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Airbyte

Data Integration / ETL

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★★★★☆ 4.3 / 5 on G2 · 4.4 on Capterra (50+ G2 reviews)
4.3 / 5
G2 rating [source]
Open source
ELT [source]
Self host
or cloud [source]
600+
Connectors [source]

Quick facts

CategoryOpen source data integration (ELT)
VendorAirbyte
Starts atOpen source free; cloud usage based
Best forOpen source data integration
DeploymentSelf hosted and cloud
Free planYes (open source)
Integrations600+ connectors
G2 rating4.3 / 5
Capterra rating4.4 / 5

What is Airbyte?

Airbyte is the leading open source data integration (ELT) platform, with a huge connector catalogue, self hostable or cloud, suited to teams wanting open, extensible, affordable data pipelines they control. It provides a large and growing catalogue of connectors (many community built) to extract data from sources and load it into warehouses and destinations, as open source software you can self host (free) or use Airbyte Cloud, with the ability to build and customise connectors (via its Connector Development Kit) and full control over your pipelines and data. Popular with data teams wanting an open, extensible, lower cost alternative to managed services, Airbyte is the open source standard for data integration. For open source data integration, Airbyte is a leading choice.

Airbyte's distinction is being open source and extensible with a huge connector catalogue. As open source you can self host for control and lower cost, the connector catalogue is large and community extensible (build your own), and you own your pipelines and data, which managed, proprietary services do not offer for openness, control and cost. That open source, extensibility and connector breadth set it apart, with more setup than fully managed tools the trade off.

Airbyte at a glanceAirbyte is the leading open source data integration (ELT) platform [Airbyte]. It holds about a 4.3 out of 5 rating on G2 and 4.4 on Capterra, a leading choice for open source data integration.

Who Airbyte is best for

Airbyte is best for data teams that want open source, extensible, affordable data integration they control, with a huge connector catalogue, self hosted or cloud, and the ability to build custom connectors. It suits open source data integration. It is a weaker fit for teams wanting fully managed, hands off reliability, where Fivetran fits, transformation, where dbt fits, enterprise ETL with governance, where Informatica fits, or those not wanting to self host or manage pipelines.

Key features

The core strengths are a large, community extensible connector catalogue (600 plus), open source software (self host free) or Airbyte Cloud, a Connector Development Kit to build custom connectors, control over pipelines and data, and ELT into warehouses and destinations. Airbyte offers open, extensible data integration. Its open source nature, extensibility and connector breadth are its defining advantages.

Airbyte pricing

Airbyte is open source and free to self host (you pay only your infrastructure), with Airbyte Cloud (managed) priced by usage (data volume), and enterprise options. So you can self host free or use managed cloud. Costs are hosting or usage based. Confirm details on the Airbyte pricing page.

Integrations and ecosystem

Airbyte offers 600 plus connectors (many community built), a Connector Development Kit to build your own, integration with warehouses and dbt, and an active open source community. Its large, extensible connector catalogue and community, which let teams integrate almost any source and build custom connectors, are a signature strength.

Airbyte and open source

Being open source and extensible with a huge connector catalogue is the signature strength: as open source you self host for control and lower cost, the connector catalogue is large and community extensible, and you own your pipelines and data, which managed proprietary services do not offer for openness, control and cost. For open data integration, this is the main reason to choose Airbyte.

Ease of use and support

Airbyte is well rated for being open source, extensible, affordable and having a huge connector catalogue, with community and commercial support, popular with data teams wanting control, though reviewers note self hosting effort and that some connectors vary in maturity. Its G2 reviews praise openness and connectors, with self hosting effort and connector maturity the main considerations.

Is Airbyte worth it?

For data teams that want open source, extensible, affordable data integration they control, with a huge connector catalogue, Airbyte is an excellent choice. The main caution is self hosting effort and connector variability, so fully managed reliability suits Fivetran, transformation dbt, and enterprise ETL and governance Informatica, but for open source data integration Airbyte leads.

Pricing

Open source

$0
self host
  • 600+ connectors
  • Self host
  • Full control

Cloud

Usage
by data volume
  • Managed
  • Easier ops
  • Cloud

Enterprise

Quote
self host or cloud
  • Advanced and support
  • Security
  • Scale

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Open source and self hostable
  • Huge, extensible connector catalogue
  • Build custom connectors (CDK)
  • Lower cost and full control
  • Active community

Cons

  • Self hosting effort
  • Connector maturity varies
  • Less hands off than Fivetran
  • You manage reliability (self host)

Airbyte alternatives

These data integration / etl tools come up most often against Airbyte.

Fivetran

Automated managed data pipelines and connectors

Informatica

Enterprise cloud data integration and management

Talend

Data integration, quality, and governance platform

Airbyte FAQ

What is Airbyte used for?
Airbyte is used for open source data integration (ELT): extracting data from sources via a large connector catalogue and loading it into warehouses and destinations, self hosted or in Airbyte Cloud, with the ability to build custom connectors, giving teams open, extensible, controllable data pipelines.
How much does Airbyte cost?
Airbyte is open source and free to self host (you pay infrastructure), with Airbyte Cloud priced by usage (data volume) and enterprise options. See the Airbyte pricing page.
Is Airbyte open source?
Yes. Airbyte is open source and self hostable, with a large, community extensible connector catalogue and a Connector Development Kit to build your own, giving control, extensibility and lower cost, with a managed Airbyte Cloud option also available.
Airbyte vs Fivetran, which is better?
Airbyte is open source, extensible and affordable with a huge connector catalogue, while Fivetran is fully managed, reliable and hands off (usage priced). Airbyte suits open control and cost; Fivetran suits managed reliability with minimal effort.
Can Airbyte be self hosted?
Yes. Airbyte is open source and designed to be self hosted, so teams can run their own data integration on their infrastructure for control and lower cost, with Airbyte Cloud as a managed alternative, which is a key reason data teams choose it.
How many connectors does Airbyte have?
Airbyte offers a large catalogue of 600 plus connectors, many community built, plus a Connector Development Kit to build custom ones, which gives broad and extensible source coverage, a core strength of its open source approach.

External links