About the Services
Informatica
Informatica is an iPaaS platform offering solutions for the enterprise sector. It’s capable of ETL, ELT, and cloud management. It started in 1993. And now, they have 5000+ customers, including Dolby, Twitch, and more.
Informatica offers integration products for both cloud and on-premise cases. The most popular products are PowerCenter and Intelligent Data Management Cloud platform. You can start for free, but you need a work email. So, Gmail, Outlook, and the like won’t pass the registration.
They have a low-code, no-code GUI tool for both cloud and on-premises. They also have an AI recommendation engine called Claire AI. But the ease of use is a mixed bag from users in review sites. Some say it’s easy to use. But others feel it’s too complex and hard to navigate.
Like other data integration tools, Informatica ensures your data is private. They have SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other certifications.
Alteryx Designer
Alteryx Designer claims to be an all-in-one tool. That is from data preparation to analytics. And G2 and Gartner report positive feedback from end users. Alteryx as a company started in 1997 and became one of the trusted data platforms by known brands. It has various products, including Alteryx Designer Desktop and Cloud.
Alteryx Designer allows you to blend, prep, and analyze your data. Coding is optional, and the tool offers drag-and-drop capabilities. It’s good to see reviews from other users for specifics because some say that it’s easy, but others say there’s a steep learning curve. And note that the Desktop Edition is for Windows only. So, Mac and Linux users are out of the picture.
If you need to switch between Desktop and Cloud and back, it is not possible for now. Because the 2 Editions are 2 separate tools. You can’t migrate your workflows from the Desktop to the Cloud and vice-versa. You need to create them from scratch. That’s why you need to choose between the two and stick with your choice.
Alteryx implemented many measures to ensure the safety of customer data. They have earned certifications like HIPAA, SOC 1 and 2, and GDPR compliance.
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 | Data Ingestion, ETL. | ETL, Data Prep | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | Varies from low-code to high-code, depending on the product. | Low-code, no-code solutions. Python skills for complex scenarios. | No-code wizard. Top-rated as one of the easiest ETL tools by G2. |
| Sources | 90+ | 80+ | 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 table; incremental via change data capture. | Full or incremental load. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Yes, by Connector Toolkit Developer. | Through Alteryx Connector SDK. | Ye s, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.2 out of 5 264 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 284 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 217 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.2 308 Ratings | 4.5 59 Ratings | 4.8 103 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Informatica Developer Tool, REST API, Connector Toolkit. | CLI. Alteryx API/SDK. | REST connector for data sources that have REST API. |
| Advanced ETL capabilities | Visual ETL designer, Claire AI. | Predictive analytics and machine learning. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities. |
| Compliance and security certifications | SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, HIPAA / HITECH, GDPR, Privacy Shield. | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA Privacy Shield TrustArc Certified Privacy Seal Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Star Level 1/2 Available to Alteryx Designer Cloud | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Requires conversation with sales. | Use the free trial and talk to sales. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Annual contracts. | Renewable annual contracts. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Consumption-based pricing. | Pricing is different depending on the Edition. Contact sales for more information. Unspecified period of free trial. | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. Freemium model allows to start with a free plan. |
Connectors
Informatica
Informatica’s platform boasts 50K+ high-performance, metadata-aware connections based on its website. But this is not the actual number of connectors. The list of Informatica connectors shows less than 100. It supports SaaS apps, relational databases, data warehouses, and more. It also supports ODBC, JDBC, OData, and REST API. And with these, the number of connectors can increase but will not reach 50K.
You can request new connectors or use the Connector Toolkit for developers.
Alteryx Designer
Alteryx Designer supports over 80 data connectors. It includes data on cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. And popular databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL.
You can use the Alteryx Connector SDK to create a custom connector. This allows customers to connect to any data source. This means you need a knack for Python programming to create custom connectors.
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
Informatica
Informatica offers various data transformation capabilities like aggregation, masking, filtering, parsing, and more. The service processes data transformations in real-time or batch. It also uses AI to map columns to increase productivity.
Informatica offers simple transformations only in their free Cloud Data Integration. Grab a paid plan to enjoy advanced transformations. And get the highest-paid plan to have more data-quality services.
Alteryx Designer
With Alteryx Designer, you can perform a wide range of transformations. Be it filtering, sorting, aggregating, pivoting, and more. The software also supports data profiling and cleansing.
You can perform data transformations in Alteryx Designer using a drag-and-drop interface. Some of the transformations are the Formula, Multi-Field Formula, and Cross Tab. It makes it easy to transform data without coding. But for complex scenarios, you can code using Python or SQL, or do machine learning.
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
Informatica
Informatica support depends on your pricing plan.
For the free Data Loader, you only have the community to support you. But the free Cloud Data Integration lets you enjoy the community and live chat.
For the paid tiers, you have Cloud Data Integration – PayGo. It lets you enjoy the community, live chat, and basic support. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Data Management Cloud offers community and premium support.
Informatica also offers comprehensive documentation, a portal with learning courses, and certification training.
Alteryx Designer
There are 2 editions for Alteryx Designer: Designer Desktop and Designer Cloud. And each has an online documentation. There is also a community to help newbies and experts alike to address issues in the 2 products.
Alteryx Designer also offers technical support through email and phone. There are also different levels of support depending on your subscription plan. Premium support is available for customers who need immediate help. And extra support beyond the offerings in their subscription plan. It also provides an SLA. It outlines the response times and issue resolution for different levels of support. Check out the Alteryx Support Guidelines page for more details.
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
Informatica
Informatica uses consumption-based pricing. It measures consumption in what they call Informatica Processing Unit (IPU). You need to subscribe to enough IPUs in advance for your data integration needs.
Informatica also offers a free tier for their Cloud Data Integration. But with it, you only get simple transformations and live chat support. Also unavailable are SOC 2 Compliance, API Management, data privacy, and more.
The paid tiers offer better support and the features missing in the free tier. For more information, visit Informatica’s website.
Note that one of the dislikes about Informatica is its price. Reviews in G2 report it’s very pricey.
Alteryx Designer
There are 2 editions for Alteryx Designer: Designer Desktop and Designer Cloud.
You need to contact sales for the updated pricing. If you are a new customer for Alteryx Designer Cloud, you need to pay a separate platform fee. And also buy for 3 users, at least. Some reviewers in G2 feels it’s too pricey.
There’s a free trial for each edition. But there’s no mention of how long the trial will be.
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.