Fivetran vs Workato: Which Data Integration Tool Is Better and Why?

You’ve likely come across Fivetran and Workato when exploring data integration tools for your business. Both these tools are top data integration choices, but they solve different problems.

Fivetran is built for reliable, automated data integration into cloud warehouses. Workato, on the other hand, excels in complex workflows and app-to-app automation.

Choosing the right one depends on your goals, stack, and how much control you need over data movement and logic.

So, how do you choose between Fivetran vs Workato? 

By the end of this article, you will know exactly which tool fits your use case and budget, and when to consider a better alternative.

Let’s get to it.

What Is Fivetran?

G2 Rating: 4.3 (788)

Gartner Rating: 4.6 (296)

Fivetran is a no-code ELT data integration platform that makes data movement easy, reliable, and maintenance-free. It supports 700+ pre-built, automated connectors across cloud apps, databases, file systems, and more. It allows you to pull data from virtually any source.

Don’t want to keep updating pipelines? Fivetran adapts to schema changes, ensuring your data pipeline updates independently.

Fivetran is best for teams seeking automated data ingestion to support modern analytics demands without losing control over data. It ensures accurate data is always available in your cloud destination without any pipeline breaks. This allows your teams to focus on advanced data initiatives.

Key features of Fivetran

• ELT approach: Follows an Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) model and loads raw data first for complete data control.
• Managed transformations: Offers native integrations with tools like dbt core to perform in-warehouse transformations.
• Incremental data loading: Only moves new or updated data to reduce data volume and keep costs predictable.
• Parallel data processing: Uses a scalable architecture to process large datasets simultaneously from various sources.
• Historical data backfills: Supports full historical syncs from data sources, allowing access to legacy data when needed.

Use cases

• Centralizing SaaS data for analytics: Sync data from tools like Salesforce, Google Ads, and HubSpot for unified reporting.
• Real-time database replication: Move changes from MySQL or PostgreSQL into destinations for live analytics.
• Automating finance and ops reporting: Pull ERP and operational platform data to simplify monthly close and performance tracking.
• Feeding machine learning pipelines: Automate ingestion to provide clean, up-to-date data to ML models.

Pricing

Fivetran offers a 14-day free trial and charges you by Monthly Active Rows (MAR).

• Free plan: Monthly limit of 500,000 MAR and 5,000 model runs.
• Standard: Starts at $500 for the first million MAR.
• Enterprise: Volume-based pricing with advanced features like 1-minute syncs and hybrid deployment.
• Business Critical: Provides customer-managed keys for encryption and additional security.

Additional MAR increases costs.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Proactive monitoring and alerting.
•  Handles large-scale data
• SLA-backed data delivery.
• Handles API changes.

Cons:

• Pricing can scale up fast.
• Limited custom transformations.
• 1-minute data sync is limited to enterprise plans.
• Limited support for on-premises sources

What Is Workato?

G2 Rating: 4.7 (543)

Gartner Rating: 4.9 (452)

Workato is an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) that unites AI agents and search with data from all apps, systems, and teams, without coding.

It has 1,200+ pre-built connectors for SaaS tools, databases, and cloud platforms. This means you can set up data flows quickly across platforms like CRMs, ERPs, and databases. It is ideal for IT, HR, finance, marketing, and sales teams who integrate data from multiple sources.

Workato is a strong choice if you need secure API access and automation without losing control over data workflows.

Key features of Workato

• Workflow automation: Enables the creation of multi-step workflows, called recipes, that connect different applications to simplify complex business processes.
• Real-time event processing: Supports event-driven automation, triggering actions instantly when specific conditions are met in connected systems.
• API management capabilities: Exposes existing integrations as reusable APIs, allowing scalable automation and controlled access across teams.
• Custom connector SDK: Provides a development kit for specialized tools to build custom connectors.
• Version control and rollback: Includes tools to manage, track, and revert changes to integrations for error recovery and deployment.

Use cases

• Automated employee onboarding: Connect HR and IT tools to auto-create accounts, assign devices, and trigger orientation workflows.
• Sales and marketing alignment: Sync CRMs with marketing tools to update lead status, notify reps in real-time, and speed up conversations.
• Order-to-cash automation: Link order systems with finance platforms to auto-generate invoices, track payments, and simplify reporting.
• IT service management: Integrate tools like Jira, Slack, and ServiceNow to route tickets, escalate issues, and automate resolution workflows.

Pricing

• Workato’s pricing follows a platform and usage-based model. Although the prices are custom-quoted, here’s how it works.
• You pay for a single workspace and a chosen platform edition, plus additional costs based on your task consumption. Optional add-ons are also available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• AI-powered intelligent automation.
• Flexible hybrid connectivity.
• Built-in collaboration features for cross-functional teams.
• Supports comprehensive activity audit logs.

