Fivetran vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data comparison

Fivetran and IBM are both solutions in the Data Integration category. Fivetran is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #26 with an average rating of 7.0. Fivetran holds a 2.0% mindshare in DI, compared to IBM’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Fivetran users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 86% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Fivetran

Read 28 Fivetran reviews

3,915 Views
2,349 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Pak for Data

Read 13 IBM Cloud Pak for Data reviews

2,186 Views
2,055 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Fivetran

IBM Cloud Pak for Data

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

IBM Cloud Pak for Data and Fivetran compete in the data integration and management space. IBM Cloud Pak for Data has the advantage in terms of support and pricing satisfaction, while Fivetran stands out with its robust features that justify its cost.

Features: IBM Cloud Pak for Data integrates diverse data sources, providing a unified platform for AI-driven insights. It offers advanced analytics capabilities and strong governance features. In contrast, Fivetran is known for its seamless data pipeline automation and efficient data connectors, simplifying the ETL process. Its automation and simplicity significantly differentiate it from competitors.

Room for Improvement: IBM Cloud Pak for Data could enhance its deployment simplicity and reduce its complexity for businesses with limited IT resources. Its customer service could benefit from more streamlined processes. Fivetran might improve in providing more personalized support and enhancing its flexibility for complex data processes. The cost structure could be more adaptive to different scales of data usage.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Cloud Pak for Data requires a comprehensive setup and a detailed deployment strategy, which can be complex. It features a notably hands-on customer service providing in-depth assistance. Fivetran, contrastingly, offers a straightforward deployment with plug-and-play functionality, focusing on ease and efficiency. Its customer service is efficient but more tailored to automated processes rather than personalized support.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Cloud Pak for Data typically involves a more substantial initial investment but delivers strong long-term ROI through extensive capabilities and scalable infrastructure. Fivetran, with a lower upfront cost, provides attractive quick return benefits due to its efficient data handling, but its ROI is highly dependent on the volume and complexity of data processes, potentially making it a more costly solution over time.

To learn more, read our detailed Fivetran vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Data Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Data

September 2025

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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

Fivetran

Ranking in Data Integration

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Replication (3rd), Cloud Data Integration (7th)

IBM Cloud Pak for Data

Ranking in Data Integration

26th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Virtualization (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Data Integration category, the mindshare of Fivetran is 2.0%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Data is 1.8%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Integration Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fivetran	2.0%
IBM Cloud Pak for Data	1.8%
Other	96.2%

Data Integration

Featured Reviews

Vigneswar Jeyaraj

Manager at InfoCepts

Real-time data replication and integration streamline processes and enhance productivity

The most valuable feature of Fivetran so far is the data replication. The real-time data replication is what I see best in the market where it reduces the overhead of customers needing to maintain the pipeline. Even when an error occurs, it automatically tries to solve the issue without manual interaction needed. The effectiveness of Fivetran's pre-built connectors in enhancing my customer's productivity is significant because everything is easily configurable. The documentation is very clear, so there's no difficulty in finding the necessary steps. Everything is pre-documented. The pre-built connectors that are available are excellent. Most functionalities are covered, and in most cases, it works according to expectations.

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Michelle Leslie

Data asset management engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

Starts strong with data management capabilities but needs a demo database

What I would love to see is an end-to-end, almost a training demo database of some sort, where one of the biggest problems with data management is demonstrated. There are so many components to data management, and more often than not, people understand one thing really well. They may understand DataStage and how to move data around, but they do not see the impact of moving data incorrectly. They also do not see the impact of everyone understanding a piece of data in the same way. I would love Cloud Pak to come with a demo database that illustrates the different components of data management in a logical way, so I can see the whole picture instead of just the area I'm specializing in. It would be great if Cloud Pak, from a data modeling point of view, allowed us to import our PDMs, for example. It would be ideal to import and create business terms in Cloud Pak. The PEA would be great to create the technical data. The association between the business and the technical metadata could then be automated by pulling it through from your ACE models. The data modeling component is available in Cloud Pak. Additionally, when it comes to Cloud Pak, even though it has the NextGen DataStage built into it, there is Cloud Pak for data integration as well. Currently, I do not think we have a full enough understanding of how CP4D and CP4I can enhance each other.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The compare feature is the most valuable piece of it."

