Fivetran: Simple and Automated Data Pipeline Management

Today, businesses are generating exponential amounts of data from various sources. Managing these information streams has become a priority to ensure increased competitiveness. With the surge in data, Fivetran offers a solution that automates the transfer of data to a cloud storage platform. In this article, you will discover all the features of this SaaS tool and how it simplifies data integration.

Fivetran, what is it?

Based in Oakland, California, Fivetran was founded in 2013 by Taylor Brown (COO) and George Fraser (CEO). Initially designed for data analysis, the creators preferred to focus on data integration automation.

Now, Fivetran is a SaaS tool that simplifies the creation of data pipelines with great efficiency. It allows data marketing experts to transfer their data from multiple data sources to cloud-based data warehouses. This pre-configured connector has access to over 150 data sources and can link them to 5 different data warehouses:

• Amazon Redshift
• Google Big Query
• Snowflake
• Databricks
• Panoply

What are the usable sources?

The 362 accessible sources of Fivetran are categorized into 6 categories:

• Data analysis tools: Google Analytics, GA 360, to directly analyze other data sources.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems: Hubspot, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, linking marketing actions to offline results.
• Advertising platforms: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, linking campaign costs and performance with CRM data.
• Email marketing tools: Mailchimp, and Marketo, to observe the impact of other marketing channels.
• Customer service tools: ServiceNow, Front, Zendesk, connecting customer service data to the CRM.
• eCommerce tools: Magento, Shopify, to centralize and analyze all eCommerce data.

What are the strengths of Fivetran?

Fivetran excels in the automation of pipelines and their maintenance. While it is certainly possible to create your own pipelines by directly connecting to data source APIs, Fivetran brings various advantages:

• Time-saving: Fivetran automates the creation of data pipelines directly from the data source to the desired data warehouse. This significantly reduces the workload for data engineers.
• User-friendly: Fivetran doesn't require deep technical skills to use; a data analyst can easily use it and create high-quality pipelines.
• Automated maintenance: Fivetran constantly monitors deployed pipelines, performs maintenance, and notifies the user when a problem requires human intervention.
• API Automation: Each API is different, and understanding its intricacies can be cumbersome or even impossible. Fivetran automates their usage, sparing the user from handling this task.

What are the alternatives to Fivetran?

There are many alternatives to Fivetran available in the market. For large projects, Stitch and Segment are notable options.

However, for projects focused on data marketing, it is recommended to consider Supermetrics and Funnel.io, as these software solutions are more tailored to this specific domain.

How much does Fivetran cost?

Fivetran charges based on the volume used, with costs calculated depending on the new lines added or updated each month. On average, a medium-sized project costs around 500€, while a large project may require a budget of 3,000€. To showcase its effectiveness, the tool offers a free 14-day trial.

Fivetran is a powerful automation tool that enables the creation of pipelines between multiple data sources and a cloud storage platform. User-friendly, it simplifies the work of data engineers and can even be used by individuals without technical knowledge.