Fivetran is a fully managed ELT (Extract, Load) platform that automates data replication from SaaS applications, databases, and other sources to data warehouses and lakes. It handles the E and L, leaving the T to tools like dbt.
How Fivetran Works
1. Connect: Select a source (e.g., Salesforce, PostgreSQL)
2. Configure: Provide credentials and select tables
3. Sync: Fivetran automatically extracts and loads data
4. Transform: Use dbt or SQL for transformations
Key Features
- Automated Schema Migration: Handles source changes automatically
- Incremental Updates: Syncs only new/changed data
- 300+ Connectors: Pre-built integrations to popular sources
- Normalized Schemas: Standardized table structures
- Transformations: Built-in dbt Core for basic transforms
Popular Connectors
| Category | Sources |
|----------|---------|
| CRM | Salesforce, HubSpot |
| Marketing | Google Ads, Facebook Ads |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB |
| SaaS | Stripe, Zendesk, Jira |
| Files | Google Sheets, S3 |
Fivetran vs Alternatives
- vs Airbyte: Fivetran is managed, Airbyte is open-source
- vs Stitch: Similar but Fivetran has more enterprise features
- vs Custom Code: Fivetran eliminates maintenance overhead
Pricing Model
Fivetran uses Monthly Active Rows (MAR) pricing:
- Pay based on rows updated each month
- Predictable costs for stable datasets
- Can be expensive for high-change data