Cons:

• Pricing lacks transparency.
• Not ideal for large-scale historical ETL.
• Niche use cases may require coding.
• SDK has a steep learning curve.

Fivetran vs Workato vs Hevo: Detailed Comparison Table

			Try Hevo for Free
Reviews	4.2 (400+ reviews)	4.7 (500+ reviews)	4.5 (250+ reviews)
Pricing	MAR-based pricing	Consumption-based pricing	Usage-based pricing
Free Plan
Free Trial	14-day free trial	Limited sandbox/demo available on request	14-day free trial
Core functions	Automated ELT	iPaaS, App workflow automation	ELT/ ETL Automation
Ease of setup	No-code, easy setup	No-code, easy setup	No-code, easy setup
Data sources and connectors	700+ pre-built connectors	1200+ pre-built connectors	150+ pre-built connectors
Custom connector creation	Via SDK or Cloud function	Via SDK and API	Java-based SDK, REST API
Real-time syncing	Only available on Enterprise plans	Real-time sync with CDC	Real-time sync with CDC
Transformation capabilities	Post-load with dbt	In-workflow, pre- and post-load	Pre and post-load options
Operational workflow	Limited features	Yes	Not primary focus
Support SLAs	24/7 severity-based support	Live chat support, ticketing option	24/7 support within 1 hour
Deployment options	SaaS, Hybrid, Self-hosted via HVR	Cloud SaaS, On-premises agent	Cloud SaaS

Fivetran and Workato both offer competitive features. However, they both tend to get expensive unexpectedly and sometimes require technical skills or enterprise-level plans for critical features like real-time sync and support.

Hevo stands out as the more approachable and cost-effective option. It is the perfect fit for teams looking for simplicity, scalability, and complete control with a fully managed platform. This makes it one of the promising Workato and Fivetran alternatives.

Workato vs Fivetran: In-depth Feature & Use Case Comparison

Now, let’s dig deeper into the features and use cases of both the data pipeline tools and see which one has the upper hand.

1. Connector ecosystem

Fivetran: Offers 700+ fully managed connectors across databases, SaaS tools, and APIs, all tailored for high-volume ELT use. These connectors are optimized for schema mapping and syncing into warehouses.

Workato: Supports 1000+ connectors, with a strong focus on SaaS and application integrations for business workflows. It includes app-level actions like triggering workflows, not just extracting data.

It’s a tie! Fivetran wins if you are pulling raw data into a warehouse. Workato excels at app-to-app integrations.

Fivetran\'s ease of use is definitely its standout feature. The platform is simple to navigate and doesn\'t require much manual intervention, which is great for streamlining data workflows. I also love the variety of connectors available—most of the tools I need are supported, and it\'s clear that Fivetran is continuously expanding its offerings. The managed aspect of the service means I don\'t have to worry about maintenance, and that’s a huge plus for saving time and resources.

Maris P.

DataOps Engineer

Workato makes it easy to connect our core systems without heavy custom development. The pre-built connectors, especially for Salesforce, other SaaS apps, and the on-prem connector save us huge amounts of time. I also appreciate the intuitive recipe-building interface, which lets both technical and business users design automations. The platform scales well—from simple notifications to complex, multi-step integrations with error handling and approvals.

Verified User

Legal Services

2. Real-time capabilities

Fivetran: Works on a default 6-hour sync, but it can be changed to 5-minute or hourly syncs. However, real-time syncing is only available in its Enterprise and Business Critical plans and Fivetran HVR.

Workato: Built for event-driven real-time triggers. When something happens in one app, it can instantly execute a workflow in another.

So, Workato wins if timing is a priority to you.

The real-time data syncing and error-handling capabilities are reliable and efficient, and the platform scales well with growing business needs.

Kaltoum

Associate at Information Services

3. Automated data quality and pipeline maintenance

Fivetran: Automatically detects schema changes, flags unusual patterns, and includes built-in recovery features. Pipelines self-heal during source-side changes like schema drift or API updates.

Workato: Provides automation log and error handling, but pipeline-level diagnostics, schema handling, and recovery aren’t a focus, compared to other Workato alternatives.

Fivetran wins for having stronger reliability and automated maintenance for large data volumes.

Fivetran truly simplifies the process of connecting and syncing data across systems. Its out-of-the-box connectors are very robust, requiring minimal setup and almost no ongoing maintenance. I especially appreciate the automated schema management and the reliability of the pipelines — once configured, they just work without needing babysitting.

Verified User

Insurance

4. Data movement direction

Fivetran: Transfers data primarily one way, mainly from source to target warehouse. It can function as one of the reverse ETL tools, but only through third-party integration.

Workato: Built for two-way data sync between apps and platforms, enabling data to move in and out of systems smoothly.

