Fivetran vs Bruin
Complete Comparison

An honest, in-depth comparison between Fivetran and Bruin for data ingestion and pipelines. Compare features, architecture, and capabilities.

FeatureFivetranBruin
Data Ingestion
Number of Connectors700+100+
Open Source
SQL Transformations
Python Support
Data Quality Checks
Built-in Orchestration
Deployment OptionsCloud-onlyAnywhere
LicensingProprietaryOpen Source
CustomizationLimitedFull
Managed Cloud Option
Explore Bruin on GitHub

Core Philosophy

Different Approaches to Data

Fivetran

Fivetran is a managed data integration service focused on automating the ingestion of data from various sources to your data warehouse.

  • Ingestion-only: Handles the "E" and "L" in ELT
  • Cloud-only: Fully managed SaaS platform
  • 700+ connectors: Extensive but closed-source
  • Consumption model: Volume-based billing approach
  • Enterprise focus: Built for large organizations

Best suited for teams with large budgets who want zero maintenance and only need data ingestion.

Bruin

Bruin is an open-source end-to-end data pipeline tool that brings together ingestion, transformation, and data quality into a single, unified framework.

  • Complete pipelines: Ingestion, transformation, and quality
  • Deploy anywhere: Local, cloud, self-hosted, or managed
  • 100+ connectors: Open-source via ingestr
  • Free forever: No per-row charges, ever
  • Multi-language: SQL and Python support

Best suited for teams that want deployment flexibility, transparency, and end-to-end pipeline capabilities in one tool.

See Bruin's unified approach on GitHub

Data Ingestion

Connector Capabilities

Fivetran

700+ Managed Connectors

Extensive connector library, fully managed by Fivetran's team.

Key Characteristics:

  • ✓ Fully managed and monitored
  • ✓ Automatic schema detection
  • ✓ Built-in incremental syncing
  • ✗ Closed-source (cannot customize)
  • ✗ Limited to Fivetran's roadmap
  • ✗ Cloud-only deployment

Trade-off: While fully managed, you're limited to Fivetran's connector implementations and cannot customize behavior.

Bruin

100+ Open-Source Connectors

Powered by ingestr, fully open-source and customizable.

Example: Ingest from PostgreSQL

name: raw.users
type: ingestr
parameters:
  source_connection: postgresql
  source_table: 'public.users'
  destination: bigquery

Key Advantages:

  • ✓ Open-source (full transparency)
  • ✓ Fully customizable connectors
  • ✓ Incremental loading strategies
  • ✓ Deploy anywhere (local, cloud, self-hosted)
  • ✓ No per-row charges
  • ✓ Community-driven development
Try Bruin's open-source connectors

Custom Sources

What if Fivetran Doesn't Have Your Connector?

While Fivetran offers 700+ pre-built connectors, you're limited to what they support. Bruin's Python materialization lets you ingest data from any source if you can write Python code.

Fivetran Approach

  • Limited to pre-built connectors
  • Must wait for Fivetran to build new connectors
  • Function connectors are limited and complex
  • No support for internal APIs or legacy systems
  • Blocked if source isn't in their catalog

Bruin Python Materialization

  • Write Python to ingest from any source
  • Support for internal APIs and custom systems
  • Full control over extraction logic
  • Works with Pandas, Polars, or any Python library
  • Automatic materialization to your warehouse

Example: Ingest from Custom API

Here's how you can ingest data from any custom API or data source using Bruin's Python materialization: 

"""@bruin
name: raw.custom_api_data
image: python:3.13
connection: bigquery

materialization:
  type: table
  strategy: merge

columns:
    - name: id
      primary_key: true
@bruin"""

import pandas as pd
import requests

def materialize(**kwargs):
    # Call your custom API
    response = requests.get('https://internal-api.company.com/data')
    data = response.json()

    # Transform to DataFrame
    df = pd.DataFrame(data['items'])

    # Bruin automatically materializes this to BigQuery
    return df

Bruin handles the rest: dependency management with uv, efficient data transfer with Apache Arrow, and automatic loading to your warehouse using ingestr.

Common Use Cases for Custom Sources

Internal APIs

Ingest data from internal microservices, REST APIs, or GraphQL endpoints that Fivetran doesn't support.

Legacy Systems

Extract data from mainframes, FTP servers, or proprietary databases with custom connection logic.

Web Scraping

Scrape websites or parse HTML/XML data sources that don't have APIs.

Custom Transformations

Apply complex business logic during ingestion, like data enrichment or aggregation before loading.

See how Python materialization gives you unlimited flexibility for data ingestion

Deployment

Where You Run Your Pipelines

Fivetran

Cloud-Only

Fivetran only runs in their cloud infrastructure. No self-hosted option available.

