Why Zoho DataPrep is the perfect Fivetran alternative

Both Zoho DataPrep and Fivetran are great ETL tools that offer data integration and transforms. Let's take a look at a detailed comparison of their features to help you decide on the perfect tool for your business.

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Zoho DataPrep vs Fivetran - Which one should you choose?

Zoho DataPrep is a better Fivetran alternative with 250+ transforms, AI-powered enrichments, superior data-quality and ETL features.

  • Features
  • Setup & Deployment CloudCloud and on-premise
  • Focus areas Data ingestion, ETL, reverse ETL, migration, data orchestrationData ingestion, ETL
  • Import from a variety of sources   
  • Graphical data analysis    
  • Data transforms 250+ built-in data transformsRelies on command-line tools for data transforms
  • No-code transforms   Prebuilt models are available for specific destinations. Requires strong SQL knowledge to create desired transformations.
  • AI transforms   
  • Data preparation using natural language queries  
  • Data cataloging    
  • Data distribution   
  • Repeatable transformation steps   
  • Intelligent suggestions  
  • Advanced ETL capabilities Yes, visual pipeline interface with data orchestration and advanced transformations 
  • Data replication Full table and incremental fetch using change data captureFull table and incremental fetch using bookmarks called cursors
  • Build and reuse pipelines with customizable templates   
  • On-premises data integration    
  • Native integration with analytics tools and CRM applications Yes (both source and destination)Yes (only for source)
  • Native integration with cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Zoho WorkDrive, etc.Yes (both source and destination)Yes (only for source)
  • PricingSimple, row-based pricing starting at $40/month for up to 2 million rows. One price covers the full ETL feature set - data movement, transforms, scheduling, orchestration, and reverse ETL with flexible monthly and annual billing options. No hidden costs. Pricing is based on Monthly Active Rows (MAR) - but MAR covers data movement only. Transforms and reverse ETL are billed separately on their own meters, and paid plans are charged per connection with a minimum fee on each.
  • Completely free plan Y   
  • Premium supportYes 24/5Yes 24/5

Purpose

Zoho DataPrep is a no-code data preparation and management platform designed for data ingestion, ETL, reverse ETL, migration, data workflow, and orchestration. Its visual drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for non-technical business users to build data pipelines.

Pricing

Zoho DataPrep offers flexible plans starting at $40/month (billed annually) for up to 2 million rows and scaling all the way up to 100 million rows based on your requirements. Pricing is based purely on the number of rows you process, so you only pay for what you need, whether you're a small team just getting started or an enterprise handling massive data volumes. Every paid plan includes the full suite of ETL features - 250+ transforms, pipeline scheduling, orchestration, reverse ETL, and AI-powered enrichments - with no hidden costs. Monthly billing is also available for teams that prefer flexibility over annual lock-in. Check out our pricing page.

Security

With over 7,000 businesses worldwide using DataPrep for various data management needs, security and privacy are essential. We hold ISO/IEC 27001 certification for managing information security, ISO/IEC 27107 for managing cloud security, and ISO/IEC 27018 for managing personal data on the cloud. We are also GDPR, SOC2, and HIPAA compliant.

Purpose

Fivetran is an automated data movement platform designed for data ingestion and ETL processes, boasting 2,500+ customers worldwide. With its user-friendly web interface, moving data from hundreds of sources to the desired destination is easy. Fivetran also offers flexible transformation options with prebuilt and quick start data models, while dbt (data build tool) supports advanced SQL-based transformations.

Pricing

Fivetran's pricing is built around Monthly Active Rows (MAR) with an allowance of 500,000 MAR for connections, covering only data movement. If all you need is to move data from source to destination, Fivetran works well. But for transformations and reverse ETL (activations) it is metered and billed separately, each on its own consumption curve. In effect, Fivetran runs three billing meters in one platform: connection MAR, activation MAR, and transformation model runs. In addition to that, paid plans are calculated per connection rather than per account, with a minimum charge on every active connection. For teams syncing multiple sources, costs can rise sharply and become difficult to forecast as data needs grow.

