About the Services
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory (ADF) is a cloud-based data integration tool from Microsoft. It launched in 2015. And now, it’s popular among enterprises and individuals alike.
ADF offers a wide range of data integration scenarios. This includes ETL, ELT, reverse ETL, data ingestion, replication, and more. You can use over 90 built-in connectors. This covers on-premises and cloud-based data. You can use Azure Data Factory to move data from sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, Salesforce, and SAP. And into destinations such as Azure SQL Database, Azure Blob Storage, and Amazon S3.
Microsoft takes customer data privacy and security very seriously. Microsoft designed Azure Data Factory with several security features. This includes Azure Active Directory integration, role-based access control, data encryption, and more. Moreover, the tool complies with security and privacy standards. This includes GDPR, SOC 1/2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. This means that you can trust Azure Data Factory to handle your data in a secure and compliant manner.
You can also use ADF by importing SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages.
Airbyte
Airbyte is an open-source data platform. It makes it easy to replicate data from various sources into your destination system. It launched in 2020 and has many satisfied customers.
Airbyte helps you move data from one place to another. Whether you need to sync, migrate, or extract data, Airbyte has you covered. The user interface is intuitive and straightforward. It makes it easy for even non-technical users to set up integrations and track their data flows. Though Airbyte has a lot of connectors, it focuses on Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) only. You need to look for other tools for Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) or reverse ETL.
Airbyte is serious about security and privacy. It keeps your data safe by encrypting data when it’s moving and when it’s resting. It also does audits and vulnerability assessments. Airbyte is also certified by industry-standard certifications like SOC 2 Type 2.
Skyvia
Skyvia is a no-code cloud data integration platform for many data integration scenarios. It’s an all-rounder tool for ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL, data migration, one-way and bi-directional data sync, workflow automation, and more. Devart launched this fantastic product in 2014 for cloud data integration and backup.
Skyvia offers more than 180 ready-made data connectors. These are available for thousands of free users, including 2000+ paid customers. Big names like Hyundai and General Electric trust Skyvia to process their data. Its easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface suits both IT professionals and business users. And don’t take our word for it. Listen to G2 reviewers about how easy it is to start and work with it. Data integration experts who used other tools can adapt with little to no help from support.
Skyvia has flexible pricing plans perfect for small startups and large enterprises. So, it makes it applicable to businesses of all sizes. Also, Skyvia’s freemium model allows users to start using it now and then decide if they need to upgrade later.
The safety of your data is also our prime concern. So, we hosted it in Microsoft Azure cloud, providing the best data security and privacy. It complies with a wide set of security standards, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, and many others.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL, streaming. | ELT | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | Low-code, no-code solutions. Coding in various languages for complex scenarios. | Low-code solutions. Coding in various languages for complex scenarios (Java, Python, TypeScript). | No-code wizard. Top-rated as one of the easiest ETL tools by G2. |
| Sources | 90+ | 300+ | 180+ |
| Destinations | Supported data sources. | 30+ | Supported data sources, including databases, data warehouses, cloud apps and flat files. |
| Database replication | Full and incremental load. | Full or incremental load. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Provides SDK for creating custom connectors. | Provides SDK for creating custom connectors. | Ye s, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.6 out of 5 57 reviews | 4.1 out of 5 7 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 217 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.5 173 Ratings | 5 1 Ratings | 4.8 103 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Azure Portal, CLI, and PowerShell. Azure Functions for transformations. Use external services like HDInsight. Visual Studio. | Web and CLI. API Access for Cloud-hosted. | REST connector for data sources that have REST API. |
| Advanced ETL capabilities | Importing SSIS packages. Calling External processes from the pipeline. Use Hadoop Streaming. | Seamless integration with dbt, Airflow, and more. Custom Connector SDK. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities. |
| Compliance and security certifications | SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001 / 27017 / 27018, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, FedRAMP, Dod SRG, ITAR | SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Self-service through Azure Portal or contacting Microsoft sales. | Talk to Sales or go the open-source route. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Pay-as-you-go or consumption basis. No minimum commitment or contract term. | Pay-as-you-go or consumption basis for cloud-hosted. No SLA and contracts for open-source. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Always Free for 5 low frequency jobs. Included in Azure Free Trial with $200 credit for 30 days. | Free and open-source. Third-party companies offering more features and support. | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. Freemium model allows to start with a free plan. |
Connectors
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory has 90+ built-in connectors for integrating data from various sources. Microsoft regularly adds new connectors and update existing ones. The connectors can integrate databases, cloud platforms, big data, and SaaS applications. Popular connectors include Azure Blob Storage, Amazon S3, and Salesforce.
It also supports generic REST, OData, HTTP, and ODBC connectors. You can create custom connectors using .NET, Java, or Python. ADF provides a software development kit (SDK) for this purpose. And when you’re done with your new connector, you can share and reuse it to others in your organization. Or with other users outside your company.
Airbyte
Airbyte has over 300 built-in connectors. This makes it one of the most comprehensive data integration tools available. These connectors cover a wide range of data sources. This includes databases, cloud platforms, SaaS applications, and more. Some of the most popular connectors include Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Analytics.
Airbyte also offers a custom connector SDK and development service. So, no worries if your data source is missing from the list of pre-built connectors. With these options, you can build your own connector or have one built for you.
