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.
Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) is an ETL tool with different offerings. You can choose between open-source and Enterprise Edition. Hitachi Vantara launched this in 2004. Since then, this tool has been serving a growing number of customers worldwide, and the feedback is positive.
PDI enables you to extract, transform, and load (ETL) data from a variety of sources. With PDI, you can integrate data to create meaningful insights and reports. These reports can help in business decisions.
PDI’s user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. However, it can get slow at times, and customization of the UI is limited, according to some reviews in Gartner Peer Insights. And only 68% Would Recommend according to the same reviews.
PDI is a product you need to install and configure. That means you take care of security and privacy concerns on your own. Yet, you can deploy PDI in the cloud and use whatever certifications the cloud provider has. PDI also uses security providers like LDAP, Secure Socket Layers, and more. So, PDI is not lax on security and privacy.
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, and data ingestion. | ETL, streaming data | 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 solution. | No-code wizard. Top-rated as one of the easiest ETL tools by G2. |
| Sources | 250+ | 40+ | 180+ |
| 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 or incremental load. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Yes, by request. | Through JDBC or ODBC. | Ye s, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.5 out of 5 12 reviews | 4.3 out of 5 15 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 217 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.0 14 Ratings | 4.1 137 Ratings | 4.8 103 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Rest API access is for Professional and Enterprise Licenses only. And dbt, an external product, used for advanced data transformations. | Pentaho Data Integration. Pentaho Metadata Editor. Pentaho Aggregation Designer. Pentaho Schema Workbench. | 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. | Supports Hadoop and Spark integrations for Big Data. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities. |
| Compliance and security certifications | SOC 2. | No provided security and privacy certifications. User and Role management within PDI. Supports security providers such as LDAP, MSAD, SSO, SSL, AES, JDBC. | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Self-service or contact a product specialist for Enterprise licensing. | Use the free trial and talk to sales. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Annual contracts or pay-as-you-go for AWS and Azure deployments. | Pentaho Community Edition is open-source. Talk to sales for more details. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Volume and connection-based pricing per month. Free trials. | Community Edition is free and open source. Contact sales for Enterprise Edition. 30-day free trial of Enterprise Edition. | 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.
Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration offers a wide range of data connectors through JDBC. So, you can connect to databases, cloud platforms, and big data sources like Hadoop. Some of the most popular ones are MySQL, SQL Server, Google Analytics, and Salesforce.
PDI allows you to create your own custom data connector. Or use pre-built connectors created by the Pentaho community. In addition, PDI offers a marketplace where you can find third-party connectors. So, you can also try your luck here if you don’t want to roll up your sleeves to build a connector.
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
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.
Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) allows you to transform data from one format to another. With PDI, customers can perform a variety of data transformations. Some of these are simple operations like filtering and sorting. There also are complex operations like pivoting, joining, and data validation.
PDI lets you drag and drop transformations into place. No need to write any code. But if you need custom transformations, you can code in languages like Java.
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
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.
Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) offers various levels of support. You can access support through the Hitachi Vantara support portal. From there you’ll see the knowledgebase articles, product documentation, and community forums.
PDI customers have access to standard support. This includes email support and access to the support portal during business hours. Premium support is also available. It provides 24/7 phone support, priority handling, and faster response times. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are available for premium support.
You can also access a range of professional services like consulting and training.
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, 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.
Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) offers a free Community Edition. It is also open source but comes with limited features. If you’re looking for more advanced features and support, try the Enterprise Edition. But, the website doesn’t mention the pricing for the Enterprise Edition.
But, PDI offers a 30-day trial for the Enterprise Edition. It allows you to try out the full range of features and see if this product is for you. If you decide to buy it, you’ll be able to access premium support services as well.
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.