At a glance
| Source connectors | 750+ sources (SaaS apps, databases, files, events) plus Connector SDK |
| Destination connectors | Warehouses, lakes and databases: Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, Azure Synapse, PostgreSQL, SQL Server and more |
| Batch or streaming | Scheduled incremental syncs; Kafka is also listed as a destination |
| Change data capture | Yes, log-based or native methods per database, plus Fivetran proprietary readers |
| Transformations | dbt Core integration and prebuilt data models, billed per model run |
| Deployment | SaaS or Hybrid Deployment; choice of cloud and region on higher plans |
| Licensing | Proprietary; Monthly Active Rows with a Free plan and Standard, Enterprise and Business Critical tiers |
Fivetran suits teams that want ingestion handled for them: you configure a connection and Fivetran keeps the destination in sync, including schema changes and database change capture. The trade-off is usage-based billing that follows changed rows per connection, so model your costs on real volumes during the trial before committing.
Overview
Fivetran is a managed data movement service. It extracts data from SaaS applications, databases, files and event streams and loads it into a warehouse, lake or database, then keeps it updated incrementally. Its connector page says it can move data from 750+ sources, and its documentation lists destinations including Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, Azure Synapse, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, ClickHouse Cloud, MotherDuck and a Managed Data Lake Service.
Fivetran and dbt Labs completed an all-stock merger on 1 June 2026 and operate as "Fivetran + dbt Labs". Fivetran's own product also covers transformations (an integration for dbt Core and prebuilt data models) and Activations, its reverse ETL feature; Fivetran announced an agreement to acquire Census in May 2025, and its pricing page notes that an activation sync was previously called a sync in Census. Two deployment models are documented: SaaS, where processing happens in Fivetran's cloud, and Hybrid Deployment, where data is processed in your network while Fivetran's cloud handles orchestration and configuration.
Key features
- 750+ managed source connectors, plus a Connector SDK for building your own
- Database change capture using native methods such as PostgreSQL logical replication, MySQL binary log and SQL Server CDC or Change Tracking, plus Fivetran's own Binary Log Reader for Oracle and SQL Server
- High Volume Agent connectors for Oracle and SAP
- Automatic handling of schema changes and incremental syncs into the destination
- Transformations with an integration for dbt Core, billed by model runs
- Activations (reverse ETL) to send warehouse data to tools such as Salesforce and HubSpot
- Hybrid Deployment on Enterprise and Business Critical, plus customer-managed keys and private networking on Business Critical
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very large managed connector catalogue with little to operate yourself
- Native change capture for the main relational databases, MongoDB and SAP
- Free plan large enough to trial small sources for real
- Hybrid Deployment keeps data processing inside your network
- Transformation and reverse ETL available from the same vendor
Cons
- Bills follow changed rows per connection, which is hard to forecast for high-churn tables
- A USD 5 base charge applies to each small standard connection on paid plans
- Proprietary and not self-hostable; Hybrid Deployment still depends on Fivetran's cloud for control
- The pricing page gives examples rather than a full public rate card
Pricing
Fivetran bills by Monthly Active Rows (MAR), the distinct rows inserted or updated in a month, and its rates fall as volume rises. The Free plan includes 500,000 MAR for connections, 3,500 MAR for activations and 5,000 monthly model runs. Paid plans are Standard, Enterprise and Business Critical; on paid plans a USD 5 base charge applies to each standard connection with between 1 and 1 million MAR in a month. Model runs above 5,000 a month are listed from USD 0.01 down to USD 0.002 per run. The pricing page shows example connection costs rather than a rate card, so use Fivetran's estimator or ask for a quote. There is a 14-day trial, and each new connection gets a 14-day free period.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Teams that want managed ingestion from many SaaS apps and databases into a cloud warehouse, and are willing to pay usage-based fees to avoid running pipelines themselves.
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams that must self-host the whole platform or want an open source licence: see Fivetran alternatives.
- Workloads with very high row churn and a fixed budget, where capacity or compute-based pricing may be easier to plan: see Airbyte vs Fivetran.
Verdict
Fivetran is a strong default when you want ingestion as a managed service with broad connector coverage, native database change capture and a free plan to start on. It is less attractive when you need full self-hosting or predictable fixed costs, so measure your MAR on a trial and compare it with capacity-priced or self-managed options.
Frequently asked questions
How is Fivetran priced?
By Monthly Active Rows: distinct rows inserted or updated in a month, with tiered rates per connection. The Free plan covers 500,000 MAR and 5,000 model runs a month. Paid plans add a USD 5 base charge for each standard connection with 1 to 1 million MAR, and Fivetran shows example costs rather than a full rate card.
Can Fivetran run in my own environment?
Partly. Hybrid Deployment, on Enterprise and Business Critical plans, processes data inside your own network while Fivetran's cloud handles orchestration and configuration. There is no fully self-hosted edition.
Is Fivetran the same company as dbt Labs?
Yes, since 1 June 2026. The two companies completed an all-stock merger and operate as Fivetran + dbt Labs.
Sources
- Fivetran pricing
- Fivetran connectors
- Fivetran database connectors and change capture methods
- Fivetran destinations
- Fivetran deployment models
- Fivetran and dbt Labs complete merger (press release)
Checked November 2026.
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