Limitations:

  • • Cannot run on-premises
  • • No air-gapped deployments
  • • Must comply with Fivetran's security
  • • Vendor lock-in
  • • Data must leave your network

Bruin

Deploy Anywhere

Run Bruin wherever you want: local, cloud, self-hosted, or fully managed.

Deployment Options:

  • ✓ Local development (laptop)
  • ✓ GitHub Actions (CI/CD)
  • ✓ AWS EC2 / Azure VM / GCP Compute
  • ✓ Kubernetes
  • ✓ On-premises / air-gapped
  • ✓ Bruin Cloud (managed option)

Your choice: Full control over where your data lives and how it's processed. No vendor lock-in.

Deploy Bruin anywhere

Complete Pipelines

Beyond Data Ingestion

Fivetran Requires Additional Tools

Fivetran only handles ingestion. You still need:

RequiredTransformation Tool

dbt, Dataform, or custom SQL scripts

Separate subscription required

RequiredOrchestration

Airflow, Dagster, or Prefect

Infrastructure and engineering time required

OptionalData Quality

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:

Data Ingestion

100+ connectors via ingestr, built-in

Included in open-source

SQL & Python Transformations

Native support for both languages

Included in open-source

Built-in Orchestration

Native DAG execution and scheduling

Included in open-source

Data Quality Checks

Native quality checks on all assets

Included in open-source

Result: One tool to learn, one CLI, one config format. Everything works together seamlessly.

Explore complete pipeline examples

Customization

Control & Flexibility

Fivetran

Fivetran is closed-source, offering limited customization options:

  • Cannot modify connector behavior
  • Closed-source (no code visibility)
  • Limited transformation during sync
  • Dependent on vendor roadmap

If Fivetran's implementation doesn't fit your needs, you're stuck or need to build workarounds.

Bruin

Bruin is fully open-source, giving you complete control:

  • Open-source: Full code visibility
  • Modify connectors as needed
  • Build custom connectors easily
  • Full Python support for complex logic
  • Community contributions welcome

Freedom to customize: Fork, modify, extend. Build exactly what you need for your use case.

Customize Bruin for your needs

Decision Guide

When to Choose Each Tool

Choose Fivetran if...

  • You want zero maintenance

    Fully managed service with 24/7 support (on Enterprise plan).

  • You prefer managed services

    Want a fully managed cloud service without self-hosting.

  • You only need basic ingestion

    Don't need transformations, quality checks, or orchestration in one tool.

  • You're okay with vendor lock-in

    Cloud-only deployment is acceptable.

Choose Bruin if...

  • You want transparency

    Prefer predictable operations without complex billing models.

  • You want end-to-end pipelines

    Need ingestion + transformation + quality in one unified tool.

  • You need deployment flexibility

    Want to run on-premises, in your cloud, or fully managed.

  • You value transparency

    Want open-source code, no vendor lock-in, and full customization.

  • You want to simplify your stack

    Tired of managing Fivetran + dbt + Airflow + quality tools separately.

Try Bruin today on GitHub

Managed Platform

Want a Fully Managed Experience?

While Bruin CLI is open-source and free to self-host, Bruin Cloud offers a fully managed platform that competes directly with Fivetran—with end-to-end pipelines, not just ingestion.

Fivetran Managed

Ingestion only

  • Managed data ingestion
  • Connector monitoring
  • Basic scheduling
  • No transformations
  • No quality checks
  • No orchestration
  • Requires separate tools for complete pipelines

Fivetran handles ingestion only. You still need separate tools for dbt, Airflow, and quality checks.

Bruin Cloud

End-to-end managed platform

  • Managed ingestion from 100+ sources
  • Managed transformations (SQL & Python)
  • Built-in quality checks and validation
  • Native orchestration with dependencies
  • Column-level lineage and documentation
  • Team management and governance
  • Usage reporting and analytics insights

Complete platform: One tool for ingestion, transformation, quality, and orchestration.

What Makes Bruin Cloud Different

No Vendor Lock-in

Built on open-source Bruin CLI. Export your pipelines anytime and run them anywhere—GitHub Actions, EC2, on-prem.

Unified Platform

Replace 3-5 separate tools (Fivetran + dbt + Airflow + quality + lineage) with one integrated platform.

Transparent Operations

Open-source and predictable. No complex billing models or usage-based metrics.

Full Customization

Git-based workflows, SQL and Python support, custom connectors via Python materialization. Total flexibility.

Enterprise Ready

Role-based access control, audit logs, SSO, multi-environment support, and SOC 2 compliance.

Complete Observability

Real-time monitoring, alerting, run history, usage tracking, and detailed logs for every pipeline execution.

Try Bruin Cloud Or start with open-source Bruin CLI →

Ready to ship reliable data?

Production-ready pipelines without the complexity. Deploy today.

View on GitHub