Security

Data security is the top priority at Fivetran. The platform adheres to stringent security standards, including SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR compliance. They also have a Business Critical plan, which has their highest level of security features.

How to choose the best ETL tool 

Identify the data management needs for your business. Based on your data goal, your ETL tool should:

  • Work with the right connectors.
  • Have easy-to-use transforms.
  • Integrate with the existing infrastructure.
  • Have the right security and governance features.

Cloud-based ETL tool

Zoho DataPrep is a cloud-based ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool designed for businesses of all sizes. It eliminates the need for complex installations or infrastructure, offering a hassle-free experience. With its intuitive interface, you can import data from multiple sources, clean it, and transform it to suit your analysis needs in just a few clicks. The scalability of cloud-based ETL tools allows businesses to handle growing data volumes effortlessly while maintaining speed and performance. Plus, the flexibility of accessing your data preparation workflows from anywhere ensures better collaboration and efficiency for your teams.

Cloud-based ETL tool

Data connectors

Zoho DataPrep integrates with 80+ connectors, helping you move various kinds of data from source to destination. You can move data from CRMs, survey tools, business applications, cloud databases, data warehouses, and data lakes.

You can also move on-premises data with the help of DataBridge, a lightweight, independent utility that connects your on-premises data source to Zoho DataPrep. It's an easy, fast, and secure way to move data from your local server to other business applications and data warehouses.

If you need to access data from other business applications, feel free to reach out to support@zohodataprep.com. Our team will prioritize your request and help you access your data, free of charge.

Data connectors

AI-powered data transforms

Zoho DataPrep is an end-to-end ETL tool with 250+ built-in transforms, providing an AIpowered no-code solution for data preparation. Easily clean, look up, pivot, and perform multiple transforms with the help of Zia, our AI-powered chat engine. If you'd like to get to work on your dataset, we also have a text selection feature in our intelligent DataPrep Studio—it's as simple as selecting the changes you want done and letting the system recognize and suggest transforms for you.

Datasets can also be joined and appended easily in the pipeline, making it simple to work with multiple datasets. Complex transforms can be performed with hand-typed formulas, but you can also generate these formulas with the help of our ChatGPT integration. Just ask ChatGPT for the formula in your native language, and it's seamlessly generated for you

If you love coding, we have an integrated code studio where you can perform transforms with the help of Python.

AI-powered data transforms

Support and pricing

Zoho DataPrep provides free around-the-clock email, chat, and forum support for all customers. We also offer an extensive knowledge base to help customers solve their product-related queries and concerns.

Our freemium plan allows businesses to import 20,000 rows of data and use most of the basic transforms and integrations. The freemium model also comes with a 14-day free trial of the standard plan to let customers try all of DataPrep's features

The standard plan starts at $40/month and allows users to import up to 2 million rows. All advanced ETL features—like integration, transforms, pipeline scheduling, pipeline orchestrations, and more—are included in this tier. The pricing is also flexible, where customers only pay for the number of rows they need.

Support and pricing

What our customers are saying

Bob Sullivan JD

"Zoho DataPrep has taken the time it takes to clean and import our data from multiple hours down to minutes. I am able to provide my clients better tracking of their key statistics because I now have an automated way to take in their third-party data."

Bob Sullivan JD

COO, Vector Solutions

Connor Nobert

"Zoho DataPrep has allowed us to reduce manual data cleansing and cut down on clunky, additional scripts for transforming the data. With Zoho DataPrep we have been able to streamline our ETL processes and move towards a leaner ETL framework, with much of the transformation work now being done within Zoho itself."

Connor Nobert

Director, Pulse LLC

Claudio Cabeza

"We spend a lot of time writing and maintaining custom scripts to import data, fix errors and transform the data. Using Zoho DataPrep, we easily found the errors in the data and fixed them all from within the tool. We are now looking to eliminate manual scripts and use Zoho DataPrep to automate data preparation."

Claudio Cabeza

Business Development Director, Grupo Premo

More Customer Stories

Still not convinced that Zoho DataPrep is the perfect alternative to Fivetran? Compare them for yourself!

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