Skyvia
Skyvia offers more than 180 connectors, and more to come very soon. It supports connectors for CRMs, accounting, email marketing, e-commerce, human resources, marketing automation, payment processing, product management, all major databases and DWH, flat files, and more. It’s also not a problem whether your data is on-premise or in the cloud.
You can access your on-premise data with peace of mind using the Skyvia Agent. It allows you to connect to databases like SQL Server, MySQL, and more using an encrypted connection. You need to download the Skyvia Agent and install it. Then, download a secured key file and place it in the same folder as the Agent. The Agent is like an unbreakable metal door, and you use the key file to open that door to your on-premise data. You can also set it up so that Skyvia can access only the resources you specify and nothing else.
Customers can also leave a request for a new data connector. And Skyvia will prioritize building it without additional payment.
Transformation
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory provides flexible and powerful options for data transformation. ADF supports various transformations, including filtering, aggregating, joining, sorting, and more.
You can use the graphical user interface to add transformations or code to create advanced data transformations. ADF allows coding in several programming languages, including SQL, .NET, Python, and others.
It also supports external activities for executing your transformations on compute services. This includes HDInsight Hadoop, Spark, Data Lake Analytics, and Machine Learning. This gives you the flexibility to use different approaches in data transformation.
Airbyte
Airbyte’s ELT approach allows for flexible data transformations through dbt. Meaning you can do the transformations using SQL or Python. So, there’s no drag-and-drop moving forward. And dbt is another paid product if you have a team of data professionals. It’s free if you have one developer access to use.
Airbyte supports a wide range of transformations. Be it filtering, aggregation, joining, and more. Customers can also create custom transformations to fit their specific needs. This wide range is only possible because of coding in dbt.
Skyvia
Skyvia is a full-featured ETL service that allows powerful data transformations. It is a no-code solution allowing data splitting, conversion, lookups, and many more.
You can use the Skyvia Data Flow and Control Flow for advanced data pipelines. Transformations for these advanced pipelines are flexible. It supports extending your data with new columns, conditional flows, and summarized values. And all these you can do with parameters, variables, and more for flexibility without code.
Moreover, Skyvia has an Expression Builder to build formulas with many functions. With this, you can convert or extract parts of the data or form new values to suit your needs. And if you love coding in SQL, Skyvia can further extend your transformation needs. It supports multiple joins, groupings, CASE expressions, and more in SELECT queries. And you can also use DML commands like INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
Support
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory offers several levels of customer support. It includes free and paid options. The free support includes online documentation, community support, and email support.
Paid support options include Standard, Professional Direct, and Premier. Each has various levels of 24/7 support and faster response times. The Standard and Professional Direct support levels also come with an SLA. It guarantees a certain level of uptime and issue resolution time. Customers can reach the support team through various channels. This includes email, phone, and online chat. For premium support, customers can avail themselves of dedicated support teams and other benefits.
Azure SLA guarantees 99.9% uptime for paid Azure services.
Airbyte
Airbyte offers three levels of support: community, professional, and enterprise. Community support is free. And with it, you can access online resources, including documentation and community forums.
The professional and enterprise levels provide faster response times. It also has phone support and access to a dedicated account manager. Airbyte also offers an SLA for these support levels so you can receive timely support.
For customers who need more help, Airbyte offers premium support. This includes access to a dedicated support team and priority response times. Premium support is available for an extra fee.
Skyvia
Skyvia offers free email, chat (on the website or in-app), and forum support for all customers. It also provides extensive documentation with lots of tutorials and user guides.
For paid customers, Skyvia offers a prioritized support including additional support options for Enterprise customers.
Pricing
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory provides a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model. It charges based on pipeline orchestration, data movement, and data volume. Pricing can vary depending on region and usage patterns.
New customers get $200 free credit for 30 days to use any Azure service, including Data Factory. Pay-as-you-go is your next option once the trial ends or the free credits becomes zero. But ADF is always free for 5 low-frequency activities.
Some services may need resources not covered in Always Free services like storage. So, it’s crucial to check pricing and usage limits.
Airbyte
Airbyte offers a flexible pricing model that includes both cloud-based and self-managed options. They also provide an open-source version.
Their cloud-based pricing plan is pay-as-you-go. You can buy credits that you can consume based on your usage. There’s a custom pricing for larger organizations with higher data volume needs.
For open-source deployments, Airbyte is free with unlimited connectors. But you only get community support. And security features are up to you who manages your own deployment. Advanced monitoring and logging are also not available.
Additionally, Airbyte offers a 14-day free trial period for all paid plans. So, users can test out the features before committing to a plan.
Skyvia
Skyvia Data Integration is a freemium tool with an option to request a 14-day trial. So, price is not a barrier to entry.
And when you’re ready, paid plans start from $19 per month. Pricing tiers depend on a few factors. It includes the number of loaded records, scheduling frequency, and advanced ETL features. There are no sale commitments. And customers can upgrade or downgrade at any time. Check out a detailed comparison here.
If you doubt the price is worth it, check out review sites like G2. Aside from ease of use, reasonable pricing is one of the things Skyvia customers like. So, you can be sure the features you get are worth every penny.