Fivetran vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Fivetran and IBM are both solutions in the Data Integration category. Fivetran is ranked #15 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #35 with an average rating of 8.0. Fivetran holds a 1.8% mindshare in DI, compared to IBM’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Fivetran users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Fivetran

Read 29 Fivetran reviews

9,757 Views
6,147 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Read 9 IBM InfoSphere Information Server reviews

3,818 Views
2,596 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Fivetran

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

IBM InfoSphere Information Server and Fivetran compete in the data integration category. Fivetran appears to have the upper hand due to its ease of deployment and attractive pricing model.

Features: IBM InfoSphere Information Server offers advanced data quality transformations, data governance, and a scalable architecture for enterprise needs. Fivetran provides seamless automated pipelines, a vast array of connectors, and simple maintenance-free operation appealing to efficiency-focused organizations.

Room for Improvement: IBM InfoSphere could improve by simplifying the deployment process, enhancing user-friendliness, and reducing initial setup complexity. Fivetran might expand its feature set to match enterprise-level customization, improve data transformation options, and enhance its support for hybrid cloud environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fivetran offers a straightforward deployment cutting down configuration time, favoring businesses seeking rapid solutions. IBM InfoSphere requires more configuration effort, suiting those desiring customized deployments. Both provide comprehensive support, yet Fivetran's approach gives it an advantage for quick-start projects.

Pricing and ROI: IBM InfoSphere involves a substantial initial investment that can yield high ROI due to its capabilities. Fivetran features a cost-effective subscription model attractive for budget-conscious businesses prioritizing immediate value and effective pricing.

To learn more, read our detailed Fivetran vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

October 2026

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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

15th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Replication (4th), Cloud Data Integration (9th)

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Ranking in Data Integration

35th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Metadata Management (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Data Integration category, the mindshare of Fivetran is 1.8%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM InfoSphere Information Server is 0.8%, down from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Integration Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fivetran	1.8%
IBM InfoSphere Information Server	0.8%
Other	97.4%

Data Integration

Featured Reviews

Hafiz Usman

Team Lead Data Engineer at Data Pilot

Has accelerated data integration workflows and supports seamless development of custom connectors

I've worked extensively with Fivetran, mainly used for extraction purposes, and I've worked with the transformation element in it as well. Fivetran not only has built-in connectors but also provides SDK connectors, allowing us to develop our own connectors in an easy manner. I don't have to write raw Python scripts or dumping scripts; it offers straightforward examples and guidelines, making it much simpler to develop custom connectors inside Fivetran. We've been able to develop many custom connectors as well, which is unique and beneficial for having everything centralized instead of having those connectors located elsewhere. One of the best features by Fivetran is its clean, simple, and intuitive UI. It includes a transformation section where I can deploy my DBT queries and scripts. It also supplies good tracking capabilities for billing estimates and user permissions, allowing for customization to the desired level. The number of connectors it has remains a standout feature, and within connectors, the options available are very helpful. Although it sometimes appears static due to its built-in nature, it offers good flexibility for data transformation and caching, which I appreciate because it saves us extensive script-writing time.

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MOHAMMAD-IQBAL

Senior Data Engineer at Mohammed Mansour Alrumiah

Faced challenges with customer support and documentation but have benefited from reliable data integration over the years

As for utilizing the platform's metadata management feature, I have not worked on that feature yet, but personally, I have done that. To evaluate the effectiveness of IBM InfoSphere Information Server's data integration capabilities, if IBM is providing all the solutions we are using, then it is definitely a helpful thing. Mostly, the other thing is that it is a big area including data governance, data lineage, data management, and metadata, but every customer is not putting that much effort and money on that. They mostly migrate the data, use it, and forget it, but slowly things are changing. I am working in Saudi Arabia, so here also data governance, data management, and those kinds of things are getting attention. Regarding how scalable IBM InfoSphere Information Server is, I need to learn how to tune performance and scalability on the cloud. I am familiar with localized hardware, but on the cloud, I still have to do the work around it. In the beginning, we estimate the load and based on that, we put the hardware, but if there is continuous increase, I believe IBM also faces problems. Scalability needs to be improved because once the demand comes, you should be able to improve it, but for that, documentation on how to add hardware or resources to the software needs to be proper. I do not have much hands-on experience with that.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is not like a traditional ETL, but it gives quite a lot of flexibility."

"The solution is stable, and we've never faced any stability issues."

"Fivetran offers native connectivity with Sybase"

"We would have to hire multiple data engineers to do what Fivetran does and each would cost us about $200,000 a year."

"You can manage all of your connectors individually, which gives you a very good ability to trace which one of your ETL processes is running and when."

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

"It has improved the way our organization functions."

"It is easy for users to get accustomed to the tool due to its gentle learning curve and clear error transparency."

More Fivetran pros

"IBM InfoSphere Information Server is stable."

"Deploying the solution is straightforward for me."

"The initial IBM InfoSphere Information Server is straightforward and you can choose what type of installation you want, such as a customized installation, with clear-cut documentation that, if followed, works fine and the installation has not given us issues."

"The integration with different technologies is the most valuable feature."

"Reduces the loading and development time for Datawarehouse ETL."

"Over the years of working with IBM InfoSphere Information Server, I see basically the strength of the tool, capability, and load balancing, which I see is really good."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"This solution has reduced the time it takes for ETL. We took an existing Teradata ETL application from three days to eight minutes."

More IBM InfoSphere Information Server pros

Cons

"Some of the pain points we're looking at are trying to integrate some of the items in the Microsoft stack, so SharePoint and Excel, and then some of the newer Azure services."

"Fivetran is very expensive for data sources with a lot of rows, such as email data. I would like to see cheaper pricing for data sources like that."