"The most valuable feature of Fivetran is that it only synchronizes what needs to be synchronized."

"The general data ingestion is valuable. It's used for a lot of data. It provides about 90% of the data we use in our data warehouse without needing data engineering."

"The simplicity and scalability are the strongest features of Fivetran."

"For us, Fivetran has been able to scale both in terms of the data we bring into our warehouse and the amount of data that we use as well."

"SysTrack load is the best feature."

"The simplicity of the solution is its valuable feature."

"Overall, I would rate Fivetran nine out of ten."

More Fivetran pros

"Cloud Pak is a very, very, very good system."

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten."

"Its data preparation capabilities are highly valuable."

"DataStage allows me to connect to different data sources."

"One of Cloud Pak's best features is the Watson Knowledge Catalog, which helps you implement data governance."

"The most valuable features of IBM Cloud Pak for Data are the Watson Studio, where we can initiate more groups and write code. Additionally, Watson Machine Learning is available with many other services, such as APIs which you can plug the machine learning models."

"IBM Watson Catalog and data pipelines are the most valuable features of the solution."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Cloud Pak for Data is the Modeler flows. The ability to develop models using a graphical approach and the capability to connect to various sources, as well as the data virtualization capabilities, allow me to easily access and utilize data that is dispersed across different sources."

More IBM Cloud Pak for Data pros

Cons

"It should have a few more monitoring functionalities."

"This solution needs to improve its real-time data and transformation availability."

"HVR Software's technical support could be improved. Whenever we log a case, the response that we get from the support is a bit delayed."

"We use a separate tool for "reverse ETL", which is the opposite of what Fivetran does; it pushes data from your data warehouse back out to business applications. If Fivetran pulls data from those same applications, they should also enable users to push it back. I would love to do both ETL and reverse ETL in the same tool."

"If Fivetran can build in more transformations, that would be really helpful in my opinion."

"There was a random change to our contract in a unilateral manner after the first year. The overall cost of using Fivetran was then unclear and this is the reason I would not recommend this solution."

"Fivetran could improve in the area of customization, especially in how they socialize their tools."

"The environment must be more development-friendly."

More Fivetran cons

"The technical support could be a little better."

"Cloud Pak would be improved with integration with cloud service providers like Cloudera."

"There is a solution that is part of IBM Cloud Pak for Data called Watson OpenScale. It is used to monitor the deployed models for the quality and fairness of the results. This is one area that needs a lot of improvement."

"The solution could have more connectors."

"The setup cost is very expensive. The cost depends on the pieces of the solution I'm using, how much data I have, and whether it's on the cloud or on-prem."

"What I would love to see is an end-to-end, almost a training demo database of some sort, where one of the biggest problems with data management is demonstrated."

"One thing that bugs me is how much infrastructure Cloud Pak requires for the initial deployment. It doesn't allow you to start small. The smallest permitted deployment is too big. It's a huge problem that prevents us from implementing the solution in many scenarios."

"The tool depends on the control plane, an OpenShift container platform utilized as an orchestration layer...So, we have communicated this issue to IBM and asked if it is feasible to adapt the solution to work on a Kubernetes platform that we support."

More IBM Cloud Pak for Data cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is reasonably expensive"

"When you have a lot of workflows and complex use cases, pricing goes down as you use it more."

"I don't have the exact information, but I know it is high, and it is on a yearly basis. There is no additional cost for what we're doing. We're always open to doing things cheaper, so we might potentially implement a different solution."

"I can't give exact amounts because that's based on usage, but it's more expensive than some of its competitors."

"The licensing costs are extremely high for the usage of somebody who has one GB or two GB of usage per day for real-time traffic. There are many other players in the market which are similarly priced or competitively priced. On average per month, it used to come around 12,000-15,000 USD, which is very high."

"The pricing model is okay and mid to large companies will not have an issue with it."

