Airbyte vs Bruin
Complete Comparison
An honest, in-depth comparison between Airbyte and Bruin for data ingestion and complete data pipelines. Compare features, architecture, and capabilities.
| Feature | Airbyte | Bruin |
|---|---|---|
| Data Ingestion | ||
| Number of Connectors | 600+ | 100+ |
| Custom Source Support | Complex | Python |
| Open Source | ||
| SQL Transformations | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Data Quality Checks | ||
| Built-in Orchestration | ||
| Deployment Options | Cloud or Self-hosted | Anywhere |
| Pricing Model | Volume-based | Free (OSS) |
| Maintenance (OSS) | 20-40h/month | Minimal |
| Managed Cloud Option |
Core Philosophy
Ingestion Only vs End-to-End Platform
Airbyte
Airbyte is a specialized data ingestion platform focused solely on moving data from sources to destinations.
- 600+ pre-built connectors
- AI-powered connector builder
- No transformation capabilities
- No orchestration or scheduling
- No data quality checks
Significant maintenance required for self-hosted version
Bruin
Bruin is a complete data platform that handles ingestion, transformation, quality, and orchestration in one unified tool.
- Data ingestion from 100+ sources
- SQL & Python transformations
- Built-in orchestration and scheduling
- Data quality checks out of the box
- Python materialization for custom sources
One tool replaces Airbyte + dbt + Airflow + quality tools
Data Sources
600+ vs 100+ Connectors
While Airbyte has more pre-built connectors, Bruin's Python materialization means you can connect to any source with custom code.
Airbyte Connectors
- 600+ pre-built connectors in open-source
- AI-powered connector builder with OpenAPI specs
- Connectors for popular SaaS applications
- Limited to what Airbyte supports
- Cannot customize existing connectors
- Complex process to build custom connectors
Bruin Connectors
- 100+ built-in connectors via ingestr
- Python materialization for any custom source
- Use any Python library (requests, pandas, etc.)
- Connect to internal APIs, legacy systems, custom DBs
- Full control over extraction logic
- Automatic materialization to your warehouse
Unlimited sources: If you can write Python, you can ingest from anywhere
Complete Stack
Airbyte + Others vs Bruin Alone
Airbyte only handles ingestion. You still need separate tools for transformation, orchestration, and quality.
Airbyte: Ingestion Only
With Airbyte, you need to integrate multiple tools:
dbt, Dataform, or custom SQL scripts
Separate subscription required
Airflow, Dagster, or Prefect
Infrastructure and engineering time required
Great Expectations, Monte Carlo, Soda
Separate service or infrastructure
Result: Complex stack with 3-5 different tools, each requiring configuration, maintenance, and integration work.
Bruin: Everything Included
Bruin provides end-to-end pipelines in one tool:
100+ connectors via ingestr, built-in
Included in open-source
Native support for both languages
Included in open-source
Native DAG execution and scheduling
Included in open-source
Native quality checks on all assets
Included in open-source
Result: One tool to learn, one CLI, one config format. Everything works together seamlessly.
Deployment
Where You Run Your Pipelines
Airbyte
Cloud or Self-Hosted
Airbyte Cloud is managed but has volume-based billing. Self-hosted OSS requires significant maintenance.
Self-Hosted Challenges:
- • Complex Kubernetes or Docker setup
- • Database and Redis dependencies
- • Significant ongoing maintenance
- • Version upgrades can be complex
- • Connector compatibility management
Bruin
Deploy Anywhere
Single binary that runs anywhere: local, GitHub Actions, EC2, Kubernetes, or Bruin Cloud.
Deployment Options:
- • Local development (MacOS, Linux, Windows)
- • GitHub Actions (CI/CD integration)
- • AWS EC2, GCP Compute, Azure VMs
- • Kubernetes clusters
- • On-premises servers
- • Bruin Cloud (fully managed)
No vendor lock-in: Your pipelines run on your infrastructure, your way.
Open Source
Customization & Control
Airbyte
Airbyte is open-source but has limitations:
- Open-source: Code is available on GitHub
- AI-powered connector builder
- Complex codebase to modify
- Building custom connectors is complex
- Limited to ingestion only
Bruin
Bruin is fully open-source, giving you complete control:
- Open-source: Full code visibility
- Simple architecture, easy to understand
- Python materialization for any custom source
- Full pipeline control (ingestion + transformation + quality)
- Community contributions welcome
Freedom to customize: Fork, modify, extend. Build exactly what you need for your use case.
Decision Guide
When to Choose Each Tool
Choose Airbyte if...
You only need data ingestion
Already have transformation, orchestration, and quality tools set up.
You need a very specific connector
Airbyte has the connector you need and it's not in Bruin's catalog.
Prefer specialized tools
Want a dedicated ingestion tool and are comfortable managing multiple tools separately.
Choose Bruin if...
You want end-to-end pipelines
Need ingestion + transformation + quality + orchestration in one tool.
Simplicity is important
Prefer one unified platform with predictable operations.
You want flexibility
Deploy anywhere: local, GitHub Actions, EC2, or fully managed cloud.
You need custom sources
Python materialization lets you connect to any source with custom code.
You want to simplify your stack
Replace 4-5 separate tools with one unified platform.
Bruin Cloud
Managed Platform Option
Want the power of Bruin without managing infrastructure? Bruin Cloud is a fully managed platform with enterprise features.
Airbyte Cloud
Fully managed ingestion with volume-based billing:
- Managed infrastructure
- 600+ connectors
- Volume-based billing
- Ingestion only
- Still need dbt, Airflow, quality tools
Airbyte Cloud handles ingestion, but you still need to manage and pay for separate transformation, orchestration, and quality tools.
Bruin Cloud
Complete platform with enterprise features:
- Column-level lineage with impact analysis
- Team management with role-based access
- Data governance and metadata catalog
- Usage reporting and analytics insights
Complete platform: One tool for ingestion, transformation, quality, and orchestration.
Why Bruin?
Teams Choose Bruin For
Simplicity
One tool instead of 4-5. One config format (YAML). One CLI. No complex integrations.
Transparent Operations
Open-source and predictable. No complex billing models or usage-based metrics.
Deployment Flexibility
Run anywhere: local, GitHub Actions, EC2, Kubernetes, or Bruin Cloud. You choose.
Data Quality Built-In
Native quality checks on every asset. No separate observability tools needed.
SQL & Python Support
Write transformations in SQL or Python. Use the right tool for each job.
Complete Observability
Real-time monitoring, alerting, run history, usage tracking, and detailed logs for every pipeline execution.
Ready to Simplify Your Data Stack?
Replace Airbyte + dbt + Airflow + quality tools with one unified platform.