"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."

"Their pricing has increased over the years, so it's not seen as an advantage anymore."

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

"It should have a few more monitoring functionalities."

"In our case, we ultimately did not end up using Fivetran because we were able to do custom connects at a lower cost compared to Fivetran. From a cost perspective, if the number of connectors is lesser, then Fivetran is not the most cost-efficient option."

More Fivetran cons

"Heavy use of scratch disk which sometimes leads to failure."

"We have decided to decrease the usage of metadata management because we did not see any significant advantages."

"This solution would benefit from the engine being made more lightweight."

"Their technical support needs improvement."

"There are certain shortcomings in the cloud side of the solution, where improvements are required."

"IBM InfoSphere Information Server should be more scalable. It should have the option to change the configuration to run on a single, non-multiple node, or multi-threading processing."

"Unlike other tools, IBM tools do not provide much help from the internet, so additional support should be available."

"Customer Service: It's poor."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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 would say they're a little bit on the expensive side, and their contract process is not particularly good, but there is a lot of potential flexibility."

"The product is reasonably expensive"

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

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

"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."

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

More Fivetran pricing and cost advice

"The licensing cost of IBM InfoSphere Information Server depends on how many users there are."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

14%

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	16

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

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 ...

See all answers

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 needs improvement with IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

We are using the on-premises version of IBM InfoSphere Information Server, but we feel that all new development is mainly for the cloud. We receive corrections of errors, but we do not see new func...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

My usual use case for IBM InfoSphere Information Server is ETL, where we take data from one source to another data warehouse solution.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

We are about to change our platform from IBM AIX to SUSE Linux, as our whole platform is changing, so everyone should change from IBM to SUSE Linux. It would be very difficult for us to have a diff...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran

October 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Data Integration

October 2026

IBM InfoSphere Information Server report

Download IBM InfoSphere Information Server product report

Also Known As

No data available

InfoSphere Information Server, IBM Information Server

Overview

Fivetran offers a seamless, scalable data integration platform with strong connectors and real-time synchronization. Tailored for managing ETL workflows and integrating with DBT, it appeals to organizations seeking efficient data management.

Fivetran distinguishes itself through its intuitive interface and extensive scalability, allowing businesses to manage entire ETL workflows seamlessly. Its robust connectors ensure smooth integration with multiple data sources, while transparent logging and minimal coding requirements enhance accessibility. With real-time data synchronization, organizations benefit from up-to-date insights for analytics and engineering purposes. While some users point out areas for improvement like better documentation and expanded integration options, Fivetran remains a cherished tool for centralizing data in data warehouses such as supporting change data capture, migrations, and synchronizations from systems like Salesforce, NetSuite, and Google Analytics. Operating within an ELT framework, it empowers businesses to streamline data processes without complex extraction logic.

What are the key features of Fivetran?

Ease of Use: Intuitive platform minimizing setup complexity
Scalability: Adapt to growing data needs efficiently
Powerful Connectors: Seamless integration with diverse data sources
Real-Time Synchronization: Instant data updates supporting timely insights
DBT Integration: Simplifies transformations within ETL workflows
Transparent Logging: Provides clear visibility into operations

Which benefits can users expect in reviews?

Cost-Effective Scalability: Manage increased data without significant financial impact
Minimal Coding: Reduces technical barriers enhancing accessibility
Comprehensive Data Management: Centralizes diverse data streams effectively
Timely Analytics: Real-time updates foster actionable insights
Streamlined Workflow Management: Efficiently handles complex ETL processes

In industry-specific implementation, Fivetran is integral for businesses requiring robust data integration to power analytics. Retailers utilize it to consolidate e-commerce data for sales insights, while finance firms rely on its capabilities to merge financial data for reporting. In the tech sector, it supports engineering teams by providing a reliable data pipeline that fuels app development and performance monitoring.

Fivetran

IBM InfoSphere Information Server integrates seamlessly with both structured and unstructured data environments, offering advanced ETL capabilities and efficient data handling for large-scale enterprise applications.

IBM InfoSphere Information Server is designed for enterprise-level data integration with a focus on efficient ETL processes. It excels in moving data between sources and data warehouses, particularly valuable in sectors such as retail banking. Users leverage its robust Parallel Extender for improved processing efficiency and DataStage administration for comprehensive task management. However, areas like technical support and scalability require growth, especially for cloud-based deployments. While the Cloud Pak for Data enables acceleration on the cloud, the on-premises approach often remains tied to traditional hardware configurations.

What are the crucial features?

Parallel Extender: Enhances data processing efficiency.
DataStage Administration: Facilitates comprehensive management of ETL tasks.
Change Capture: Monitors and tracks data modifications effectively.
Handling Partitioned Databases: Enables efficient data management across partitions.
Metadata Management: Despite limitations, offers basic insights and tracking.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated?

Cloud Pak for Data: Accelerates data transformation in cloud environments.
ETL Capabilities: Provides robust extraction, transformation, and loading processes.
Versatility: Handles both structured and unstructured data efficiently.
Bulk Loads Parameter Sets: Enhances loading efficiency with bulk operations.

IBM InfoSphere Information Server is widely implemented in industries that require heavy data transformation, such as retail and financial services. Its robust ETL processes are essential for moving critical data between systems, ensuring streamlined data flow and integration across various platforms.

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

Canadian National Railway Company, Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce, Swedish Armed Forces, BG RCI, Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., University of Arizona, Biogrid Australia

Buyer's Guide

Fivetran vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

October 2026

Free Report: Fivetran vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Find out what your peers are saying about Fivetran vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server and other solutions. Updated: October 2026.

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