Software · head to head
Fivetran vs Informatica
The short version
- Only Fivetran has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fivetran billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried; Informatica no dollar figure is published for any service, and every route ends at a quote request
- They diverge on capability: Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline, Informatica covers Data integration.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fivetran and Informatica actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fivetran | Informatica |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $3000/month |
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud | Web, On-premise |
| Founded | 2012 | 1993 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Fivetran
- Automated data pipeline
- Change Data Capture
- Data transformation
- Scheduling
- Notifications
- 500+ connectors
- Cloud data warehouses
- SaaS applications
Only in Informatica
- Data integration
- Master data management
- Data governance
- Analytics
- 1000+ connectors
- Cloud platforms
- On-premise deployment
- On-premise support
Both cover
- Real-time sync
- Monitoring
- Data quality
- Databases
- SOC2
- GDPR
- HIPAA
- Encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Multiple language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fivetran
- Managed data pipelines from SaaS sources into a warehousenot Informatica
- Keeping a warehouse in sync with production databases without writing connectorsnot Informatica
Informatica
- Enterprise data integration and ETL across cloud and on premise systemsnot Fivetran
- Master data management and data quality at organisation scalenot Fivetran
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fivetran
- Billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried
- Each connection follows its own cost curve, so total spend is hard to predict before running a pipeline
- The free plan allows 500,000 monthly active rows, 3,500 activation rows and 5,000 model runs
- Transformations are metered separately, from $0.01 per model run above 5,000 down to $0.002 above 100,000
- A schema change upstream that touches many rows raises the bill without any change on the customer's side
Informatica
- No dollar figure is published for any service, and every route ends at a quote request
- Consumption is measured in Informatica Processing Units, calculated per scaler across agent usage, ingestion volume and other inputs, so the unit itself is composite and hard to forecast
- Master data management is billed separately on a per domain records basis
- The pricing page presents ROI statistics rather than rates
Pricing, plan by plan
Fivetran
Free- FreeFree
- Limited connectors
- Basic support
- Standard$300/month
- 500+ connectors
- Priority support
- Enterprise$1000/month
- Custom connectors
- Dedicated support
Informatica
$3000/month- Starter$3000/month
- Basic data integration
- Professional$8000/month
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- Enterprise$20000/month
- Custom solutions
- Dedicated support
Which should you pick?
Choose Fivetran if
- You need automated data pipeline.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want change data capture.
Choose Informatica if
- You need data integration.
- You work on Web, On-premise.
- You also want master data management.
Questions people ask
- Is Fivetran or Informatica better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fivetran starts at Free and Informatica at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fivetran or Informatica?
- Fivetran has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fivetran and $3000/month for Informatica.
- Does Fivetran or Informatica run on more platforms?
- Fivetran runs on Web, Cloud. Informatica runs on Web, On-premise.
- Can I use Fivetran for free?
- Yes. Fivetran has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Informatica starts at $3000/month.
- What is Fivetran best used for?
- Fivetran is most often used for managed data pipelines from saas sources into a warehouse, keeping a warehouse in sync with production databases without writing connectors. Of those, managed data pipelines from saas sources into a warehouse and keeping a warehouse in sync with production databases without writing connectors are not what Informatica is typically brought in for.
- What can Fivetran do that Informatica cannot?
- Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline, Change Data Capture, Data transformation, Scheduling. Informatica covers Data integration, Master data management, Data governance, Analytics. Both handle Real-time sync, Monitoring, Data quality, Databases.