The amount of big data that enterprises churn out is simply staggering. All this information is worthless unless organizations unlock its true value for analytics. This is where ETL proves useful.
Traditional ETL (extract, transform, and load) remains the most popular method for moving data from point A to point Z. It takes disparate data sets from multiple sources, transforming that data to the correct format and loading it into a final destination like a data warehouse.
Now there's a new way to do things: Say hello to Reverse ETL. It reverses the traditional extract-transform-load process by moving data from a warehouse (or lake), transforming that data to the correct format, and then loading it to a third-party system such as a SaaS application or platform for operational analytics. It's like looking at ETL in a mirror.
Like 'regular' ETL, reverse ETL needs a reliable vendor with a stable product to make everything happen. So which of these should you choose? Here are six of the best reverse ETL tools based on features, integrations, ease of use, and pricing principles.
#1. Integrate.io
Integrate.io UI
Integrate.io's super-simplified point-and-click user interface makes data pipeline-building easy, whether you want to execute traditional ETL or reverse this process to make data more operational. This low-code/no-code reverse ETL tool comes with pre-built connectors that move data between warehouses and SaaS applications, making operational analytics a far more appealing concept. Want to move data from a warehouse to Netsuite? You got it. How about Salesforce to Salesforce? No problem.
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Parameter |
Details |
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Cost |
14 day free trial and the pricing is tailored exactly to each client's needs and requirements with a usage-based component couple with features and functionality. Clients choose which level of platform usage they will require and then which features and functionality to create a custom plan to fit their use case. |
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UI |
Extremely easy to use UI that creates and manages pipelines easily without any coding required |
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Features |
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Integration Capabilities |
Connects to a wide range of source and destination connectors (databases, files, data warehouses, and on-prem) |
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Scalability |
Multi-cloud, multi-region, auto-scaling clusters (infinitely scalable). Create one or more clusters and run required jobs concurrently on each cluster |
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Performance |
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Support |
24x7 support through email, chat, phone, Tailored onboarding and extensive documentation |
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Security and Compliance |
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Customization and Flexibility |
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User Community and Resources |
Documentation, Tutorials and 24X7 support from a sales engineer for any queries |
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Real-Time Capabilities |
Near real-time CDC |
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Monitoring and Alerts |
Monitor jobs on clusters via dashboard, specific cluster pages, API polling, or webhooks and alerts through emails |
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Vendor Reputation |
G2 Rating: 4.3 |
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Advantages |
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Disadvantages |
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Read more: 7 Steps to Operationalize Your Data Warehouse
#2. Hightouch
Hightouch UI
With Hightouch, one of the popular reverse ETL tools, you can move data from your warehouse to a CRM, marketing tool, or other third-party SaaS application easily. It works like this: The platform integrates with a data build tool (dbt), pulls data from your git repo, and syncs after completing a dbt job. There are lots of integrations that make this process easier, though far fewer than Integrate.io.
Once everything is up and running, you can automate data pipeline-building, which removes the need for code. However, Hightouch requires some knowledge of SQL at the beginning of a new reverse ETL project, making it more difficult to use than Integrate.io. Also, the platform has only been around for a couple of years — reverse ETL is a relatively new concept, of course — and has yet to prove its potential.
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Parameter |
Details |
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Features |
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Integration Capabilities |
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Scalability |
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Performance |
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Support |
Publicly accessible customer support metrics having 99% CSAT Score. |
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Security and Compliances |
Data is stored on Hightouch-managed infrastructure by default, but with options for user-managed storage, providing flexibility. |
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Customization and Flexibility |
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User Community and Resources |
A private Slack community open to customers. |
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Real-Time Capabilities |
Syncs can be scheduled to run on a recurring basis or triggered automatically, supporting near real-time data updates. |
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Monitoring and Alerts |
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Vendor Reputation |
G2 rating - 4.6 |
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Advantages |
Offers various methods for defining models and configuring syncs. |
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Disadvantages |
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Read more: ETL & Data Warehousing Explained: ETL Tool Basics
#3. Census
Census UI
Like Hightouch, Census is one of the reverse ETL tools from a new startup that focuses exclusively on reverse ETL. It handles reverse ETL in much the same way, but there are fewer integrations than Hightouch, which might be a deal-breaker for some potential users.
Census also has a different pricing model than Hightouch, charging users for the number of data synchronization workflows. (Hightouch charges for the number of data records synced every month.) Deciding between these platforms could depend on which pricing method works out better for you. The following table will help you for census vs hightouch comparison.
