At a glance
| Source connectors | Hundreds of connectors: databases, mainframe, SaaS apps, files |
| Destination connectors | Cloud warehouses and lakes, databases and messaging systems such as Kafka |
| Batch or streaming | Batch ETL and ELT plus real-time CDC replication |
| Change data capture | Yes, through Cloud Data Ingestion and Replication; check the support matrix for each source and target |
| Transformations | Visual mappings, with pushdown to the database (ELT) or processing by Informatica (ETL) |
| Orchestration | Taskflows and Cloud Application Integration processes |
| Deployment | SaaS on several clouds; Secure Agent in your own environment runs tasks against private sources |
| Licensing | Proprietary; Informatica Processing Units (IPUs); quote only |
IDMC suits large organisations that need data integration together with data quality, cataloguing, governance and master data management from one vendor, across clouds and on-premises systems. It is a broad, quote-priced platform, so it is more than most small teams need, and buyers should confirm roadmap and support commitments given the change of ownership.
Overview
Intelligent Data Management Cloud is Informatica's cloud platform. Its services include Cloud Data Integration for ETL and ELT pipelines, Cloud Data Ingestion and Replication for bulk loads and change data capture, Cloud Application Integration for APIs and application processes, and products for data quality, cataloguing, governance and master data management. CLAIRE, Informatica's AI layer, assists with building and summarising pipelines.
Informatica says IDMC runs on Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle and Snowflake infrastructure. Its ELT engine, Advanced Pushdown Optimization, converts mapping logic into SQL that runs in the source or target database, and Informatica also offers serverless processing. Salesforce now owns Informatica, following an acquisition completed on 18 November 2025.
Key features
- Cloud Data Integration for ETL and ELT mappings, with "hundreds of connections" in its connector library
- Advanced Pushdown Optimization, which turns mapping logic into SQL that runs in the source or target database
- Cloud Data Ingestion and Replication for bulk loads and log-based change data capture into warehouses, lakes and Kafka
- Data quality, data catalogue, governance and master data management services on the same platform
- CLAIRE AI assistance for building and summarising pipelines
- Serverless processing option alongside agents in your own environment
- IPU consumption model with a usage dashboard and threshold alerts
Pros and cons
Pros
- Covers integration, CDC, data quality, governance and MDM in one platform
- Runs across the major clouds and reaches on-premises systems
- Pushdown ELT keeps heavy transformation in the warehouse
- One consumption unit (IPUs) across eligible services
Cons
- No public prices; IPU consumption has to be planned with Informatica
- A broad platform with many services to learn
- Ownership changed in November 2025, and Salesforce has not published an integration timeline
Pricing
IDMC is billed in Informatica Processing Units (IPUs), a consumption model that gives access to eligible cloud services, with usage metered per service and shown on a dashboard with threshold alerts. Informatica publishes no prices; the pricing page offers a quote and a sample price range for your use case. Informatica advertises a free 30-day cloud trial and a Free Cloud Data Integration offering, but we could not find the free offering's limits on an official page.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Large enterprises that need governed data integration, CDC, data quality and master data management across clouds and on-premises systems under one contract.
Who should look elsewhere
- Small teams that just need managed connectors into one warehouse: see the best ETL tools.
- Teams that want published or free self-hosted pricing: see Talend vs Informatica for a comparable suite, or Airbyte for self-hosting.
Verdict
IDMC is one of the most complete enterprise data management platforms, and it makes sense where integration, data quality, governance and MDM need to be bought and run together. For simple ingestion it is heavier and costlier to plan than a connector service, and the Salesforce ownership is a reason to get product and support commitments in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Informatica owned by Salesforce?
Yes. Salesforce completed its acquisition of Informatica on 18 November 2025. Informatica's site is now branded "Informatica from Salesforce", and IDMC continues to be sold.
How is IDMC priced?
In Informatica Processing Units (IPUs), a consumption model across eligible cloud services. Informatica does not publish prices, so you need a quote; there is a free 30-day cloud trial.
Is IDMC ETL or ELT?
Both. Cloud Data Integration can process data in Informatica's engine (ETL) or push transformation logic down as SQL to the source or target database with Advanced Pushdown Optimization (ELT). See ETL vs ELT.
Sources
- Informatica home page
- Informatica Cloud Data Integration
- Informatica Cloud Data Integration pricing (IPUs)
- Informatica: how ELT optimizes cost and performance (Advanced Pushdown Optimization)
- Informatica: supported sources and targets for Cloud Data Ingestion and Replication
- Salesforce completes acquisition of Informatica
Checked November 2026.
How we research reviews and what star ratings mean: our editorial method.