Airbyte is the leading open data movement platform, while Fivetran is a traditional closed ELT solution. Compare data sources and destinations, features, pricing and more. Understand their differences and pros / cons.
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Airbyte is the open standard in data movement, and can be deployed self-hosted, cloud, or hybrid. Airbyte is used by 18% of the F500 and has over 25,000 community members.
Fivetran is a cloud-based data integration platform built through multiple acquisitions including Census, HVR, and Tobiko. With volume based pricing and a closed-source model, Fivetran provides a managed service approach that trades control for convenience.
Fivetran has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy to expand its capabilities, purchasing HVR for $700 million in 2021, Teleport Data earlier the same year, Census in 2025, and Tobiko Data later that year. Each acquisition added capabilities that Fivetran did not previously provide, from change data capture to reverse ETL to data transformation. While this approach allowed rapid feature expansion, it creates architectural challenges as the platform integrates disparate technologies built on different foundations.
The integration of these acquired technologies requires careful execution to avoid a fragmented user experience, with HVR in particular requiring considerable expertise to deploy and support given its steep learning curve. Organizations evaluating Fivetran should consider whether this acquisition-based growth strategy introduces complexity compared to platforms built with unified architectures from the ground up.
Fivetran's consumption-based pricing model uses Monthly Active Rows (MAR) as its billing metric, counting any row that is inserted, updated, or deleted within a month. A significant pricing change in March 2025 shifted from account-wide MAR discounts to per-connector billing, eliminating bulk discounts and potentially increasing costs for businesses using multiple data sources. Seasonal spikes, marketing campaigns, and product catalog updates can significantly impact MAR usage, leading to unexpected cost increases that make budget planning difficult.
For eCommerce and high-frequency event tracking use cases, the MAR model can become particularly expensive, with every click, cart update, and order change counting as additional rows that quickly inflate costs during peak traffic periods. Organizations need to carefully monitor usage patterns and understand how their specific data characteristics will affect monthly spending.
Fivetran offers a "By Request" program where users can submit requests for new Lite connectors, but the company notes that requests are prioritized based on demand and can take weeks to months to build. The initial review process alone aims to take two to eight weeks, though timelines are estimates that depend on the complexity and completeness of the request. While Fivetran does provide a Connector SDK that allows organizations to build their own custom connectors using Python, this shifts development responsibility to the customer rather than providing immediate access to needed data sources.
The company acknowledges that connector requests are prioritized based on the volume of customer requests received, meaning organizations with niche data sources may face extended wait times. This vendor-controlled roadmap creates dependencies that can delay critical data integration projects when teams need access to specific sources that aren't yet supported in Fivetran's connector catalog.
Airbyte gives you complete control over your data infrastructure with flexible deployment options that adapt to your security and compliance requirements. Whether you need to keep sensitive data on-premise for sovereignty requirements, leverage cloud scalability, or implement a hybrid approach, Airbyte's single codebase architecture ensures consistent functionality across all deployment models. This flexibility helps organizations meet strict compliance standards like GDPR and HIPAA while maintaining full ownership of their data pipeline infrastructure.
With over 600 pre-built connectors and an AI-powered connector builder, Airbyte removes the traditional barriers to data integration. The platform's extensive connector library covers everything from modern SaaS applications to legacy databases and unstructured data sources. When you need a custom connector, the no-code Connector Builder and low-code CDK enable rapid development in hours instead of weeks. This is amplified by a vibrant community of over 1000 contributors who continuously expand the ecosystem, ensuring you're never blocked by connector availability.
Airbyte's predictable capacity-based pricing model means you can scale your data operations without worrying about surprise bills or budget overruns. Unlike consumption-based models that penalize growth, Airbyte's transparent pricing grows predictably with your infrastructure needs. Combined with enterprise-grade reliability featuring 99.9% uptime SLAs and the freedom to choose between deployment options, organizations can confidently scale their data operations without vendor lock-in concerns.
How difficult is it to migrate from my current data integration platform to Airbyte?
Migration is straightforward. Airbyte supports the same sources and destinations as other platforms, so you can recreate your pipelines quickly. Our team provides migration assistance for Enterprise customers, and our community has created guides for switching from specific competitors. Most customers complete migration in days, not weeks.
Will I lose my custom connectors when switching to Airbyte?
No. If you've built custom connectors on platforms like Singer (used by Stitch), they'll work with Airbyte. For proprietary connectors, our AI-powered Connector Builder lets you recreate them in hours. Plus, with 600+ pre-built connectors, you may find we already support your custom sources.
How does Airbyte's open source model affect security and reliability?
Open source enhances security through transparency - you can audit every line of code. Airbyte maintains SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance. Enterprise customers get SLAs, dedicated support, and the option to self-host for maximum control. Our code is battle-tested by thousands of companies worldwide.
What happens to my costs when switching from row-based or consumption pricing?
Most customers see significant cost savings with our predictable capacity-based pricing. No more surprise bills from data spikes or seasonal variations. You'll know exactly what you'll pay each month, and you can scale without fear.
Can Airbyte handle near real-time data syncs or is it limited like some batch-only platforms?
Airbyte excels at high-frequency batch workloads. We support log-based CDC for database replication and can sync as frequently as every 5 minutes for APIs. While we're optimized for reliable batch processing rather than streaming, our performance meets the freshness requirements of most modern analytics and AI applications.
Do I need engineering resources to manage Airbyte, or can my analysts handle it?
Airbyte is designed for both technical and non-technical users. Our UI makes pipeline creation point-and-click simple. The Connector Builder requires little coding knowledge. However, having technical resources unlocks advanced features like custom transformations, API deployment, and infrastructure optimization.
