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Informatica PowerCenter vs Precisely Connect vs SAS Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Data Integration category, the mindshare of Informatica PowerCenter is 8.5%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Precisely Connect is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAS Access is 0.4%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Integration
 

Featured Reviews

Deepak Shiv - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides multiple transformations in one toolset and helpful when extracting data from multiple sources
Error handling capability is quite good in Informatica PowerCenter because it provides a very detailed session log, which is really helpful to identify errors. In addition, there are KB articles published by Informatica that are really helpful. So, error handling and the KB articles provided by Informatica are very helpful. Even if you face any issues or errors, we can usually resolve them. If the error cannot be solved with Informatica PowerCenter, we can raise a case with Informatica, and their support team will help us address that issue. If it cannot be solved with that particular version, they will consider it and try to solve it with the next patch or hotfix. AI Initiatives: Our company also has organizational AI or machine learning initiatives. However, Informatica PowerCenter doesn't fit into AI-related things because it's an on-premise tool. It doesn't have a significant role in the field. It is just a small ETL on-premises tool. So basically, in the AI field, Informatica PowerCenter is not going to be that impactful. Informatica has launched IICS and IDMC (Informatica Data Management Cloud and Informatica Cloud), where their AI comes into the picture. But for Informatica PowerCenter, AI does not come into the picture at all.
reviewer2667306 - PeerSpot reviewer
AI compliance integration elevates data quality and decision-making
I usually implement Precisely and Collibra tools for clients to enhance data quality. My main use case involves working with the data catalog of Precisely to integrate data management processes and ensure data governance Precisely has the AI Act already implemented into the data catalog, which…
Robert Heck - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is stable, scalable, and flexible
I rate the solution eight out of ten. The number of people required to maintain the solution is dependent on the other applications running. The solution in itself does not require a lot of maintenance. The solution is flexible and I recommend it when you have more complex applications with special requirements.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features for us is the metadata repository because it can easily understand the lineage of first target mapping. My company and I also find Informatica really easy to use—when a consultant joins our company, in just a few days to a few weeks, they can understand how to use it—so we prefer to use this ETL tool."
"Informatica PowerCenter is very good for integrating a huge amount of data in a very short duration, such as a minute. It is also very easy to use. After you provide the source and the target, mappings are automatically done, which makes it easy to use for the development team."
"The reliability of the product and the way of orchestration of different services is valuable to us."
"UI-based ability to create data mapping."
"PowerCenter performs well during data transformation and optimization."
"The functions in Informatica PowerCenter that I have found most valuable are the way it manages the volume of data, the push down optimization, and the performance aspects of it, mostly related to parallelism techniques."
"It has helped us monetize."
"The technical support for Informatica PowerCenter is good."
"Using Precisely improves data quality, which can lead to a 30% increase in revenue and boost net income by 20% to 25% if implemented correctly."
"Precisely has the AI Act already implemented into the data catalog, which allows the integration of the European Artificial Intelligence Act into our processes."
"The most valuable part of SAS/ACCESS is what it is made for: connecting to remote systems that are not part of your physical SAS environment."
"The most valuable feature is you have native access to the external databases."
"The most valuable aspect of the solution is the ease of access to the data in those databases."
 

Cons

"The pricing could be improved."
"I found it is kind of weird that not all of the mapping changes are treated as true changes."
"What I didn't like about it is that the platform itself is not great at distributed processing. When you need high parallel processing, it has some inherent issues. We had to use Java transformation, and it did not go very well. I have heard that it is going to the cloud, but we haven't tried that."
"Integrated Reporting service should be more smoothly transitioned from view to function to be in sync with the main design."
"There is some room for improvement in terms of pricing."
"The solution does not scale."
"They should release new versions for the solution's on-premises setup."
"Some of the conversions are done inside the product. We use work tables that are created by the engine itself, but the names of the work tables are very long, and they don't have any meaning, which makes it a bit difficult to understand and follow exactly what is happening inside."
"Precisely works with a tool called Analyze, which has a steep learning curve due to its use of Jython, a combination of Java and Python. This could be improved to make the tool more user-friendly."
"Precisely works with a tool called Analyze, which has a steep learning curve due to its use of Jython, a combination of Java and Python. This could be improved to make the tool more user-friendly."
"I can't really recall any missing feature or general improvement that is needed. We don't really add too many new kinds of databases and therefore our needs are already met."
"The pricing model needs to be reconsidered and adjusted."
"The solution can provide access to the newer databases that come out sooner."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is for big enterprises. We have leveraged Informatica for big enterprises but not for small and medium enterprises because it is a very costly product as compared to other products. We propose this solution only for enterprise customers. For small to medium enterprises, we would propose the Microsoft solution. Its licensing is currently bundle-wise. It should be features-wise and not bundle-wise."
"Compared to other tools, I think PowerCenter is a bit expensive. When I compare it to Oracle, if you want to use Oracle databases, you can easily get an ODI tool, so it's easier to handle. Informatica is a standalone tool—it's an independent company—and there are no databases around them, so it's quite expensive to use. Generally, large companies use PowerCenter because of the price. If companies want to expand their usage areas, they try to consider if it's easy to implement and easy to understand the pricing. I think the pricing is a barrier for Informatica."
"I would rate the pricing for this solution a six out of ten. The exact pricing depends on various products that you have."
"The price of this solution is high."
"Price-wise, it's more expensive than SSIS, but it's a better tool, so it has more features. Licensing is on a yearly basis."
"I am not sure about the most recent price, but I think it should be $100,000 or more."
"We are using an annual license for Informatica PowerCenter."
"Since the solution's cost is higher, I rate the pricing as a five out of ten."
Information not available
"The solution's pricing and licensing are expensive."
"The pricing model is complex and is based on modular packages as well as the size of the applicable environment."
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Comparison Review

it_user90069 - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 20, 2014
Informatica PowerCenter vs. Microsoft SSIS - each technology has its advantages but also have similarities
Technology has made it easier for businesses to organize and manipulate data to get a clearer picture of what’s going on with their business. Notably, ETL tools have made managing huge amounts of data significantly easier and faster, boosting many organizations’ business intelligence operations…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Insurance Company
7%
Insurance Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
22%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does Azure Data Factory compare with Informatica PowerCenter?
Azure Data Factory is flexible, modular, and works well. In terms of cost, it is not too pricey. It offers the stabil...
Which is better - SSIS or Informatica PowerCenter?
SSIS PowerPack is a group of drag and drop connectors for Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services, commonly called ...
Which Informatica product would you choose - PowerCenter or Cloud Data Integration?
Complex transformations can easily be achieved using PowerCenter, which has all the features and tools to establish a...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Precisely Connect?
Precisely has a high entry price, which is why it is not suitable for small to mid-sized organizations.
What needs improvement with Precisely Connect?
Precisely works with a tool called Analyze, which has a steep learning curve due to its use of Jython, a combination ...
What is your primary use case for Precisely Connect?
I usually implement Precisely and Collibra tools for clients to enhance data quality. My main use case involves worki...
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Also Known As

PowerCenter
DMExpress, Syncsort DMX, Syncsort Connect ETL
SAS/Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, LexisNexis, Rabobank
Hermes, Kantar Worldpanel, Kojima Press Industry Co. Ltd., OTC Markets Group, Experian, Co-operative Group, State of Tennessee Department of Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Silverton, comScore
Los Angeles County, West Midlands Police, Credit Guarantee Corporation, Canada Post, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Informatica, Talend and others in Data Integration. Updated: July 2025.
863,429 professionals have used our research since 2012.