About the Services
SSIS
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a data integration tool from Microsoft. You have SSIS when you buy Microsoft SQL Server. Launched in 2005, SSIS works with a variety of sources and delivers it to the desired destination. It’s a mature product that is flexible, scalable, and reliable. It is ideal for small-scale data migrations to large-scale enterprise data warehouses.
You can design SSIS packages using Visual Studio with drag-and-drop functionality and then perform a variety of data integration scenarios. And this includes ETL, ELT, reverse ETL, data ingestion, replication, and more. SSIS provides a range of data connectors for SQL Server, Oracle, Excel, and other data sources. It can also work with structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. There are also third-party providers of free and commercial SSIS components. This adds more connectors and transformations to SSIS.
SSIS comes together with SQL Server installer. And it needs installation and configuration by a skilled IT professional. Data resides on customers’ on-premise or cloud servers. So, they are in control of its security. But you can also deploy it in the cloud. So, the security and privacy certifications of that cloud provider are in effect.
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 Reverse ETL. | ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL, streaming. | Data ingestion, ELT, ETL, reverse ETL, data sync, workflow automation. |
| Skill level | Low-code, no-code solution. Or, coding in .Net languages like C#. | Low-code, no-code solutions. Coding in various languages for complex scenarios. | No-code and easy to use wizard. |
| Sources | ODBC, ADO, .Net, OLEDB compatible data sources. | 90+ | 160+ |
| Destinations | Supported data sources. | Supported data sources. | Supported data sources, including databases, data warehouses, cloud apps and flat files. |
| Database replication | Full and incremental load. | Full and incremental load. | Full table and incremental via change data capture. |
| Ability for customers to add new data sources | Yes, by coding custom data source components. | Provides SDK for creating custom connectors. | Yes, by request or using REST API connector. |
| G2 customer satisfaction | 4.6 out of 5 11 reviews | 4.6 out of 5 57 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 157 Reviews |
| Peer Insights satisfaction | 4.4 291 Ratings | 4.5 173 Ratings | 4.8 85 Ratings |
| Developer tools | Visual Studio, SQL Server Management Studio. | 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 | Running external processes. Running within Azure Data Factory. | 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 | In the cloud: ISO/IEC 27001:2013, SOC 1/2, HIPAA, GDPR. On premise: IT departments are in control of security. | 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 | Bundled when you buy Microsoft SQL Server. | Self-service through Azure Portal or contacting Microsoft sales. | Self-service or sales. |
| Vendor lock-in | Based on SQL Server subscription. | Pay-as-you-go or consumption basis. No minimum commitment or contract term. | Monthly or annual contracts. |
| Pricing | Pricing is based on SQL Server Edition licenses. Developer Edition is free. | 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
SSIS
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) comes with various data connectors. These data sources are compatible with ADO, .Net, ODBC, and OLEDB providers. Some of the popular ones include connectors for SQL Server, Oracle, and Excel.
You can also create your own custom connectors to connect to unknown data sources. You can do this by creating a custom data source component. This allows customers to extend its functionality. And connect to any data source they need.
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
SSIS
SSIS can handle data transformations in ETL, ELT, and reverse ETL scenarios. You can do transformation tasks like data cleansing, conversion, merging, and more. There are 30+ built-in transformations available in SSIS. And if you need something outside of that, code using C# or VB.Net to make your custom transformation.
Additionally, AI in Visual Studio can help you code faster. This is possible by using extensions like GitHub Copilot.
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
SSIS
SSIS customers can receive support from Microsoft through a variety of channels. This includes online documentation, community forums, and direct support from Microsoft.
Different levels include free online resources, paid support plans, and premium support plans.
Customers can access support through the Microsoft Support Center. From here they can create a support ticket or chat with a support representative.
Microsoft also offers a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for its premium support plans. This guarantees a response time and resolution time for support requests. To avail, contact a Microsoft sales representative. Or visit the Microsoft Support 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
SSIS
SSIS is part of the SQL Server suite of products. And the pricing model is per-core. You can choose to buy a SQL Server license with SSIS included, or they can buy an SSIS license separately. Prices vary depending on the SQL Server edition and the number of cores required.
Microsoft also offers cloud-based options for SSIS through its Azure services. Customers can choose to run SSIS packages on virtual machines. Or use Azure Data Factory, a cloud-based ETL service that includes SSIS functionality. Azure Data Factory pricing model is another thing to consider. But you will only pay based on usage.
Developers can use SSIS for free if they have a SQL Server Developer Edition. This version includes all features of SQL Server Enterprise. But the license is for development and testing only.
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.