# Fivetran vs. Matillion: Know the Differences

Discover the best data integration tool for your business needs with our in-depth comparison of Fivetran vs. Matillion. Save time and resources wisely.

## What Is Fivetran? An Overview

[Fivetran](https://estuary.dev/what-is-fivetran/), developed in 2012, is a fully managed cloud-based data movement platform that simplifies the data integration and transformation processes. With its multiple pre-built connectors, Fivetran allows you to extract and load data from various source systems into a centralized data warehouse or similar repository. You can also streamline several data integration processes — like data replication, synchronization, aggregation, and more. These processes allow you to gain near real-time insights by simplifying important data integration tasks.

## What Is Matillion? An Overview

[Matillion](https://www.matillion.com/) is a cloud-based data integration and transformation tool created in 2011. It provides a visual, low-code interface for designing, orchestrating, and managing data pipelines. This allows you to seamlessly move, transform, and load data to and from your cloud data warehouse or any database. Matillion supports several data sources and destinations, including Redshift, S3, BigQuery, Snowflake, Google Ads, and many more.

## Fivetran vs. Matillion: Detailed Comparison

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Built-in and Custom Data Connectors

When selecting a data integration tool, it’s important to consider the availability of data source and destination connectors. While both Fivetran and Matillion allow you to connect multiple data sources, they differ in terms of their connectors and the level of customization options.

For example, Fivetran offers 300+ built-in connectors that allow you to work with a wide variety of applications and sources to move data seamlessly. If you have a custom data source or private API that Fivetran doesn’t support, you can create a custom connector as an extension of Fivetran with a [Function connector](https://fivetran.com/docs/functions?_).

With the Function connector, you only need to write the cloud function to extract data from your source; Fivetran takes care of data transformation and loads it to your destination.

In addition to this connector, Fivetran offers customization with its [Lite connector](https://fivetran.com/docs/applications/lite-connectors) for any SaaS application.

On the other hand, Matillion only offers [100+ popular data sources and destinations](https://www.matillion.com/connectors). Like Fivetran, these connectors also simplify the process of extracting data from various sources and loading it into data warehouses or other storage solutions.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Schema Changes

Fivetran is designed to handle schema changes automatically. When a schema change occurs in the source, Fivetran continues to sync data without human interruption.

On the flip side, Matillion supports limited schema drift capabilities, requiring manual adjustments to accommodate schema changes.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Orchestration

Fivetran allows you to organize tasks using Apache Airflow and continuous integration/ continuous deployment (CI/CD). On the contrary, Matillion provides built-in job orchestration features.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Transformations

In Matillion, you can intuitively build straightforward transformation workflows through its graphical user interface (GUI). Fivetran, on the other hand, provides advanced and customized data transformation capabilities through SQL-based dbt.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL

Fivetran employs ELT while Matillion offers both ETL and ELT data integration processes. Matillion also supports reverse ETL, allowing you to move data stored in data warehouses to business applications or operational systems.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Security Features

Fivetran offers both column hashing and column blocking to protect sensitive data during data movement. Matillion provides fine-grained RBAC but lacks native support for these features.

### Fivetran vs. Matillion: Pricing Plans

Fivetran pricing plan follows a usage-based model where you pay for monthly active rows (MAR). Matillion provides a pay-as-you-go pricing model that bills you based on actual usage.

## Estuary - A Real-Time Data Integration Solution

[Estuary](https://estuary.dev/), a real-time data integration and replication service, is another alternative to Fivetran and Matillion. It helps you replicate your data from diverse sources to data warehouses or destinations of your choice.

## Fivetran vs. Matillion vs. Estuary: At a Glance

|     | Fivetran | Matillion | Estuary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Connectors (Source and Destination) | 300+ | 100+ | 150+ from Estuary Support for 500+ Airbyte, Stitch, and Meltano connectors |
| **Custom Connector** | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **SLA Support** | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **Transformation** | dbt with Python or SQL integration | SQL or Python scripts | SQL and JavaScript (ETL), dbt support (ELT) |
| **Reverse ETL** | No | Yes | No |
| **Data Source Authentication** | OAuth / API Keys | OAuth2.0 | OAuth 2.0 / API Tokens |

## Fivetran vs. Matillion: The Final Word

Fivetran is ideal when your main goal is efficient data replication, automation, extensive transformation, and no-code data integration. Matillion is a go-to choice for organizations with ETL, ELT, and reverse ETL needs.

## FAQs

1. **Does Matillion support cloud data warehouses?**  
   Yes, Matillion supports cloud data warehouses such as Amazon Redshift, Microsoft Azure Synapse, BigQuery, Snowflake, and more.
2. **Does Fivetran support third-party SaaS applications?**  
   Yes, Fivetran supports third-party SaaS applications such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo, Zendesk, and others.
3. **Do Fivetran and Matillion offer data integration and replication updates in real-time?**  
   Depending on the sources, both Fivetran and Matillion support near-real-time data integration and replication.