- Verified 11 Nov 2026Every profile shows where facts came from
- Unknowns labelledGaps are stated, never guessed
- No paid placementNo affiliate links, ratings or reviews
- Not a rankingAlphabetical by default; fit notes, not scores
What is Data Integration & ETL Software?
Data integration software moves data from apps and databases into warehouses and lakes. ELT tools load raw data and transform it in the warehouse; ETL tools transform before loading; CDC tools stream database changes continuously; transformation tools like dbt model data once it lands.
Also called Data Integration
Pricing in this category is mostly usage-based, by monthly active rows, events, credits, GB or IPUs, so bills can vary widely month to month. Model your real volumes before comparing.
This category covers managed ELT (Fivetran, Stitch, Hevo Data, Rivery), open source (Airbyte), real-time CDC (Estuary), transformation (dbt, Matillion) and enterprise suites (Talend, Informatica IDMC).
Fivetran and dbt Labs completed a merger on 1 June 2026. The profiles summarise dated 2026 sources and are research aids, not rankings.
Best data integration, ETL and ELT software by need.
Shortlists built from what each sourced profile documents, listed alphabetically, not ranked. Open a profile for limits, prices and sources.
Best free data integration, ETL and ELT software
5 of 10 profiles document a free plan.
Data integration, ETL and ELT software for small businesses
2 of 10 profiles are documented mainly for small and mid-size teams.
Data Integration & ETL Software compared: browse and filter
Search and filters update this list on the page and do not create new URLs, so every profile stays crawlable and linkable.
Airbyte
Airbyte · Open-source data integration
An open-source data integration platform with 600+ connectors, free to self-host (Core) and Cloud plans from about $10 a month.
- Free (open source)
- Volume or capacity
- Cloud or self-hosted
- Open-source ELT
- Independent sources
Best for Engineering teams wanting open source and custom connectors
Key capabilities- Core
- Cloud Standard
- Plus
- Pro
PricingCore free (self-hosted); Cloud Standard from $10-$20 a month (volume-based); Plus $500 a month (50 credits); Pro capacity-based; Enterprise Flex.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlydbt
dbt Labs · Data transformation
A SQL-based data transformation framework with testing and docs, free for developers and $100 per user a month on Starter; merged with Fivetran in June 2026.
- Free tier
- Per user
- Cloud
- Transformation
- Independent sources
Best for Analytics engineers transforming data in a warehouse
Key capabilities- Developer
- Starter
- Enterprise
- Testing
PricingDeveloper free (3,000 model builds a month); Starter $100 per user a month (up to 5 seats, 15,000 builds); Enterprise custom.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyEstuary
Estuary · Real-time CDC and ELT
A real-time data integration platform (Estuary Flow) for continuous CDC and ELT, priced at about $0.50 per GB plus task hours.
- Usage-based
- Per GB + task hours
- Cloud
- Real-time CDC
- Independent sources
Best for Teams needing continuous database CDC
Key capabilities- Data
- Compute
- Source
- CDC
PricingFlow Cloud about $0.50 per GB plus task hours (competitor article).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyFivetran
Fivetran · Managed ELT
A managed ELT platform with 700+ connectors priced by monthly active rows (MAR), with a free tier of 500,000 MAR; merged with dbt Labs in June 2026.
- Free tier
- Usage (MAR)
- Cloud
- Managed ELT
- Independent sources
Best for Teams wanting fully managed pipelines with broad connector coverage
Key capabilities- Unit
- Free tier
- Minimums
- Connectors
PricingFree 500K MAR; usage priced per connection by MAR ($5 pay-as-you-go minimum; $12,000 annual minimum reported); annual saves 5%-22%.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyHevo Data
Hevo Data · No-code data pipelines
A no-code data pipeline platform for ETL, ELT and reverse ETL with event-based pricing from about $239 a month (annual) for 5M events.
- Paid plans
- By events
- Cloud
- No-code pipelines
- Independent sources
Best for Teams wanting no-code pipelines including reverse ETL
Key capabilities- 5M events
- 100M events
- Business Critical
- Connectors
PricingAbout $239 a month (annual) for 5M events to ~$679 for 100M; Professional from $750 a month (competitor); Business Critical custom.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyInformatica IDMC
Informatica · Enterprise data management cloud
Informatica's Intelligent Data Management Cloud, licensed by IPU consumption, with small deployments estimated at $50,000 to $75,000 a year.
- Quote-based
- IPU consumption
- Cloud
- Enterprise data
- Independent sources
Best for Large enterprises needing integration, quality, governance and MDM
Key capabilities- Small
- Mid-size
- Large
- Unit
PricingQuote (IPU-based); estimates: small ~$50K-$75K, mid ~$100K-$150K, large $200K-$500K+ a year; free entry-level Cloud Data Integration.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyMatillion
Matillion · Cloud data transformation
A cloud ETL and transformation platform with Maia AI for building pipelines, priced by credits (reported from about $5,000 a month) with a free single-user Developer tier.
