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Alation Data Catalog vs OneTrust DataGovernance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Alation Data Catalog
Ranking in Data Governance
7th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Metadata Management (2nd)
OneTrust DataGovernance
Ranking in Data Governance
12th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Data Governance category, the mindshare of Alation Data Catalog is 5.8%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OneTrust DataGovernance is 2.1%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Governance
 

Featured Reviews

Brahma Lam - PeerSpot reviewer
Has metadata cataloging features but needs changes in domain model
The tool's metadata cataloging is the most valuable feature.  The tool's domain model needs to be changed.  Alation Data Catalog is stable.  The solution is scalable.  Alation Data Catalog's deployment is easy. I rate it a nine out of ten. Deployment takes only two to three hours to complete.…
Ihab-Bekhiet - PeerSpot reviewer
Business glossary is good, workflows are good but installation was difficult
I believe the relationship between business and technical terms could be improved, as well as the focus on data discovery. If we leverage the power of AI, we could provide more user-friendly outputs with relational insights between data. This is a core area for success. Any tool that focuses on data insights will add value. It's not just about linking clear data with clear business terms, but gaining insights is power and the key to success. So, I would like to improve the business and technical relations within OneTrust Data Governance. Customers mainly use OneTrust for compliance. For example, in Saudi Arabia, which is the top-selling country in 2023, there is a boom in data management investments due to digital transformation and government initiatives. They are heavily investing in data enrichment and data management. To succeed in this market, OneTrust needs to invest more and check the requirements from Saudi Arabian regulations. There are around 200 specifications to comply with. Once OneTrust meets those specifications, it will be able to sell more products. If OneTrust adapts well, OneTrust will see significant sales growth until 2030 in Saudi Arabia. An important thing to consider is to offer both on-premises and cloud deployment options. Currently, cloud-only solutions, especially on Azure, are not widely accepted. So, I would like to have an on-premises version as well. On-premises is crucial. If OneTrust can offer Google Cloud within Saudi Arabia, that would be good, but outside the country, Azure is acceptable for HIPAA compliance. So, in future, there should be both on-premises and Google Cloud options for cloud deployment.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We can customize templates based on our use cases."
"Alation Data Catalog provides a nice interface for connecting to the database, querying the data, and working on it."
"The most valuable features of Alation Data Catalog are the simplicity in onboarding data sources, the security in securing the data sources, and the way the various users of Alation Data Catalog communicate with each other through a messenger."
"The solution is used to query MySQL clients and store data and documentation."
"Given the relatively low level of maturity, Alation's most relevant feature at the moment is a user interface that's easy to navigate, which helps us find and understand the data. So while Alation has a lot more functionality, our pain point right now is being able to easily find, understand, and trust the information to use it."
"We had some of our data science engineers, who had built out some cloud-based data and data products for users. They were spending a lot of their time, up to 30 to 35% of their time, answering questions about the data and helping people understand how to use it. Once they were able to document that information within Alation, they were only focusing on around 5% of the high-value questions that really couldn't be solved through the catalog itself. It freed them up to be more productive, it made their end-users more productive, and it made the adoption rate of their data products rise more quickly because people were able to get to using them."
"The tool's metadata cataloging is the most valuable feature."
"The solution's most valuable feature is the ALLIE AI feature."
"I recommend using a tool like OneTrust DataGovernance for managing regulated services, especially those handling personal information."
"The product is easy to use, with excellent integration capabilities that, although they could be improved, are still better than other options."
"This product makes it easy to manage personal data."
"OneTrust allows seamless management of multiple geolocations at one time and offers workflow automation based on location-specific parameters."
"The data flow analysis is especially valuable from a security perspective. It helps set a perimeter concerning security aspects."
"OneTrust DataGovernance has excellent on-premise data mapping and visualization capabilities."
"This allows anyone in the enterprise to easily find information about specific products or data elements."
"One valuable aspect of the solution is its cloud-based nature. Users can just pay the fees and get started instantly."
 

Cons

"It would be good if the tool could show the output from the records while querying."
"The product's data governance features need improvement."
"We have had issues setting up the connectors and getting Alation's support team to resolve issues."
"Alation Data Catalog does not provide end-to-end data lineage."
"Alation Data Catalog doesn't support end-to-end lineage. By that, I mean the ability to trace the movement of data from when it first comes into our organization to where it's consumed."
"Alation Data Catalog needs to develop a lot in terms of data governance and would be improved with a built-in interactive data quality solution."
"I know that this has been on their roadmap and they're working on it, but as a whole, there's an untapped reservoir of capabilities within their article features that could be used and built upon."
"Although the solution performs far better in terms of data cataloging, its data governance capabilities need improvement."
"In OneTrust DataGovernance, there is room for improvement in creating customized email notifications in plain language and enhancing text editor features for form creation."
"The process management capability could be improved."
"The integration with third-party products could be better."
"Deployment is a big issue."
"The tool is an amalgam. It's a collection of loosely integrated pieces and parts that don't work well together. There is room for improvement there. My team reached out to the support team, and their experience was not satisfactory."
"Stability issues, like unexpected backend actions or data loss during updates, need to be addressed."
"To succeed in this market, OneTrust needs to invest more and check the requirements from Saudi Arabian regulations."
"The platform could benefit from more competitive AI features, more user-friendly dashboards, and better automatic recognition or advanced templates."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is a little expensive."
"The platform is moderately expensive compared to the other competitors in the market."
"A three-year agreement is better than a one-year rolling 12-month agreement from a price point of view. I'd recommend looking at a three-year deal because you can't stand up a catalog and produce value in 12 months."
"I don't have all the details on the pricing side, but the solution was more expensive than originally expected."
"The product is worth every penny."
"The product cost was reasonable due to a discount for NGOs."
"The solution is a low-cost option."
"There is a licensing fee that we pay regularly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
10%
Insurance Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alation Data Catalog?
The platform's most valuable features are workflow automation, automated business metadata tagging, technical metadata tagging, and data integration with data quality tools or platforms.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alation Data Catalog?
The price difference between Alation Data Catalog and Collibra was not significant. Collibra is a little bit expensive than Alation, but I presented the benefits of having that platform, so that li...
What needs improvement with Alation Data Catalog?
Alation Data Catalog is not user-friendly for business users. Its user experience is comparable to a Wikipedia page, lacking good visualization. In a fast-paced world, we need to grasp information ...
What do you like most about OneTrust DataGovernance?
One valuable aspect of the solution is its cloud-based nature. Users can just pay the fees and get started instantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OneTrust DataGovernance?
The cost of OneTrust DataGovernance was slightly expensive. However, it is one of the finest tools in its category.
What needs improvement with OneTrust DataGovernance?
There should be more customization options, as many things are restricted. This customization should suit individual needs, allowing for more UI customization, especially during consent collection....
 

Also Known As

Alation
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Salesforce, Snowflake, Citrix, eBay, TripAdvisor, Albertsons, Nasdaq, Pfizer, LinkedIn, Finnair.
Anthony Nolan, Everis, Herman Miller, Provident Financial Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Alation Data Catalog vs. OneTrust DataGovernance and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,711 professionals have used our research since 2012.