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SSIS vs Zapier 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.3
SSIS offers cost-effective data management with no extra fees, but some users prefer alternatives with a larger budget.
Sentiment score
6.5
Users experience benefits from Zapier's automation and cost savings, though calculating specific ROI can be challenging.
Using SSIS has proven cost-effective as there are no additional fees outside the SQL Server license, and it significantly enhances data management efficiency.
In a scenario where employing three resources for three months might cost approximately $18,000 to $20,000, Zapier provides substantial cost savings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.0
Users find SSIS support mixed; many prefer online solutions and community forums over Microsoft’s challenging and costly support.
Sentiment score
7.2
Mixed experiences with Zapier support: praised for responsiveness and knowledge, yet some note delays and lack of chat.
Their technical support is good; they respond promptly and are very helpful.
This can help if you need assistance, as you can communicate with the community and support system, and most issues are already resolved by AI.
Sometimes, in my early days, when I was stuck with something, they helped me solve these issues, and even helped me solve some of my automations.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
SSIS is scalable for various enterprises, requiring proper configuration for optimal performance, but may lack compared to alternatives.
Sentiment score
7.6
Zapier is ideal for small businesses prioritizing simple tasks, though costs and stability may concern larger organizations.
Zapier is suitable for small or simpler automation but not for complex ones.
Scaling it gets quite expensive, and while I cannot evaluate it purely from a technology perspective, compared to Workato, I would give Zapier a seven for scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
SSIS is stable and reliable, though occasional performance issues are noted; proper infrastructure enhances its effectiveness.
Sentiment score
6.9
Users find Zapier reliable, with minor issues often linked to third-party tools, and rate stability highly for varied needs.
It processes large volumes of data quickly.
In my current company, we had significant challenges with Zapier regarding maintenance, as Zaps were often broken, not necessarily due to Zapier, but due to changes in the input variables.
 

Room For Improvement

SSIS needs user interface, performance, compatibility, integration, error logging, scalability improvements, and better real-time, security, and API support.
Zapier users face issues with Google Sheets, insufficient integrations, complex workflows, high costs, and limited customization and support.
Within the South African context, if you are getting your enterprise agreement from First Technology, they don't provide support.
SSIS has a difficult learning curve when dealing with complex transformations.
The error message options in the dashboard should be improved. It should be user-friendly so that beginners or non-technical users can figure out the problems and solutions on their own.
You can build similar or dependent automations in one Zap, which helps with understanding the process without switching between different records.
I would appreciate if there would be a feature where we can use actions right after loops. Currently, you cannot use any other action after the loop. Everything needs to be within the loop.
 

Setup Cost

SSIS is economical for SQL Server users, offering value without extra setup costs compared to pricier ETL tools.
Enterprise buyers find Zapier cost-effective for its integrations, despite some viewing it as pricier than alternatives.
Utilizing SSIS involves no extra charges beyond the SQL Server license.
The pricing is in accordance with market standards and even lower in some cases.
The pricing of Zapier is slightly higher compared to other market automation tools such as Pabbly, Make.com, and N8N, which have good features but are priced lower than Zapier.
 

Valuable Features

SSIS is popular for its ease of use, scalability, integration, cost-effectiveness, and powerful ETL capabilities with Microsoft products.
Zapier offers over 20,000 integrations, automating workflows without coding, enhancing productivity with user-friendly, drag-and-drop functionality.
One of the best aspects of SSIS is that it is built into Microsoft SQL Server, so there are no additional costs involved.
SSAS is included in the base installation of SQL Server.
They have approximately 7,000 connections.
Even a person with no technical knowledge can use Zapier to create automations.
The automation capabilities are impressive.
 

Categories and Ranking

SSIS
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
Data Integration (3rd)
Zapier
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Data Integration (13th)
 

Featured Reviews

Sean Achim - PeerSpot reviewer
Building impactful organizational KPIs with ease and precision
Stability is rated at 10. One other important aspect I appreciate is that SSAS is included in the base installation of SQL Server. Obviously, it requires installation, but it is readily available, which is a major strength. It's all about setting it up, configuring it, and then using it. If there are additional costs associated with it or separating it as a second product, that would be a disadvantage. The area of improvement is really in education. Microsoft is trying to push everything as a Power BI solution or trying to get people to solve the problems which are solved with SSAS in another space in Power BI, or in Power Pivot, is not enough. There's not enough marketing, conversation, and support around that space. As a result, we end up with people not understanding that you need to build your models correctly, and then they try to model everything inside of Power BI, or another visualization tool, without first building the data model. That leads people to consider alternate solutions because SAP and others argue that their whole thing is in memory, and they disseminate misleading information. Additionally, what would be very helpful is local user group developments, so getting people around the table and teaching them how to use it. That is the biggest problem; it's not the technology itself. The challenge lies in Microsoft withdrawing a lot of the qualifications and watering down its emphasis, leading to a perception that this is supposed to be an elite product.
Awais Mehmood - PeerSpot reviewer
Error message clarity needs improvement but third-party integrations facilitate automation
I would to improve the integration between Zapier and Notion since Notion did not allow it previously. One issue I experienced was that when Zapier did not automate or threw an error, the error was not user-friendly. I searched extensively in browsers and the Zapier community to find solutions. The error page or the Zapier error message should be user-friendly, and the error message should relate to the user so they can easily understand the error and solve that specific problem. The error message options in the dashboard should be improved. It should be user-friendly so that beginners or non-technical users can figure out the problems and solutions on their own.
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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
19%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
9%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 SSIS. The collection helps organizations boost productivity with code-free compo...
What do you like most about SSIS?
The product's deployment phase is easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SSIS?
Utilizing SSIS involves no extra charges beyond the SQL Server license. It's an economical choice for my clients.
What do you like most about Zapier?
The product's most valuable feature is automation.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zapier?
The pricing is suitable. It's not cheap, but not expensive.
What needs improvement with Zapier?
You can build similar or dependent automations in one Zap, which helps with understanding the process without switching between different records. I would appreciate quicker response times and more...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

SQL Server Integration Services
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

1. Amazon.com 2. Bank of America 3. Capital One 4. Coca-Cola 5. Dell 6. E*TRADE 7. FedEx 8. Ford Motor Company 9. Google 10. Home Depot 11. IBM 12. Intel 13. JPMorgan Chase 14. Kraft Foods 15. Lockheed Martin 16. McDonald's 17. Microsoft 18. Morgan Stanley 19. Nike 20. Oracle 21. PepsiCo 22. Procter & Gamble 23. Prudential Financial 24. RBC Capital Markets 25. SAP 26. Siemens 27. Sony 28. Toyota 29. UnitedHealth Group 30. Visa 31. Walmart 32. Wells Fargo
BuzzFeed, Groupon, Spotify, Columbia University, FOX
Find out what your peers are saying about SSIS vs. Zapier and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.