About the Services
Mulesoft
MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform connects data and apps for cloud and on-premises environments. Mulesoft started in 2006, and Salesforce acquired it in 2018. The platform offers various services and components, such as Composer, Studio, and others. Mulesoft has hundreds of connectors and templates used by over 1600 organizations globally.
Mulesoft offers products for different data integration scenarios. For example, you can use Composer for a no-code data integration workflow. But for complex data pipelines, they recommend Anypoint Studio. You can use this desktop app to design Mule applications, including integrations. So, you have to download this software. Then, install it on your computer before you can make data pipelines. Since everything you need is in Studio, the app has a "fat" design. So, some users report slow performance of the app.
Building integrations in Anypoint Studio uses an easy-to-use interface. You can work on components by dragging them to the canvas and changing their properties. Or you can also work on the XML view if you’re an advanced user.
Mulesoft assures customers of data security and privacy. It has certifications like SOC 1 and 2, GDPR, and others.
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.
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 | API Management and Integration platform. | ETL, ELT, and data ingestion. | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | No-code, low-code solutions. Scripting for data transformation. | No-code solution for simple integrations. SQL/dbt skills for advanced data pipelines. | No-code wizard. Top-rated as one of the easiest ETL tools by G2. |
| Sources | 400+ | 250+ | 180+ |
| Destinations | Popular services, warehouses and databases. | Cloud, on-premises, mobile, and social data sources. | Supported data sources, including databases, data warehouses, cloud apps and flat files. |
| Database replication | Incremental replication that depends upon manually written SELECT statements. | Full or incremental load using change tracking and change data capture (CDC). CDC support is available for Professional and Enterprise Licenses only. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Yes, for developers. | Yes, by request. | Yes, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.5 out of 5 640 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 12 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 217 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.3 195 Ratings | 4.0 14 Ratings | 4.8 103 Ratings |
| Developer tools | AnyPoint Studio, REST API, CloudHub API. | Rest API access is for Professional and Enterprise Licenses only. And dbt, an external product, used for advanced data transformations. | REST connector for data sources that have REST API. |
| Advanced ETL capabilities | DataWeave | APIScript for writing custom processing logic and calling external processes like running batch files and more. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities. |
| Compliance and security certifications | SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR. | SOC 2. | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Requires a conversation with sales. | Self-service or contact a product specialist for Enterprise licensing. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Annual contracts. | Annual contracts or pay-as-you-go for AWS and Azure deployments. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. With 30-day free trial. | Volume and connection-based pricing per month. Free trials. | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. Freemium model allows to start with a free plan. |
Connectors
Mulesoft
Mulesoft has a marketplace called Exchange, where you can find components like connectors. As of this writing, there are 400+ connectors from Mulesoft and the community. These connectors allow you to connect with endpoints, SaaS apps, databases, and more.
You can ask Mulesoft for new connectors or do it yourself using the Mule SDK. And you can share your new connectors with the community. It will add to the community-built connectors that are available to Mulesoft.
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.
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
Mulesoft
Mulesoft chose developer flexibility while developing the Anypoint DataWeave functional programming language. It allows developers to do data conversion, cleansing, and other transformations, but they have to learn a new language to do this. Data transformation for users who can't code will be a huge challenge.
Data mapping is visual in Anypoint Studio. But getting the destination column value needs coding. You can also use templates and components available in the Anypoint Exchange.
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.
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
Mulesoft
Mulesoft’s learning resources include demos, videos, product documentation, training courses, and more. They also offer online, email, or phone support. The number of support hours and response times depends on your pricing plan. They also defined the severity and support levels.
For Cloud Offering SLA users, Mulesoft offers service credits in case uptime is lower than 99.99%.
For more details, visit their Product Support and Maintenance Terms page.
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.
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
Mulesoft
MuleSoft offers a 30-day free trial. Pricing plans differ depending on the volume, features, and support levels included. Customers can get API Management and API Integration as independent solutions. Or combine the two to get the entire stack. It’s also possible to add more APIs and integrations to scale the capacity and features as needed.
Users from review sites view Mulesoft as very pricey. So, use the free trial to see if you need the entire toolset. If not, check out other alternatives.
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.
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.