Hevo vs Fivetran: 5 Major Differences

Data integration is a very dynamic platform with new tools emerging constantly. Navigating all the options and choosing the right one according to your specific business requirement can be challenging.

A common situation is a choice between Hevo and Fivetran. Both are widely known data integration tools with plenty of capabilities. However, their key differences in use case, features, and usability define the choice between one and the other. 

Let us delve into the considerable differences between Hevo and Fivetran in detail. 

Overview of Hevo Data

Created in 2017, Hevo Data is a cloud-based data integration platform. The platform is specifically designed for modern ELT, ETL, and Reverse ETL requirements for data pipelines. Hevo accommodates over 150 data source connectors that allow you to transfer data from various sources to a destination within a few clicks. Additionally, this platform leverages many components of the AWS cloud for its infrastructure, which allows you to process billions of records within seconds. 

Features of Hevo Data

• Hevo is known for its automatic scalability since it handles billions of records seamlessly, adjusting as per workload demands.
• It supports near real-time and batch data movement.
• With its Schema mapper, you can map data between source and destination tables.
• For transformation, Hevo allows you to either use Python scripts or drag-and-drop transformation templates.
• Hevo’s no-code features allow you to build data pipelines without writing a single line of code.

Overview of Fivetran

Created in 2012, Fivetran is a traditional data integration platform. As a cloud-based tool, It focuses on automating the complex tasks of data replication from many data sources to destinations such as data warehouses. Fivetran’s huge library of over 200 pre-built connectors allows you to work with various data sources. It also has the ability to operate in both ELT and ETL formats with other data integration tools. However, it gives importance to ELT. Additionally, the user-friendly interface of Fivetran reduces the need for complex configurations and makes it an ideal choice for technical and non-technical users. 

Features of Fivetran

• Fivetran’s data movement platform can efficiently replicate data from 160+ source connectors to help you centralize the data.
• For complex transformations using Fivetran, you can integrate with dbt core, an open-source tool designed to simplify the work of data analysts.
• The column blocking and hashing feature of Fivetran allows you to secure sensitive data like PII from data loss or cyber-attacks.
• Using Fivetran’s automated data governance, you can keep track of the data’s journey from source to destination.
• With Fivetran, you have the flexibility to either connect with cloud or on-premise infrastructure.

ETL Tools Comparison: Hevo Vs Fivetran

Hevo Data and Fivetran are two different tools that differ broadly in features, use cases, and usability. Here are some of the key differences between the tools:

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Differences Between Hevo Data and Fivetran

Both Hevo data and Fivetran might look similar at first glance. However, they exhibit considerable differences when delving into the intricacies of data integration, costs, and capabilities. Let us take a look:

Hevo Data vs. Fivetran: Connectors

Hevo offers many connectivity options, comprising over 150 connectors, including 11 destination options and 140+ sources. The source connectors include popular databases such as (MongoDB, MySQL, and MariaDB), Saas applications, streaming services, and cloud storage. Additionally, if you can’t find the required built-in connector, you can request their teams to develop a custom connector.

On the other hand, Fivetran offers more options comprising over 300+ connectors, including 24 destination options and 300+ sources. Unlike Hevo, Fivetran allows you to create custom connectors for the data source or API using their cloud functions. It enables you to write the scripts in multiple programming languages (Python, C#, JAva) to fetch the data.

Hevo Data vs. Fivetran: Transformation

With ETL, Hevo enables you to transform data before loading it to the desired data warehouse and ensures analysis-ready data upon arrival. It allows you to execute the transformation code within the pipeline setup. Hevo supports three types of transformations. They are In-flight transformation, User-driven transformation, and Post-data transformation. The in-flight transformation involves applying little changes such as adding meta fields, converting dates, and configuring access controls. The user-driven transformation involves transforming data before loading it into the destination, it includes data cleaning, filtering, and re-expression. Lastly, the post-data transformation allows further data refinement after loading.

In comparison, Fivetran follows the ELT process. Therefore, usually, the transformation happens after the data is loaded in the destination. The tool offers minimal transformation capabilities such as automatic data normalization, dynamic schema change, automatic schema mapping, and migration. However, you can integrate dedicated tools like dbt with Fivetran to perform complex data transformation tasks. Dbt allows you to write the transformation code in Python or SQL within the data warehouse.

Hevo Data vs Fivetran: Pipeline Setup

You can set Hevo pipelines in a four-step process that includes configuring the source, selecting data objects or tables, setting up the destination, and finalizing the settings. The pipelines are set up in minutes and classified into database, SaaS, and data hook pipelines. These classifications help you to configure the process based on the need to extract data from the desired source. As the ingestion and loading configurations are limited, the frequency of pipeline configurations might significantly impact the cost.