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Criteria |
Details |
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Cost |
Charges users for the number of data synchronization workflows |
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Features |
Allows auto-create and sync advertising audiences with just one click; You can run test syncs without changing data in destination, to preview how data in destination will change; Allows integration with dbt, looker, and sigma; Provides templates for data transformation; Retry Handling allows sophisticated retry mechanisms to ensure high success rates for syncs |
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Integration capabilities |
Only new or changed records are synced through CDC, optimizing performance |
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Scalability |
Utilizes a customizable sync engine that scales by caching sync states within your data warehouse |
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Performance |
Multiple sync behaviors (upsert, update only, etc.) tailored to specific needs |
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Support |
Support team includes data heads and you get data expertise on-demand in a shared Slack channel |
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Security and Compliances |
Provides options for both read-only and write access, for data security and governance; Data Enrichment feature handles third-party data securely, integrating it within your warehouse |
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Customization and Flexibility |
Custom configurations for specific destinations enhance flexibility; Creation of reusable datasets and segments for different business needs; Provides extensive customization for field mappings and data transformation using templates |
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User Community and Resources |
Slack community of 3000+ data practitioners |
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Real-Time Capabilities |
Live Syncs enables real-time data activation with sub-second latency for supported sources and destinations; Supports various automatic triggering methods (dbt Cloud, Fivetran, API) for near real-time data updates |
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Monitoring and Alerts |
Detailed logs and API call tracking for monitoring sync health; Sync Alerts and Datadog Integration provides real-time alerts and integration with internal monitoring systems |
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Vendor Reputation |
G2 rating- 4.5 |
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Advantages |
Integration of third-party data with first-party data in the warehouse through data enrichment is easy; Supports modern data warehouses and over 200 destination services, including custom objects; It’s also a data activation tool |
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Disadvantages |
You can sync files only up to 100GB in S3. Also you need more permissions for files greater than 5GB; Enrichments is currently supported only on Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, and Postgres; Free tier is limited to only 10 destination fields and hourly syncs |
#4. Grouparoo
Grouparoo UI
Grouparoo reverse etl is the only open-source platform on this list, which brings both pros and cons. It won't cost you anything to use, of course, but, like all open-source tools, there's no guarantee that its vendors will continue to update the tool being one of the best reverse ETL tools, resulting in potential security vulnerabilities in the future. Airbyte acquired Gruoparoo in 2022.
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Criteria |
Details |
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Cost |
Based on the records synced between source and destination. |
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UI |
No-code and low-code options available |
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Features |
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Integration capabilities |
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Scalability |
Built for scaling across many servers |
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Performance |
Operates for minimal latency, supports parallel processing, and high throughput |
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Support |
Ticket-based and business hours support for paid plans |
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Security and compliances |
GDPR and CCPA compliant. |
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Customization and flexibility |
Users can develop their own plugins for the use cases. |
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User community and resources |
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Real-Time capabilities |
Supports real-time and near-real-time data syncing |
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Monitoring and alerts |
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Vendor reputation |
G2 rating- NA |
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Advantages |
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Disadvantages |
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Read more: ETL vs ELT: 5 Critical Differences
#5. Polytomic
Polytomic UI
Polytomic is one of the no-code reverse ETL tools, making it an awesome choice for those who want to explore operational analytics but lack data engineering experience. There's also a great one-click feature that lets users invite other people into the reverse ETL product to manage reverse ETL tasks, making this tool a good choice for team projects.
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Criteria |
Details |
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Cost |
Based on the records synced between source and destination. |
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UI |
No-code and low-code options available |
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Features |
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Integration capabilities |
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Scalability |
Fully customizable data sync time including real-time. |
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Performance |
Performance may vary based on self-hosted infrastructure |
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Support |
Ticket-based and business hours support for paid plans |
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Security and compliances |
GDPR and CCPA compliant. |
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Customization and flexibility |
Users can develop their own plugins for the use cases. |
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User community and resources |
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Real-Time capabilities |
Supports real-time and near-real-time data syncing |
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Monitoring and alerts |
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Vendor reputation |
G2 rating- 4.7 |
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Advantages |
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Disadvantages |
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#6. Seekwell
Seekwell UI
Seekwell comes with an incredible range of automation and scheduling features for reverse ETL. However, like Grouparoo, there are only a handful of data warehouses to choose from for operational workflows (MySQL, Postgres, Redshift, Snowflake, and MS SQL Server.)
Unlike Polytomic, this reverse ETL tool publishes prices on its website and, with packages starting from $50 a month, this tool is pretty affordable for newbies who want to explore reverse ETL.
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Criteria |
Details |
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Cost |
Custom pricing based on the number of users and data usage |
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Features |
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Integration capabilities |
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Scalability |
Not highly scalable. |
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Performance |
Efficient querying with low latency and error handling mechanisms in place |
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Support |
Email and chat support |
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Security and compliances |
Compliant with GDPR and CCPA |
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Customization and flexibility |
SQL-based queries allow extensive customization |
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User community and resources |
Documentation is available |
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Real-time capabilities |
Supports near-real-time data updates |
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Monitoring and alerts |
Alerts through Email and Slack |
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Vendor reputation |
G2 rating- 4.7 |
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Advantages |
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Disadvantages |
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How Integrate.io Helps
Reverse ETL lets you move data from a warehouse or lake to a third-party SaaS application or platform. All the tools on this list execute that process pretty seamlessly. However, standard ETL is still a critical component of data management. Integrate.io is the only reverse ETL tool above that facilitates reverse ELT and regular ETL, providing you with far more choices for data-driven projects through features. With its simple interface, flexible pricing, REST API, Salesforce-to-Salesforce capabilities, and wealth of pre-built connectors, Integrate.io is the smarter choice for enterprises that don't want to limit themselves to just one data engineering method.
Looking for a low-code/no-code reverse ETL solution? Integrate.io has you covered. Learn more by scheduling a personalized demo now.
