Flywheel vs Fivetran
An honest comparison of pricing, features, and value for growing companies. Last updated: December 2024
TL;DR
Fivetran is the market leader with 700+ connectors and enterprise-grade reliability. Best for large enterprises with 100+ data sources, complex compliance requirements, and dedicated data teams.
Flywheel offers similar core functionality with transparent pricing and unique features like canonical data records. Best for startups and growing companies (5-50 data sources) that need production-ready data integration without enterprise complexity.
Pricing Comparison
Fivetran
Model: Monthly Active Rows (MAR)
Starting: $1,200-2,000+/month
Contract: Annual ($12K minimum)
⚠️ March 2025: Shifted to per-connector pricing
Costs can spike unpredictably as data volume grows. Many customers report surprise bills when data volumes increase.
Flywheel
Model: Simple tiered plans (MAR)
Free: 10,000 rows/month
Pro: 1M rows/month
Contract: Monthly (no minimum)
✅ No per-connector fees, no annual contracts
Clear tier limits with soft warnings. Start free, upgrade when ready. No surprise per-connector charges.
Real-World Cost Example
Scenario: Growing SaaS company syncing Salesforce, HubSpot, Stripe, and BigQuery (1M rows/month)
Flywheel: Pro plan (1M rows/month included)
Fivetran: $12,000+ annual minimum + per-connector fees
Key Difference: No annual contract required. Start free, upgrade as you scale.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Flywheel | Fivetran |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-built connectors | 50+ | 700+ |
| Custom connectors | ||
| Real-time CDC15-min on Fivetran Standard | ||
| Scheduling (cron) | Intervals only | |
| Data transformations | JSONata + visual | dbt integration |
| Canonical recordsUnique to Flywheel | ||
| Deduplication | Built-in | Manual |
| RBAC | ||
| Entity-level permissions | ||
| API access | ||
| Setup time | 1-2 days | 1-3 days |
| Self-hosting |
Honest Pros & Cons
Fivetran
Pros
- • 700+ pre-built connectors (industry-leading)
- • Enterprise-grade reliability and support
- • Strong brand recognition
- • Automatic connector maintenance
- • Comprehensive compliance certifications
Cons
- • Very expensive ($12K+ annual minimum)
- • Unpredictable MAR-based pricing
- • March 2025 pricing change increased costs
- • Limited customization options
- • Vendor lock-in concerns
Flywheel
Pros
- • Significantly more affordable pricing
- • Transparent, predictable costs
- • Canonical records for data normalization
- • Flexible custom transformations (JSONata)
- • Fast setup without lengthy implementations
- • Entity-level permission control
Cons
- • Fewer pre-built connectors (50+ vs 700+)
- • Smaller company (less enterprise presence)
- • Newer to market
- • No self-hosting option (cloud-only)
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Fivetran if you:
- ✓ Are a large enterprise ($500M+ revenue)
- ✓ Need 100+ pre-built connectors immediately
- ✓ Have budget for $30K-$100K+/year
- ✓ Require specific compliance certifications
- ✓ Have dedicated data engineering team
- ✓ Need maximum vendor brand recognition
Choose Flywheel if you:
- ✓ Are a startup or growing company (<$50M ARR)
- ✓ Need 5-50 data sources to start
- ✓ Want transparent, predictable pricing
- ✓ Value data normalization & deduplication
- ✓ Need flexible transformation capabilities
- ✓ Want fast setup without enterprise overhead
Switching from Fivetran?
We make migration straightforward. Our team assists with connector setup, data validation, and workflow migration to ensure a smooth transition with zero data loss. Most migrations complete within a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Flywheel pricing compare to Fivetran?
Flywheel typically costs significantly less than Fivetran for growing companies. While Fivetran starts at $12K+ annually with MAR-based pricing, Flywheel offers transparent pricing starting free (10K rows/month) or Pro tier (1M rows/month) with no per-connector fees.
Can Flywheel replace Fivetran?
For teams managing 5-50 data sources, Flywheel provides similar core functionality with transparent pricing and unique features like canonical records. If you need 100+ pre-built connectors immediately or specific enterprise certifications, Fivetran may be better suited.
How long does it take to migrate from Fivetran to Flywheel?
Most migrations complete within a week. Our team assists with connector setup, data validation, and workflow migration to ensure a smooth transition with zero data loss.
Does Flywheel support real-time data sync?
Yes, Flywheel supports real-time Change Data Capture (CDC) for databases and scheduled syncs with flexible cron expressions, giving you more control over sync scheduling.