Like Hevo, Fivetran is web-based and set up easily in a few minutes. The process involves four steps: choosing the data source, selecting the specific data, connecting to the destination, and syncing the data to the desired destination. It is flexible in ingestion, loading, and pipeline frequency. Additionally, Fivetran allows you to customize the connectors for expanding data environments. 

Hevo Data vs. Fivetran: Security And Compliance

Hevo Data prioritizes data security through strict policies, ensuring compliance with various data security standards such as SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA compliance. Data is retained temporarily in some scenarios. However, they ensure that retained data is always encrypted using the AES algorithm and removed from the system. You can connect source and destination using SSH Tunnel, wherever applicable. Encrypt the connections using HTTPS for SaaS sources, ensuring a secured data transfer movement. 

On the other hand, Fivetran also offers strong security measures like role-based access control (RBAC), SSH, VPN tunnels, and AWS private links. For organizations dealing with sensitive data and operating internationally, it ensures compliance with various regulations like SOC 2 Type2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO27001. Fivetran encrypts connections to your source and destination with SSL by default. 

Hevo Data vs. Fivetran: Pricing

Hevo Data operates on an event-based pricing model, where any row update contributes to your billing. They provide three pricing tiers: Free, Starter, and Business.

• Free: For over 50+ connectors, Hevo Data offers up to 1 million monthly events and a free initial data load per source. It includes unlimited users and Single Sign-on (SSO) functionality.
• Starter: Offers a 14-day trial, providing access to 150+ connectors with monthly and yearly subscription options. It offers 5 million events per month.
• Business: It encompasses everything in the starter tier and adds HIPAA compliance and a 6-hour SLA for enhanced service assurance.

For more detailed pricing information, please visit Hevo Data pricing plans.

Fivetran offers monthly and yearly subscriptions across all the plans. The main focus of the pricing model is on Monthly Active Rows (MAR), which means you pay only for the active rows within a given month. Each MAR is accounted for once per month, regardless of the frequency of changes. Fivetran divides pricing into five parts: starter, standard, enterprise, business-critical, and private deployment.

• Starter: It offers solutions for ten users, featuring hourly syncs and 400+ fully managed connectors. 
• Standard: It includes unlimited user access, 15-minute sync intervals, data connectors, and access to Fivetran’s REST API.
• Enterprise: It is ideal for those requiring access to high-volume agent connectors and Oracle, offering synchronization for every minute. 
• Business-critical: You can opt for business-critical if you need the highest data protection and compliance level. It provides customer-managed encryption keys, private networking choices, and PCI DSS level 1 certification.
• Private deployment: For secured database replication and enhanced data control, Fivetran offers hosting on-premises, virtual private cloud, or air-gapped networks. The pricing involves an annual subscription based on usage, ensuring tailored cost structures for individual requirements.

For more details on pricing, please visit Fivetran’s pricing plan.

Airbyte: A Leading Alternative to Hevo and Fivetran

A good alternative to Hevo and Fivetran is a well-known data integration tool, Airbyte. With over 300 pre-built connectors, it offers one of the largest libraries of connectors that allows you to connect from a range of data sources to destinations. In addition to data migration, Airbyte provides a range of services that are necessary to set up and manage data movement operations. These include configuration API, logging, task scheduling, alerting, etc. 

Some of the key features of Airbyte include: 

• If you don’t find connectors for some sources in Airbyte, you can build your own custom connectors within 30 minutes, that too with the language of your choice. 
• Airbyte takes robust security measures for data movement, such as strong encryption, role-based access control, audit logs, and secure data transmission. 
• Airbyte provides SOC 2, ISO-27001, and GDPR certification for compliance with rules and regulations on sensitive data. 
• Airbyte supports Change Data Capture (CDC) for some connectors to capture and deliver changes with less resource utilization.

Conclusion

Hevo Data and Fivetran offer potent data integration solutions tailored for distinct use. They bring unique features and efficiencies to streamline data movement within organizations, ensuring speed and accuracy. Hevo excels in handling lightweight and reverse ETL, whereas Fivetran stands out for businesses seeking robust ELT capabilities.

Unlike Hevo and Fivetran, Airbyte provides an open-source ecosystem with industry-leading features for performing data integration. Therefore, if you are looking for a cost-effective solution with robust community support, Airbyte should be your choice. 

Assessing your specific requirements is crucial in selecting the right tool. With all the platforms offering free trials, exploring their suitability for your workload is a prudent step in making an informed decision that aligns best with your business needs.