Workato wins since it’s more versatile for operational automation and syncing use cases.

The ability to move data from one source to another while performing complex transformation in the process in an easy logic format is game changing.

Data Analyst

Software

5. Transformation approach

Fivetran: Supports dbt for post-load transformations after the data lands in your warehouse. This works well for analytics and reporting.

Workato: Allows transformation as data moves between apps, which is ideal for real-time decisions or clearing up data on the fly. 

The choice depends on your goal. If you’re preparing data for dashboards and analysis, Fivetran plus dbt is a strong combo. However, Workato’s in-flight transformations are more useful for quick operational tasks.

I love how easy the transformations to get reporting set up is; once created, doing a dbt core job on the data to create reports is very simple with the Fivetran ads dbt packages.

Alec R

Data Engineer

Overall it\'s been a good experience with Fivetran. It\'s probably the easiest ETL tool I\'ve used with all the needed connectors to get our data into the data warehouse and no coding is needed. It\'s definitely a better alternative to hiring your own data engineering team and more cost-efficient too! We do sometimes have issues with sync delays but it\'s nice to be notified if there are any sync issues (although the errors aren\'t always useful). I\'d say it\'s reasonably priced but wouldn\'t call it a bargain software by any means.

Biz Ops

IT

6. Pricing model

Fivetran:  Fivetran’s pricing is decided on monthly active rows (MAR). It’s unpredictable and can grow costly with high-volume syncs.

Workato: Pricing is based on platform, usage, and add-ons. It starts simply, but can become complicated and expensive as more teams adopt it.

It’s a tie. Neither wins for predictability, and they can become costly if not monitored constantly. However, Fivetran can work well for companies with controlled and predictable data volumes. Workato can also be suitable if you have clear limits on automation and integration scale.

Overall it\'s been a good experience with Fivetran. It\'s probably the easiest ETL tool I\'ve used with all the needed connectors to get our data into the data warehouse and no coding is needed. It\'s definitely a better alternative to hiring your own data engineering team and more cost-efficient too! We do sometimes have issues with sync delays but it\'s nice to be notified if there are any sync issues (although the errors aren\'t always useful). I\'d say it\'s reasonably priced but wouldn\'t call it a bargain software by any means.

Biz Ops

IT

Initially we had slightly preferred the competitor purely from a pricing perspective. However, the negotiation on contracts with the competitor did not go well, whereas with Workato they listened to our concerns about the pricing model and accommodated our requirements to a point where we were satisfied. Their expertise, personal touch, and customer service is excellent. When we\'ve required their assistance they\'ve duly delivered.

HEAD OF SYSTEMS & IT

Retail

Want to know how Hevo performs in all these use cases? Check out this Hevo vs Fivetran comparison for a similar analysis.

When to Choose Fivetran?

Go for Fivetran when you want a no-code ELT platform that easily replicates data from SaaS tools and databases into a warehouse with little effort. It’s ideal for analytics and business intelligence teams that don’t want to manage infrastructure.

However, it’s more suited for straightforward ELT use cases. If your integration needs involve conditional logic or on-premise systems, Fivetran may feel limited in terms of flexibility and control.

When to Choose Workato?

Choose Workato when your use case goes beyond replication and involves complex workflows across business apps. It’s built to automate multi-step business processes, like syncing leads between CRM and marketing tools or triggering actions based on user behavior.

It is especially useful for IT and operations teams that want to orchestrate events across systems with logic-heavy flows. While the initial setup is smooth and easy, you might need some technical understanding for custom integrations.

Why Does Hevo Stand Out?

Hevo combines ease of use with adaptability, an uncommon mix lacking in Fivetran and Workato. It offers real-time data movement in a unified, no-code platform that requires minimal technical effort.

Fivetran often struggles with evolving source schemas. Hevo handles such changes gracefully, reducing breakages and maintenance. Unlike Workato, Hevo doesn’t demand complex logic building or deep integration expertise.

With Hevo, you get integrated transformations, live error monitoring, and deep visibility without any extra platforms. It’s transparent, subscription-based pricing ensures predictability, with faster syncing available even in the lowest-priced Starter plan.

In short, Hevo gives you the power of both automation and control, minus the unpredictability and ongoing engineering involvement.

Want to give it a shot? Sign up for Hevo’s 14-day free trial.

FAQs on Fivetran vs Workato

Sarthak Bhardwaj Customer Experience Engineer, Hevo

Sarthak is a skilled professional with over 2 years of hands-on experience in JDBC, MongoDB, REST API, and AWS. His expertise has been instrumental in driving Hevo's success, where he excels in adept problem-solving and superior issue management. Sarthak's technical proficiency and strategic approach have consistently contributed to optimizing operations and ensuring seamless performance, making him a vital asset to the team.