About the Services
CData
CData Software is a leading provider of data access and connectivity solutions. Founded in 2014, CData has more than 10,000 customers. They develop data connectivity drivers for ODBC, JDBC, .Net, and Python to make data access easy. It also provides adapters to known data integration solutions. This includes SSIS, Mulesoft, and more. And one of the data integration solutions it offers is CData Sync.
CData Sync supports ETL and ELT processes with SQL and dbt transformations. It works by creating jobs and tasks to process data from the source to the destination. Each job can use any of the 250+ sources supported. And tasks run in a sequential manner to achieve the format required in the destination. You can then schedule the jobs to run at a specific or recurring time. It also allows a Unix cron statement for advanced scheduling.
CData provides software that resides on customer premises and network environments. So, CData has no access to customer data. And it is not considered a ‘processor’ under the GDPR and like privacy laws.
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.
Skyvia
Skyvia is a no-code cloud data integration platform which supports a big variety of data integration scenarios including ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL, data migration, one way and bi-directional data sync, workflows automation, etc. It was created by Devart in 2014 to boost data-related performance: cloud data integration, backup and management.
Skyvia offers more than 160 ready-made data connectors for dozens of thousands of free users, including 2000+ paid customers. It's easy to use, offers drag-and-drop interface and suits both IT professionals and business users.
Skyvia has flexible pricing plans for each product, making it applicable for businesses of all sizes, from a small startup to an enterprise company. Also, Skyvia's freemium model allows users to start using it with a completely free plan and then decide if further upgrade is needed.
It is hosted in a Microsoft Azure cloud which provides the best data security and complies with a wide set of security standards including SOC 2, ISO 27001, and many others.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | ETL, ELT, and data ingestion. | ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL, streaming. | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | No-code solution for simple integrations. SQL/dbt skills for advanced data pipelines. | Low-code, no-code solutions. Coding in various languages for complex scenarios. | No-code and easy to use wizard. |
| Sources | 250+ | 90+ | 160+ |
| Destinations | Cloud, on-premises, mobile, and social data sources. | Supported data sources. | Supported data sources, including databases, data warehouses, cloud apps and flat files. |
| Database replication | Full or incremental load using change tracking and change data capture (CDC). CDC support is available for Professional and Enterprise Licenses only. | Full and incremental load. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Yes, by request. | Provides SDK for creating custom connectors. | Yes, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.5 out of 5 12 reviews | 4.6 out of 5 57 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 157 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.0 14 Ratings | 4.5 173 Ratings | 4.8 85 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Rest API access is for Professional and Enterprise Licenses only. And dbt, an external product, used for advanced data transformations. | Azure Portal, CLI, and PowerShell. Azure Functions for transformations. Use external services like HDInsight. Visual Studio. | REST connector for data sources that have REST API. |
| Advanced ETL capabilities | APIScript for writing custom processing logic and calling external processes like running batch files and more. | Importing SSIS packages. Calling External processes from the pipeline. Use Hadoop Streaming. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities |
| Compliance and security certifications | SOC 2. | SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001 / 27017 / 27018, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, FedRAMP, Dod SRG, ITAR | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Self-service or contact a product specialist for Enterprise licensing. | Self-service through Azure Portal or contacting Microsoft sales. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Annual contracts or pay-as-you-go for AWS and Azure deployments. | Pay-as-you-go or consumption basis. No minimum commitment or contract term. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Volume and connection-based pricing per month. Free trials. | Always Free for 5 low frequency jobs. Included in Azure Free Trial with $200 credit for 30 days. | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. Freemium model allows to start with a free plan. |
Connectors
CData
CData Sync connects to more than 250 data sources and more than 20 destinations. This includes relational databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL. And NoSQL databases like MongoDB and Redis. And also, data warehousing platforms like Snowflake. It also supports SaaS platforms like Salesforce and more. Upon installation, CData Sync comes with select popular connectors. You can download other connectors on the CData website if you need more. And you can also install a new connector provided by their support team.
You can request CData for a custom connector and they promise to provide it to you in 90 days.
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.
Skyvia
Skyvia offers more than 160 connectors and the number is rapidly growing. Among these connectors there are CRM, accounting, email marketing, e-commerce, human resources, marketing automation, payment processing, product management, all major databases and DWH, flat files, etc. Customers can also leave request for creating a new data connector and Skyvia will prioritize building it without additional payment.
Transformation
CData
CData Sync allows two ways to transform data: SQL and dbt transformations. This means you need SQL and Python coding skills. For simple transformations, SQL is enough. But complex transformations may require Python.
You can use SQL for in-flight or midstream transformations in ETL. This means that transformation happens before loading. And use dbt (SQL and/or Python) for post-job transformations in ELT.
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.
Skyvia
Skyvia is a full-featured ETL service that allows building data integrations with powerful transformations between multiple data sources. It is a no code solution with support for data splitting, complex expressions and formulas, lookups, and many more operations.
Skyvia's Data Flow and Control Flow components can be used for building more advanced ETL data pipelines with support for multiple connectors and additional features like modifying the data, flowing through them, splitting flows of records into multiple outputs, or modifying data flow variables.
Support
CData
CData has both standard and premium support for any of its products.
Standard technical support is through email. With this level of support, CData will do its best to solve your problem at the soonest possible time. This support covers licensing, installation, and issues involving any of their products. And before you email them, look for answers in the Online Knowledge Base first. The answer you’re looking for might already be there.
But, premium support is more priority over standard support. You can do these either by email or phone. And this also covers programming and other issues besides what standard support covers.
Live chat is also available through CData’s website.
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 of dedicated support teams and other benefits.
Azure SLA guarantees 99.9% uptime for paid Azure services.
Skyvia
Skyvia offers free email, chat (on 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 there's also a phone support option, and additional support options for Enterprise customers.
Pricing
CData
You can order CData Sync online and choose between the following:
• Standard,
• Professional,
• Enterprise,
• Pay-as-you-go through AWS and Azure,
• and Multi-server and site licensing.
CData will charge you based on the number of rows and connections. Price starts at $3,999 per year for the Standard license. And you pay for 5 connections and up to 100 million rows per month. Note also that in that whooping price, you can’t take advantage of the REST API access and change data capture features of supported databases. So, you have to go for the higher priced plan.
But before you take out your credit card for payment, you can request a trial of the software. The number of days you can do the trial is unspecified. To request a trial, you need to fill up a form on their website. Then, wait for their response in your email. Yet, you need to provide a corporate email. But if you don’t have one, you can send an email to the CData support email instead.
Note that in each of the plan, premium support is not included. You have to pay an extra $999.75 for it.
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.
Skyvia
Skyvia Data Integration is a freemium tool with an option to request a 14-day trial. Paid plans start from $19 per month. Pricing tiers (from Basic to Enterprise) vary by the number of successfully loaded records, frequency of scheduling and the inclusion of the advanced ETL features. There are no purchase commitments and customers are able to upgrade or downgrade at any time depending on their needs. A detailed comparison can be found here.