- Free tier
- Credits
- Cloud
- ETL + transformation
- Independent sources
Best for Teams transforming data in Snowflake, Databricks or AWS
Key capabilities- Developer
- Teams
- Scale
- Reported licence
PricingDeveloper free (1 user); Teams and Scale credit-based, sales-quoted; licences reported from ~$5,000 a month; warehouse compute extra.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyRivery
Boomi · SaaS ELT platform
A SaaS ELT and orchestration platform acquired by Boomi in December 2024, priced by quote on consumption credits.
- Quote-based
- Consumption credits
- Cloud
- ELT + orchestration
- Independent sources
Best for Teams wanting ELT plus orchestration in one SaaS
Key capabilities- Pro Plus
- Enterprise
- Unit
- CDC
PricingPro Plus and Enterprise by quote; consumption-based credits; CDC at a 2x multiplier reported.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyStitch
Qlik · Simple cloud ELT
A simple Singer-based ELT service in the Qlik Talend family, from $100 a month (Standard, 5M rows).
- Paid plans
- By rows
- Cloud
- Simple ELT
- Independent sources
Best for Small teams needing simple, low-cost replication
Key capabilities- Standard
- Advanced
- Premium
- Sources
PricingStandard $100 (5M rows); Advanced $1,250 (or $1,500 per a competitor); Premium $2,500 a month (up to 1B rows).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyTalend
Qlik · Enterprise data integration
Enterprise data integration and quality software, now part of Qlik Talend Cloud, sold by quote with a reported median contract of about $27,500 a year.
- Quote-based
- Seats + usage
- Cloud or hybrid
- Enterprise integration
- Independent sources
Best for Enterprises needing integration plus data quality and governance
Key capabilities- Talend Cloud
- Data Management Platform
- Median contract
- Open Studio
PricingQuote; Talend Cloud ~$50,000/yr and Data Management Platform $100,000+ (estimates); median contract $27,500/yr (Vendr, 74 purchases).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
No listings match these filters.
Listings are ordered alphabetically by default. They are not ranked, and there are no user ratings or paid placements.
Data Integration & ETL Software compared on key criteria.
Summaries come from each profile; open a profile for sources and caveats.
| Product | Pricing model | Starting price | Free tier | Approach | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbyte | Free / usage / capacity | Free; Cloud ~$10/mo | Yes (self-hosted) | Open-source ELT | Custom connectors |
| dbt | Per user | Free; $100/user/mo | Yes (Developer) | Transformation | Analytics engineering |
| Estuary | Per GB + task hours | ~$0.50/GB | Not documented | Real-time CDC | Streaming CDC |
| Fivetran | Usage (MAR) | Free (500K MAR) | Yes | Managed ELT | Hands-off pipelines |
| Hevo Data | Events | ~$239/mo (annual) | Not documented | No-code ETL/ELT | Analyst teams |
| Informatica IDMC | IPU quote | ~$50K/yr (est.) | Entry-level CDI | Enterprise ETL + MDM | Large enterprises |
| Matillion | Credits | ~$5,000/mo (reported) | Yes (1 user) | ETL + transform | Cloud warehouses |
| Rivery | Credits (quote) | Quote | No | ELT + orchestration | All-in-one SaaS |
| Stitch | Row tiers | $100/mo | No | Simple ELT | Low-cost replication |
| Talend | Quote | ~$27,500/yr median | No | Enterprise ETL | Data quality |
Which Data Integration & ETL Software option fits which situation.
- AirbyteMay suit Engineering teams wanting open source and custom connectors
- dbtMay suit Analytics engineers transforming data in a warehouse
- EstuaryMay suit Teams needing continuous database CDC
- FivetranMay suit Teams wanting fully managed pipelines with broad connector coverage
- Hevo DataMay suit Teams wanting no-code pipelines including reverse ETL
- Informatica IDMCMay suit Large enterprises needing integration, quality, governance and MDM
- MatillionMay suit Teams transforming data in Snowflake, Databricks or AWS
- RiveryMay suit Teams wanting ELT plus orchestration in one SaaS
- StitchMay suit Small teams needing simple, low-cost replication
- TalendMay suit Enterprises needing integration plus data quality and governance
Based on each profile's documented strengths and limits. These are fit notes, not rankings: test options against your own requirements.
Key features and capabilities of Data Integration & ETL Software.
The capabilities that define the category. Not every product offers all of them, and depth varies a lot between entry-level and enterprise tools.
Prebuilt connectors
Sources and destinations.
ELT and ETL
Load and transform.
Change data capture
Incremental replication.
Scheduling and orchestration
Pipeline timing.
