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Automation Integration · head to head

Airbyte vs Stitch

Airbyte logo

Airbyte

Automation Integration

The open-source ELT platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stitch logo

Stitch

Automation Integration

Simple, powerful ETL built for data teams

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Airbyte has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Airbyte the self-managed open source Core edition has no SSO or RBAC, no multiple workspaces, no row filtering or encryption, and no monitoring integrations; Stitch the Standard plan allows a single destination, so loading the same data into two warehouses requires the $1,500 a month Advanced plan
  • They diverge on capability: Airbyte covers ELT pipelines, Stitch covers Error handling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbyte and Stitch actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbyte and Stitch differ
AttributeAirbyteStitch
Starting priceFree$100/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb, Cloud
Founded20202014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automation Integration).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbyte

  • ELT pipelines
  • Custom connectors
  • 300+ connectors
  • Databases
  • SaaS apps
  • Data warehouses
  • Self-hosted option
  • End-to-end encryption

Only in Stitch

  • Error handling
  • Incremental updates
  • 200+ connectors
  • Salesforce
  • Stripe
  • HubSpot
  • Database connectors
  • SOC2

Both cover

  • Data replication
  • Schema detection
  • Real-time sync
  • Data transformation
  • Monitoring
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbyte

  • Data integrationnot Stitch
  • ETL operationsnot Stitch
  • API data synchronizationnot Stitch
  • Data warehouse populationnot Stitch
  • Real-time data replicationnot Stitch

Stitch

  • Data integration and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)not Airbyte
  • Data pipeline managementnot Airbyte
  • Cloud data warehouse loadingnot Airbyte
  • Real-time data synchronizationnot Airbyte

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbyte

  • The self-managed open source Core edition has no SSO or RBAC, no multiple workspaces, no row filtering or encryption, and no monitoring integrations
  • Sync frequency on Core is limited compared with the managed tiers, which offer 15 minute syncs
  • Support on the free tier is community and AI only; premium support requires Pro or Enterprise
  • The free Agents plan stops at 1,000 agent operations a month and pauses capacity until the next month once hit
  • Agent overages are billed per operation at $0.004 to $0.005 once past the plan allowance

Stitch

  • The Standard plan allows a single destination, so loading the same data into two warehouses requires the $1,500 a month Advanced plan
  • The Advanced and Premium plans are billed annually only
  • The jump from Standard to Advanced is from $100 a month to $1,500
  • Standard is limited to 10 sources and 5 users
  • HIPAA support and private connectivity options such as VPN, AWS PrivateLink and VPC peering are excluded from Standard
  • Published prices are US only, with international pricing available on request

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbyte

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 Agent Operations monthly
    • Single user access
    • API and MCP access
  • Individual$29/month
    • 5,000 Agent Operations monthly
    • Hourly Context Store refresh
    • Standard and AI support
  • Team$299/month
    • 10,000 Agent Operations monthly
    • Parallel workflow execution
    • Multiple users

Stitch

$100/month
  • Standard$100/month
    • 5-300 million rows per month (configurable)
    • 1 destination
    • 10 standard sources
  • Advanced$1500/month
    • 100 million rows per month
    • 3 destinations
    • Unlimited enterprise sources
  • Premium$3000/month
    • 1 billion rows per month
    • 5 destinations
    • Unlimited enterprise sources

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbyte if

  • You need elt pipelines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want custom connectors.
Airbyte review

Choose Stitch if

  • You need error handling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want incremental updates.
Stitch review

Questions people ask

Is Airbyte or Stitch better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbyte starts at Free and Stitch at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbyte or Stitch?
Airbyte has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airbyte and $100/month for Stitch.
Does Airbyte or Stitch run on more platforms?
Airbyte runs on Web, Self-hosted. Stitch runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Airbyte for free?
Yes. Airbyte has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stitch starts at $100/month.
What is Airbyte best used for?
Airbyte is most often used for data integration, etl operations, api data synchronization, data warehouse population. Of those, data integration and etl operations are not what Stitch is typically brought in for.
What can Airbyte do that Stitch cannot?
Airbyte covers ELT pipelines, Custom connectors, 300+ connectors, Databases. Stitch covers Error handling, Incremental updates, 200+ connectors, Salesforce. Both handle Data replication, Schema detection, Real-time sync, Data transformation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airbyte: Is Airbyte free to use?

Yes, Airbyte offers a free tier with 1,000 Agent Operations monthly, single user access, API and MCP support, and community/AI assistance.

Source
Stitch: How much does Stitch cost?

Stitch's usage-based pricing starts at $100/month for the Standard plan. Advanced tier is $1,500/month (annual billing), and Premium is $3,000/month (annual billing). Pricing is based on rows per month and data destinations.

Source
Airbyte: What does the Team plan include?

The Team plan costs $299/month and includes 10,000 Agent Operations monthly, parallel workflow execution, multiple users, standard and AI support, with overages charged at $0.005 per AO.

Source
Stitch: Does Stitch offer a free trial?

Yes, Stitch provides a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Airbyte: What happens if I exceed my monthly Agent Operations limit?

Overages are charged at $0.004 per AO on the Individual plan and $0.005 per AO on the Team plan, allowing you to exceed your quota as needed.

Source
Stitch: How many rows can I process with each Stitch plan?

Standard plan is configurable from 5 to 300 million rows per month. Advanced includes 100 million rows per month. Premium includes 1 billion rows per month. Additional rows are available for customization.

Source
Airbyte: Does Airbyte offer data replication pricing?

Yes. Airbyte Data Replication starts at $10/month on the Standard plan with 600+ connectors. Pro and Enterprise plans use custom capacity-based pricing with Data Workers and dedicated support.

Source
Stitch: Is Stitch pricing available outside the US?

Stitch publishes pricing for US customers only. International pricing requires contacting Stitch sales directly.

Source
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