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Databases · head to head

dbt vs Immuta

dbt logo

dbt

Databases

SQL transformation framework enabling analytics engineers to version, test and deploy models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Immuta logo

Immuta

Databases

Attribute-based access control and masking applied inside Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only dbt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: dbt free tier severely limited: 3,000 models/month cap and single project maximum restricts team and production use; Immuta contracts commonly start around one hundred to two hundred thousand US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and exceed five hundred thousand at enterprise scale, which excludes most data teams without a regulatory mandate.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which dbt and Immuta actually diverge.

Attributes where dbt and Immuta differ
AttributedbtImmuta
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscription|freequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf)Web, API, Cloud

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

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 dbt

Nothing recorded that Immuta does not also cover.

Only in Immuta

  • Attribute-based policy
  • Native enforcement
  • Dynamic masking
  • Row-level filtering
  • Purpose-based access
  • Sensitive data tagging
  • Audit logging
  • Multi-platform

What people use each for

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

dbt

  • Data warehouse transformation and ELT pipelinesnot Immuta
  • Analytics engineering for reporting and business intelligencenot Immuta
  • Data quality testing and validation at scalenot Immuta
  • Cross-functional data collaboration with version controlnot Immuta
  • Cost optimisation of warehouse usage through intelligent schedulingnot Immuta

Immuta

  • A bank whose Snowflake estate has grown to tens of thousands of roles that no one can review before an auditnot dbt
  • A healthcare analytics team that must let researchers query patient data with identifiers masked unless a specific purpose is recordednot dbt
  • A multinational applying different residency and access rules per jurisdiction to the same tables without duplicating datasetsnot dbt
  • An organisation running both Snowflake and Databricks that wants one policy set rather than two divergent implementationsnot dbt

Where each one falls short

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

dbt

  • Free tier severely limited: 3,000 models/month cap and single project maximum restricts team and production use
  • Starter at $1,200/year per seat: minimum 5-seat team costs $6,000/year baseline; no single-seat or 2-seat paid option
  • Enterprise pricing opaque: 'custom pricing' with no budget range for startups vs. enterprises; requires sales consultation
  • Model volume metering unclear: 'successful models/month' as a limit is ambiguous; unclear if this counts transformation runs, test runs, or deployment attempts

Immuta

  • Contracts commonly start around one hundred to two hundred thousand US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and exceed five hundred thousand at enterprise scale, which excludes most data teams without a regulatory mandate.
  • Policy is only as good as the data classification underneath it, so an organisation with poorly tagged columns will spend months on classification before Immuta enforces anything useful.
  • Native enforcement means capability varies by platform, and a feature available on Snowflake may be absent or behave differently on BigQuery, which undermines the promise of one policy set everywhere.
  • Adding an access governance layer creates a new dependency in the path to data: a misconfigured policy silently returns fewer rows rather than erroring, and analysts can act on incomplete results without noticing.
  • It governs cloud data platforms, so personal data in operational databases, files and SaaS applications sits outside its scope and needs separate controls, meaning Immuta is rarely the whole answer.

Pricing, plan by plan

dbt

Free
  • DeveloperFree
  • Starter$100/seat/month
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
  • Enterprise+$undefined/mo

Immuta

On request
  • Immuta Platform$undefined/year
    • Attribute-based policy authoring
    • Native enforcement in supported data platforms
    • Dynamic masking and row-level security

Which should you pick?

Choose dbt if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf).
dbt review

Choose Immuta if

  • You need attribute-based policy.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want native enforcement.
Immuta review

Questions people ask

Is dbt or Immuta better?
Neither clearly leads. dbt starts at Free and Immuta at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, dbt or Immuta?
dbt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for dbt and On request for Immuta.
Does dbt or Immuta run on more platforms?
dbt runs on Cloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf). Immuta runs on Web, API, Cloud.
Can I use dbt for free?
Yes. dbt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Immuta starts at On request.
What is dbt best used for?
dbt is most often used for data warehouse transformation and elt pipelines, analytics engineering for reporting and business intelligence, data quality testing and validation at scale, cross-functional data collaboration with version control. Of those, data warehouse transformation and elt pipelines and analytics engineering for reporting and business intelligence are not what Immuta is typically brought in for.
What can dbt do that Immuta cannot?
Immuta covers Attribute-based policy, Native enforcement, Dynamic masking, Row-level filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

dbt: How much does dbt cost?

dbt Developer is free. dbt Starter is $100/seat/month with a 5-seat minimum (or custom annual billing). Enterprise and Enterprise+ have custom pricing and require contacting sales.

Source
Immuta: Does Immuta sit in the query path?

No. It compiles policies into the data platform's own native controls, so queries run at normal speed through your existing tools.

dbt: What is included in the free Developer plan?

The Developer plan is free and includes 1 developer seat, 3,000 successful models/month limit, 1 project, browser-based IDE, MFA, and job scheduling.

Source
Immuta: What does it cost?

Not published. Market data suggests roughly 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and considerably more at enterprise scale.

dbt: What is the model limit on each plan?

Developer tier allows 3,000 successful models/month. Starter allows 15,000/month. Enterprise and Enterprise+ allow 100,000/month.

Source
Immuta: Is Immuta still independent?

Yes. It remains independently owned, unlike several competitors in data access governance that have been acquired.

dbt: Can I upgrade or downgrade my dbt plan?

Yes. dbt allows you to 'upgrade or downgrade at any time.' Starter plans bill monthly by credit card based on seat count; Enterprise plans are annual invoicing.

Source
Immuta: Does it work across more than one warehouse?

Yes, one policy set can target Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and Starburst, though enforcement capability varies by platform.

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