Transformation
Clean and model data.
Monitoring and alerts
Pipeline health.
Reverse ETL
Send data back to apps.
Schema management
Handle changes.
How businesses use Data Integration & ETL Software.
- 01
Warehouse loading
Centralise data.
- 02
Database replication
Sync databases.
- 03
SaaS data consolidation
Combine app data.
- 04
Operational sync
Data back to CRM.
- 05
Migration
Move data between systems.
Who uses Data Integration & ETL Software and what problems it solves.
Data engineers
Build and run reliable pipelines.
Analytics engineers
Model and test data in the warehouse.
Data leaders
Control cost and governance.
Analysts
Get data without writing code.
What Data Integration & ETL Software changes in practice.
Practical outcomes teams report when the category is implemented well. Results depend on adoption, data quality and process, so we do not quote percentages.
Less engineering
Managed connectors.
Fresh data
Incremental syncs.
Reliability
Monitoring.
Unified data
One place for analysis.
Features and criteria to evaluate in Data Integration & ETL Software.
Connectors
Coverage and quality for your sources.
Pricing unit
Rows, events, credits, GB or IPUs.
Latency
Batch, minutes or real-time CDC.
Transformations
In-tool or in-warehouse.
Deployment
SaaS, hybrid or self-hosted.
Governance
Data quality, lineage and access.
How to choose Data Integration & ETL Software: a step-by-step approach.
- 1
List sources and destinations
Include volumes and change rates.
- 2
Model monthly usage
Estimate rows, events or GB.
- 3
Check latency needs
Batch or real-time.
- 4
Trial key connectors
Test schema changes and backfills.
- 5
Add warehouse compute
Transformations cost compute.
- 6
Plan parallel runs
Validate before retiring old pipelines.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Which connectors do we need, and are they maintained?
- How is pricing calculated: rows or credits?
- How are schema changes handled?
- Does it support CDC?
Common mistakes when choosing Data Integration & ETL Software.
Ignoring usage spikes
Backfills and history modes inflate bills.
Forgetting warehouse compute
It can exceed licence costs.
Self-hosting without ops capacity
Open source still needs maintenance.
Buying ETL for transformation-only needs
dbt may be enough.
Skipping parallel runs
Validate data before switching.
Data Integration & ETL Software key terms explained.
- ETL
- Extract, transform, load.
- ELT
- Extract, load, then transform in the warehouse.
- CDC
- Change data capture of database updates.
- MAR
- Monthly active rows, Fivetran's pricing unit.
- Reverse ETL
- Syncing warehouse data back to business apps.
- Connector
- A prebuilt integration with a source or destination.
Data Integration & ETL Software comparisons.
7 side-by-side comparisons with a feature table, pricing, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios. No winner is declared in any of them.
Alternatives to popular data integration, ETL and ELT software.
Every product in this category has a guide comparing its main alternatives and competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.
Data Integration & ETL Software questions and answers
What is the best free data integration, ETL and ELT software?
5 of the 10 data integration, ETL and ELT software profiles here document a free plan: Airbyte, dbt, Fivetran, Informatica IDMC and Matillion. Free plans and tiers usually cap users, records or usage, so check each profile for limits. The list is alphabetical, not a ranking.
What is the best data integration, ETL and ELT software for small businesses?
Products documented mainly for small and mid-size teams include Hevo Data and Stitch. Hevo Data may suit teams wanting no-code pipelines including reverse ETL. Stitch may suit small teams needing simple, low-cost replication. The best fit depends on your sales or work process and budget, so trial two or three.
Which data integration, ETL and ELT software suits large enterprises?
8 profiles are documented for large enterprises: Airbyte, dbt, Estuary, Fivetran, Informatica IDMC, Matillion, Rivery and Talend. Larger rollouts should also check SSO, permissions, audit logs, data residency and contract terms on each profile.
Where can I find alternatives to a specific data integration tool?
Every product in this category has its own alternatives guide, for example Fivetran alternatives, Matillion alternatives and Stitch alternatives. Each guide compares the main competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.
What is the best ETL tool?
Fivetran suits managed ELT; Airbyte suits open source; Estuary suits real-time CDC; dbt suits transformation; Informatica and Talend suit enterprise governance. This list is not a ranking.
Fivetran or Airbyte?
Fivetran is fully managed and priced by MAR with a 500K MAR free tier; Airbyte is open source, free to self-host, with Cloud from about $10 a month.
Did Fivetran and dbt merge?
Yes, Fivetran and dbt Labs completed their merger on 1 June 2026, per a June 2026 guide.
Is Talend Open Studio still available?
No, it was retired on 31 January 2024.
Narrow your Data Integration & ETL Software shortlist.
Open a profile for sources and pricing, read an alternatives guide, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf is not the answer.
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