Table of Contents
Fivetran is a game-changing data integration platform that is user-friendly and that seamlessly bridges the gap for businesses who want to streamline and improve their analytics. This conclusion was arrived at as a result of my personal investigation of Fivetran, which ultimately led to the arrival at this conclusion. Extract, Load, and Transform (ELT) is the name of the program that Fivetran, a low-code solution, acts as. Utilising this software helps to simplify the complex processes of data consolidation and transformation that would otherwise be required.
Even for users who are only subscribed to the free plan, the platform provides a powerful data cleansing tool as well as integrated scheduling, demonstrating both its accessibility and its adaptability. In addition to that, the platform has an incredible selection of over 300 different connectors to choose from.
My personal experience with Fivetran, together with extensive research and testing, led to the preparation of a comprehensive review that analyses the benefits and drawbacks of the software, in addition to its features, price, and prospective alternatives. Even if it is easy to use, having a specialised data professional available makes the entire process a great deal more enjoyable.
Fivetran Specification
Overall, Fivetran is a robust and flexible data integration platform that can assist enterprises of any size in consolidating, transforming, and loading data from a wide variety of sources into their data warehouses or data lakes. This can be accomplished by using Fivetran’s ability to handle a wide range of data integration use cases.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Low-code/No-code | Fivetran provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to set up and manage data pipelines without requiring extensive coding knowledge. |
| Automated data replication | Fivetran automatically synchronizes data from cloud and SaaS applications to your data warehouse or data lake. |
| Hundreds of pre-built connectors | Fivetran offers a comprehensive library of connectors for a wide range of source systems, including databases, CRM platforms, marketing automation tools, and more. |
| Automatic schema management | Fivetran automatically adapts to changes in your source systems, ensuring that your data pipelines remain up-to-date. |
| Data transformation | Fivetran provides built-in data transformation capabilities to cleanse, enrich, and format your data before loading it into your destination. |
| Error handling and monitoring | Fivetran provides robust error handling and monitoring capabilities to ensure that your data pipelines are running smoothly. |
| Scalable and secure | Fivetran is a highly scalable and secure platform that can handle large volumes of data and meets strict compliance requirements. |
| Visit Website |
What Is Fivetran?
Fivetran has a number of different program for enterprises of varying sizes, including a free plan for smaller companies that are just getting started with the process of organising their data. You are able to set up automated data pipelines with Fivetran, which allows you to extract data from a wide variety of sources.
In addition to this, it purifies the data by removing duplicate entries and locating values that are missing, consolidates distinct kinds of data into a single format, and puts the data into the data warehouse of your choice. Because of this, it is now much simpler for you to visualise data, which will assist you in improving the decisions you make for your company.
Fivetran review: Setup and Customization
Signing up for a Fivetran account and getting it set up is just as simple as it is with any other software as a service (SaaS). You will receive detailed instructions on how to set up your account with Fivetran so that you will be prepared to send data from the services you use first to Fivetran and subsequently to the location of your choosing. You can utilise Fivetran’s option even if you do not currently possess a data warehouse.
The system will automatically perform a scan and sync of your data from the selected connectors every five hours after the initial data sync that you perform. The tutorial that can be found on the right-hand side of your dashboard in Fivetran is easily one of the app‘s most helpful new features. It is really useful if you have never worked with ETL software before because it provides a step-by-step instruction manual for each activity that you are attempting to carry out.
Fivetran review: Ease of Use
The process of data extraction and transformation is made more easier by using Fivetran, which is the main reason why it should be used. After you have completed the initial setup, there isn’t much that you will need to do manually, unless you need to add additional connectors or destinations for your data. In addition to this, assistance is provided at regular times.
Following the completion of the account setup process, we were given an email by a representative of Fivetran who congratulated us on our previous successes with the program and extended an invitation to receive more training on how to make use of it.
Fivetran review: Security
The extraction of data from one platform and the subsequent transfer of that data to another raises serious concerns regarding data security. When it comes to the protection of data, Fivetran ticks all of the boxes; nevertheless, there may be one issue that has not been explored. Since Fivetran is ELT software, the order of the transfer process is to first pull the data, then load it to a destination, and finally transform it. One of the major problems with this is that some of your users may view the raw data before it is transformed, which could put confidential information at risk.
Because it uses column masking, which blocks or hashes data in order to keep it private, the method that Fivetran employs is one that we are comfortable with using. In addition, the service implements typical safety precautions, such as encrypting data both while it is in transit and when it is stored. In addition, after data has been transferred to its destination, it is no longer stored in the pipelines.
Final Words
Having personally engaged with Fivetran, I wholeheartedly endorse this data movement service, especially for enterprises seeking a centralized data hub without delving into the intricacies of constructing API connections. The setup process was remarkably intuitive, allowing seamless configuration of connectors to effortlessly channel data into Fivetran and onward to the desired destination.
Particularly advantageous for organizations with moderate data volumes, Fivetran proves to be a cost-effective alternative to assembling a dedicated team of data engineers. What’s noteworthy is that even individuals with limited technical expertise can navigate and leverage Fivetran effectively, making it an accessible and practical solution for diverse business needs.
Fivetran review: The Good and Bad
Fivetran is a component of a data stack used for business intelligence. After a period of five minutes, the software will clone all of the apps, databases, events, and files into a high-performance data warehouse. Pipelines in the standardised cloud environment are completely controlled with no required maintenance.
The Good
- Free plan available
- Usage pricing reduces costs
- Easy to use for all users
- Automated connections
- 300-plus pre-built connectors
The Bad
- Pricing isn’t transparent
- May not handle complex data transformation
- Expensive for larger companies
Questions and Answers
Businesses that need to extract, process, and load a large amount of data for analysis but may not have a team of data engineers and data scientists to complete the work can benefit from using Fivetran, which is an effective data integration solution. Building and maintaining your own pipes can be a more expensive option than this alternative, which could save you money.
Both Fivetran and Talend are shown to be reliable solutions in the realm of ETL, despite having been developed with a variety of users in mind. Talend is typically chosen by more experienced users who are looking for a wide variety of connection possibilities. On the other hand, Fivetran is the tool of choice for beginners since it enables them to connect to standard data sources without requiring them to have any prior understanding of coding.