Airbyte vs Stitch at a glance
| Airbyte | Stitch |
|---|
| Ownership | Independent | Qlik (via Talend, acquired 2018; Qlik bought Talend in 2023) |
| Prebuilt connectors | 700+, including SaaS APIs, databases, files and unstructured sources | ~140 sources |
| Custom connectors | No-code Connector Builder with AI assist, low-code CDK, Python CDK | Singer taps (self-built) or Import API; no connector builder |
| Entry price | Free (Core); $20/month (Standard) | $100/month (Standard) |
| Pricing model | Volume-based (Standard, Plus) or capacity-based Data Workers (Pro, Enterprise Flex) | Rows replicated per month |
| Higher tiers | Plus from $189/month; Pro and Enterprise Flex on Data Workers | Advanced $1,500/month and Premium $3,000/month, billed annually |
| Entry-tier limits | No caps on sources or destinations by plan | Standard: 1 destination, 10 sources, 5 users |
| Deployment | Self-hosted (Core), managed cloud, hybrid or on-prem (Enterprise Flex) | Cloud-only |
| Change data capture | Included on every plan | Log-based replication for supported databases |
| Python and API access | PyAirbyte, Airbyte API, Terraform provider | Import API |
| Open source | Yes, actively maintained | Proprietary service; Singer project community-maintained |
| Security and compliance | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA conduit | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001; HIPAA on Advanced and above |
| Community | 25,000+ members, 1,000+ contributors | Vendor-led |
About Airbyte
Airbyte is the open standard for data movement, used by 18% of the Fortune 500. It replicates data from 700+ sources into warehouses, lakehouses, databases and AI context stores, and runs self-hosted, fully managed, or hybrid inside your own boundary.
About Stitch
Stitch is a cloud ELT service that grew out of RJMetrics and popularized the open-source Singer spec for taps and targets. Talend acquired Stitch in 2018, and Qlik acquired Talend in 2023. Stitch still runs as a standalone product with its own pricing and catalog, while Qlik ports Stitch-built connectors into Qlik Talend Cloud.
Connectors: 700+ vs ~140
Airbyte's catalog is about 5x Stitch's, and it keeps growing through Airbyte's team and 1,000+ contributors. That gap matters for the long tail: niche SaaS tools, regional apps, files and unstructured sources.
Stitch doesn't offer a connector builder or CDK. Teams that need a missing source build and host their own Singer tap or push data through Stitch's Import API.
With Airbyte, the Connector Builder creates a connector from API docs with AI assist, usually in minutes, and engineers can use the low-code or Python CDK.
Pricing: rows vs. capacity
Stitch bills on rows replicated per month. Standard starts at $100/month and is limited to 1 destination, 10 sources and 5 users. Advanced is $1,500/month and Premium $3,000/month, both billed annually. As volume grows, you move up row tiers.
Airbyte Core is free to self-host. Cloud starts at $20/month (Standard) and $189/month (Plus). Pro and Enterprise Flex price on Data Workers, dedicated compute capacity, so row counts don't drive your bill.
Deployment and control
Stitch is cloud-only.
Airbyte runs four ways on one codebase: free self-hosted Core, managed cloud, hybrid with an Airbyte-managed control plane, or fully on-prem with Enterprise Flex. Teams with data residency or compliance requirements can keep data inside their own boundary.
Roadmap and ownership
Stitch has changed hands twice in five years, and its site now points new buyers to Qlik Talend Cloud. Third-party reviewers note that connector counts have barely moved since 2024 and describe feature velocity as slow.
Airbyte is independent, open source and focused on data movement, with new connectors and platform features shipping continuously.
When to choose Airbyte vs Stitch
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|
| You need sources Stitch doesn't support | Airbyte |
| You've outgrown 10 sources or 1 destination on Stitch Standard | Airbyte |
| You want to self-host or keep data on-prem | Airbyte |
| You want cost that doesn't track row counts | Airbyte (capacity-based) |
| You want an independent, actively developed roadmap | Airbyte |
| You run a few stable sources at low volume and don't want to migrate yet | Stitch |
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