Which Stitch Alternative Should You Choose?

Stitch is a popular cloud-based Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) tool. Stitch seamlessly moves data between databases, warehouses, data lakes, SaaS services, and other applications with no code required whatsoever, making it a valuable weapon for data integration. 

However, the platform has limited data transformation capabilities and, away from its free tier, charges users for the amount of data they use per month, which often works out to be more expensive than other pricing models in the ETL/ELT space. It's no wonder that so many CTOs, software developers, and data analysts are looking for Stitch alternatives.

In this guide, check out alternatives to Stitch and discover the best solution for your team.

#1. Integrate.io

Like Stitch, Integrate.io moves data from various sources to a different destination with little to no code, making it an incredible option for teams with little to no data engineering experience. However, Integrate.io expedites the ELT process slightly differently. While Stitch focuses on data extracting and loading, it doesn't support data transformation use cases. Integrate.io, on the other hand, provides visualized data pipelines that automate data flows from over 200 data sources and destinations (more than double the number on Stitch), streamlining data transformation. It primarily does this through Extract, Transform, Load (ETL). 

Integrate.io has other valuable benefits as well. It comes with 24/7 support (Stitch only has standard support) and charges users a flat rate for each connector used, which often works out cheaper than Stitch's pricing model. Integrate.io also has better customization options, boasts unlimited users and data limits (Stitch only has scope for five users and 5-300 million data rows), and supports SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA on all its plans (Stitch supports SOC 2/HIPAA only on its Enterprise plan). Finally, there's a Rest API connector that lets you pull data from any source with a Rest API. 

Click here for a full Stitch and Integrate.io comparison.

#2. Talend 

Although Stitch has a free tier, Talend Open Studio is completely open-source, but you'll need to upgrade to its Enterprise edition if you want to tackle larger ETL/ELT projects. That's because Open Studio has an outdated user interface and, unlike Integrate.io, requires a significant amount of coding. Talend doesn't publish prices for its Enterprise version, making it difficult to compare to Stitch on cost. However, expect auxiliary charges like contracting fees because of their relative complexity. If your team can't code, Stitch and Integrate.io remain better options.

Talend beats Stitch, however, when it comes to data governance. Both Open Studio and the Enterprise edition offer resilient stewardship features that help you comply with frameworks like GDPR and CCPA. Talend has scalability challenges with larger datasets compared to cloud-native platforms like Integrate.io.

#3. Matillion

Like Stitch, Matillion is an ETL tool, where data transformation takes place after the extracting and loading phases. It supports automation and automatically scales, making it a valuable Stitch alternative. However, you might struggle with the platform's pricing structure, which charges per project and per user. (Something like Integrate.io's flat-rate plan is far easier to understand and often proves more economical.) 

Matillion also determines processing power based on the data warehouse you choose, which is just as confusing as its pricing model. Plus, there are far fewer data connectors on Matillion than on Stitch (40 vs. 100). Matillion has a reliance on cloud-based data warehouses for processing power and lacks flexibility in other environments​.

#4. Fivetran

If you're searching for a similar number of data connectors from your next Stitch alternatives, look no further than Fivetran, which comes with around 100 out-of-the-box sources. (That's still half the number of Integrate.io.) There are other similarities between Stitch and Fivetran. Both operate a consumption-based pricing structure, for example. While that looks great on paper, it might cost you more to use these platforms when you consume more data rows. If you prefer a flat-rate cost, consider Integrate.io.

Fivetran is an ETL tool, not an ELT platform, and offers far better data transformation capabilities than Stitch. Plus, there's a Rest API for users on its Enterprise platform. Fortunately, there's no vendor lock-in for Fivetran users like that on Stitch. Integrate.io’s flat-rate pricing is cheaper than Fivetran's consumption-based model which becomes expensive for high data volumes​. SQL knowledge requirements for data transformations would also be a limitation for less technical teams​.

#5. Alteryx

Similar to Fivetran, Alteryx is an ETL solution, so you can transform data into the correct format for data analytics and generate business intelligence insights. The problem with Alteryx is that there are few data connectors, and the platform limits the amount of data you can extract without coding knowledge. Still, if you have experienced data analysts in your team, Alteryx provides far more analytics than Stitch, and you might not even have to invest in expensive business intelligence tools. 

You might have to keep your team small, though. Alteryx charges per user, with basic plans starting from around $5,000 per year, making it one of the more expensive Stitch alternatives on this list. 

#6. Informatica Power Center

Like Alteryx, Informatica Power Center beats Stitch for data analytics and business intelligence, with a reliable platform that makes it easy to generate insights about sales, marketing, customer service, and other tasks. Informatica Power Center is four data integration projects in one, comprising Workflow Manager, Monitor, Designer, and Repository Manager. If that sounds complicated, stick with a low-code/no-code solution like Stitch or Integrate.io.

While Informatica Power Center is certainly impressive, it remains one of the most expensive data integration platforms out there right now. Even if you create complex ETL pipelines yourself, you'll need to install Power Center somewhere, which means hefty hardware costs. Stitch is by far the cheaper option. It also requires hefty hardware and operational costs compared to Integrate.io's cloud-native infrastructure​.

#7. SnapLogic

SnapLogic is also more complicated than Stitch, making it a better fit for experienced data engineers rather than small development teams. That said, the platform solves various data transformation problems with an intuitive interface that seamlessly moves data from SQL databases and other repositories to a final destination of your choice for analytics. It does all this via its Elastic Integration Platform, which connects several data sources including SQL databases, No-SQL databases, and file stores. You can also integrate the solution with Salesforce, the holy grail of customer management software. However, you can only move data from a source to Salesforce, and not back again. (Integrate.io lets you do both — something you can't do on Stitch, either.)

There's around the same number of connectors on SnapLogic as Stitch but, because of the complexities of the data transformation process, coding is a must. It's hard to compare SnapLogic with Stitch on cost because this platform doesn't publish prices online. The need of advanced coding skills makes it less user-friendly than Integrate.io for small and medium teams.

Why Integrate.io Is the Best Stitch Alternative

While each of the Stitch alternatives above proves useful for data transformation, these platforms are too expensive or too complicated, or a combination of both. Integrate.io offers a truly no-code/low-code platform for ETL/ELT that typically works out cheaper than Stitch, supports SOC 2/HIPAA on all its plans, comes with 24/7 support, boasts unlimited users and data rows, and has double the number of out-of-the-box connectors. Whether you're a CTO, developer, or analyst, you'll get more performance, productivity, and precision when you make the switch to this all-in-one data transformation solution. 

Are you looking for a Stitch alternative? Contact Integrate.io for a seven-day demo or pilot now.