About the Services
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.
Hightouch
Hightouch is a reverse ETL tool that syncs your data warehouse with cloud apps your business runs on. Since its launch, its customer base has grown including Spotify, NBA, and TripAdvisor.
It works by defining the source and target of your data. You can select from 150+ sources and destinations. The pricing plan limits the number of destinations you can use. You can define the pipeline model using SQL, dbt, or a visual table selector. Hightouch allows the sync schedule to automate the data flow. You can perform syncs hourly or more often in the highest-paid plan.
Hightouch secures your data with SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and Privacy Shield. So, it ensures your data safety 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, streaming data | Reverse ETL | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | Low-code, no-code solution. | No-code, low-code solutions. SQL and dbt for defining data models. | No-code wizard. Top-rated as one of the easiest ETL tools by G2. |
| Sources | 40+ | 20+ | 180+ |
| Destinations | Supported data sources. | 130+ | Supported data sources, including databases, data warehouses, cloud apps and flat files. |
| Database replication | Full or incremental load. | Full and incremental loading. Supports Change Data Capture (CDP). | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Through JDBC or ODBC. | Using Custom Destination Toolkit or request for new sources/destinations. | Ye s, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.3 out of 5 15 reviews | 4.6 out of 5 289 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 217 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.1 137 Ratings | None | 4.8 103 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Pentaho Data Integration. Pentaho Metadata Editor. Pentaho Aggregation Designer. Pentaho Schema Workbench. | Personalization and REST API, CLI, Customer Studio (Business Plan only). Extensions to alerting, model building, and sync scheduling to dbt, Fivetran, Airflow and more. | REST connector for data sources that have REST API. |
| Advanced ETL capabilities | Supports Hadoop and Spark integrations for Big Data. | REST API, dbt and other developer tool integration. | Visual ETL data pipeline designer with data orchestration capabilities. |
| Compliance and security certifications | No provided security and privacy certifications. User and Role management within PDI. Supports security providers such as LDAP, MSAD, SSO, SSL, AES, JDBC. | SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, Privacy Shield. | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (by Azure). |
| Purchase process | Use the free trial and talk to sales. | Use the Free Tier, or start the 30-day trial, then talk to Sales. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Pentaho Community Edition is open-source. Talk to sales for more details. | Annual or monthly. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Community Edition is free and open source. Contact sales for Enterprise Edition. 30-day free trial of Enterprise Edition. | 4 Pricing Plans (Free, Starter, Pro, Business). With a 30-day free trial for paid plans. | Volume-based and feature-based pricing. Freemium model allows to start with a free plan. |
Connectors
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.
Hightouch
Hightouch can connect to 150+ connectors, including data warehouses, SQL and NoSQL databases, SaaS tools, and many more. There are more than 20 data warehouses, and about 10 of them can act as both source and destinations. The remaining 130+ act as destinations only.
You can use all available data sources in your reverse ETL pipelines for all plans. The pricing plan defines the number of available destinations. The free plan allows only one billable destination, not including free destinations like Excel, Google Sheets, and Airtable.
You also have two options if your source and destination are not in their list of connectors. You can either request Hightouch to support it or use the Custom Destination Toolkit and build it yourself.
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
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.
Hightouch
You can perform transformations in Hightouch using SQL queries and functions with a visual table selector. You can also do dbt transformations like joining, aggregating, pivoting, and more in SQL or coding in Python.
You can design these transformations through Hightouch models after defining your data source. Your transformation options in Hightouch should be enough for almost any reverse ETL projects. And there’s even more transformation you can do in destinations like Excel or Google Sheets.
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
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.
Hightouch
Hightouch support varies based on the pricing plan. However, product documentation and learning resources are available for all plans.
For the Free, Starter, and Pro plans, you can use email and Intercom with a 72-hour SLA. The Business plan provides custom email and Intercom SLA, and allows you to add a custom product uptime and support SLA. You can have a dedicated CSM and avail yourself of professional services.
Consult their Support and Pricing 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
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.
Hightouch
Hightouch pricing has 4 plans: Free, Starter, Pro, and Business. The main difference between the pricing plans is the number of billable destinations. Such destinations as connectors for Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable, and more are available for free. Destinations like Netsuite, Microsoft Dynamics, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud are premium destinations, available for the Business plan only.
Support, security and number of workspaces also vary depending on the plan. Hightouch offers a 30-day free trial for the paid plans.
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.