"In the first year, we were given a very good discount. It was approximately 20,000 Euros per year. In the third year, we purchased credit for two years and the price was 33,000 Euros per year."

"I've heard that the license for HVR is a bit costly compared to its competitors, but since it's reliable and efficient, I think the customer shouldn't be bothered about the cost."

More Fivetran pricing and cost advice

"For the licensing of the solution, there is a yearly payment that needs to be made. Also, since it is expensive, cost-wise, I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten."

"Cloud Pak's cost is a little high."

"It's quite expensive."

"I think that this product is too expensive for smaller companies."

"IBM Cloud Pak for Data is expensive. If we include the training time and the machine learning, it's expensive. The cost of the execution is more reasonable."

"I don't have the exact licensing cost for IBM Cloud Pak for Data, as my company is still finalizing requirements, including monthly, yearly, and three-year licensing fees. Still, on a scale of one to five, I'd rate it a three because, compared to other vendors, it's more complicated."

"The solution's pricing is competitive with that of other vendors."

"The solution is expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

28%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	16

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What's the deal with the HVR software acquisition?

As a user of HVR Software I followed this deal closely. Fivetran is apparently trying to establish more in its sector and by buying an already established data replication software, they become som...

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Does HVR Software provide reliable insights?

I honestly can't think of another data replication software that can give you better statistics and insight than HVR Software. There's the feature for topology and statistics and both of them can ...

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How much traffic can HVR Software handle?

As someone who works at a company where a high volume of information is replicated and has tried several data replication softwares, I can tell you that you're looking at the right one. HVR Softwar...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Pak for Data?

The setup cost is very expensive. The cost depends on the pieces of the solution I'm using, how much data I have, and whether it's on the cloud or on-prem.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Data?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Cloud Pak for Data?

My primary use case for Cloud Pak is that I am the reference Data steward for the Africa regions in the banks where I work. My main objective is to capture the reference data in Caltech or Data and...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs Fivetran

Compared 6% of the time

Confluent vs Fivetran

Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 44% of the time

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Compared 13% of the time

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data

Compared 11% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data

Compared 9% of the time

Azure Data Factory vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran

October 2025

Download Fivetran product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Pak for Data

September 2025

Download IBM Cloud Pak for Data product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cloud Pak for Data

Overview

Fivetran, the global leader in data movement, is trusted by companies like OpenAI, LVMH, Pfizer, Verizon and Spotify to centralize data from SaaS applications, databases, files, and other sources into cloud destinations, including data lakes. With high-performance pipelines, seamless interoperability, and enterprise-grade security, Fivetran empowers organizations to modernize their data infrastructure, power analytics and AI, ensure compliance, and achieve transformative business outcomes. Learn more at Fivetran.com

Fivetran

IBM Cloud Pak® for Data is a fully-integrated data and AI platform that modernizes how businesses collect, organize and analyze data to infuse AI throughout their organizations. Cloud-native by design, the platform unifies market-leading services spanning the entire analytics lifecycle. From data management, DataOps, governance, business analytics and automated AI, IBM Cloud Pak for Data helps eliminate the need for costly, and often competing, point solutions while providing the information architecture you need to implement AI successfully.

Building on the streamlined hybrid-cloud foundation of Red Hat® OpenShift®, IBM Cloud Pak for Data takes advantage of the underlying resource and infrastructure optimization and management. The solution fully supports multicloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud™ and private cloud deployments. Find out how IBM Cloud Pak for Data can lower your total cost of ownership and accelerate innovation.

IBM

Sample Customers

Autodesk, Condé Nast, JetBlue, Morgan Stanley, OpenAI, LVMH, Pfizer, Verizon, SpotifyNational Australia Bank, Saks, Cemex, Okta, Dropbox, Pitney Bowes, World Fuel Services,Lufthansa, AutoZone, ASICS, ASOS, Coupa, Databricks, Hermes, New Relic, Intercom,Canva, Honeywell, Square, DocuSign, Nandos, Oldcastle Infrastructure

Qatar Development Bank, GuideWell, Skanderborg Music Festival

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Data

September 2025

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