan: Includes custom pricing for larger volumes and provides tracking plans, an event catalog, and an audience builder UI.
    • Enterprise Plan: Customized pricing for enterprise needs. Advanced features include profiles, predictions, HIPAA compliance, and dedicated support.

Customer Support:

• Fivetran:
  • All Fivetran customers have 24/7 access to a team of technical specialists.
  • Fivetran customers can flag issues through the ticketing system.
  • The issues are picked up quickly by the Support team.
• RudderStack:
  • RudderStack offers support on its premium tiers, which includes email support, dedicated support, etc.

Security:

• Fivetran:
  • Adheres to industry data security and compliance standards, with robust encryption and security protocols.
  • The security certifications include:
    • SOC 1 & 2
    • PCI DSS
    • ISO 27001
    • HIPAA, CCPA
    • GDPR
    • HITRUST
• RudderStack:
  • Emphasizes data privacy and compliance, offering features for data consent and secure data handling.
  • The security certifications include:
    • SOC 2
    • HIPAA
    • GDPR

Advantages of using Fivetran

• Extensive Connector Library: Includes complex enterprise sources like Oracle, SAP, and Workday.
• Strong Maintenance & Support: Reliable support for databases and applications.
• Scalability: Ideal for large-scale data integration.

Disadvantages of using Fivetran

• High Cost: Pricing based on Monthly Active Rows can lead to unpredictable expenses, especially with large data volumes.
• Difficult Cost Forecasting: Unpredictable costs can cause stress for data teams and scrutiny from finance stakeholders.
• Limited Connector Availability: New connectors can take a long time to develop, and not all needed connectors are available.
• Lack of Customization: Fivetran often requires clients to script custom solutions using cloud functions when a connector is unavailable.

Advantages of using RudderStack

• Comprehensive Integration Capabilities: RudderStack supports over 150+ destinations, including major analytics platforms, marketing tools, CRMs, and data warehouses.
• Robust Security and Compliance: RudderStack offers fine-grained access controls, customizable data retention policies, and a focus on data privacy.
• Range of Integration: RudderStack has over 200+ connectors, making it a highly versatile platform for managing customer data pipelines. 

Disadvantages of using RudderStack

• Limited Data Sources for ETL: RudderStack primarily focuses on data collection and activation, which means its ETL capabilities are more restricted.
• Event-Based Pricing Model: RudderStack uses an event-based pricing model, which can become expensive as the volume of data events increases. This model may lead to higher costs for businesses with large data volumes, challenging budgeting, and cost forecasting​.

Use Case Scenarios

Best Use Cases for Fivetran

• Large enterprises that need a robust, automated data integration solution.
• Organizations with diverse data sources and a focus on consolidating data into a data warehouse for analytics.

Best Use Cases for RudderStack

• Businesses focusing on event tracking and customer data integration.
• Companies that require flexible, custom data pipelines and event-based analytics.

Why Hevo is better than Fivetran and Rudderstack?

• Flexible Data Transformation: Hevo’s platform supports extensive data transformation capabilities, allowing users to tailor their data processing to specific needs. 
• Cost-Effectiveness: Hevo is designed to provide a cost-effective solution, potentially offering better value for money compared to Fivetran and RudderStack. 
• Enhanced Data Governance and Security: Hevo provides strong data governance and security features, including data encryption and compliance measures. 

Conclusion

Fivetran and RudderStack bring different strengths into the Data Integration and Transformation space. Fivetran is good at automated data pipelines and very easy to use, so it’s suitable for bigger enterprises with large data integration needs. RudderStack excels in event tracking, real-time, and flexibility—all fitting attributes for businesses focused on customer data.

For any businessperson seeking a more flexible, friendly, deeply integrated, and transformative platform, Hevo would stand out as one of the most valued options. It combines the best of both worlds through its ease of setup, robust features, and comprehensive coverage on the source and destination sides.

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