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When evaluating data integration platforms, iPaaS (Celigo) and ELT (Fivetran) are two prominent options, each catering to different business needs. This comparison delves into the core functionalities, pricing models, user experiences, and ideal use cases to assist you in making an informed decision.

Overview

✅ Use iPaaS if:

You need to automate business processes across apps (e.g., syncing orders from Shopify to NetSuite).
You require real-time or event-driven data flows between operational systems.
You want a drag-and-drop workflow builder with business logic (e.g., “If new record in X, create record in Y”).

✅ Use ELT tools if:

Your goal is to centralize data for analytics (e.g., send Salesforce, Google Ads, and Stripe data to Snowflake).
You have a data warehouse (like BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift).
Your team is more technical and handles transformations using SQL/dbt.

iPaaS is like a business operations glue—it connects systems for process automation while ELT tools are like data plumbing—they collect and centralize raw data for insights and reporting.

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iPaaS vs ELT Tools

Fundamental Differences: iPaaS vs ELT Tools

Aspect	iPaaS	ELT Tools
Primary Goal	Application & workflow integration across systems	Centralized data ingestion & transformation into data warehouses
Core Functionality	Sync real-time or scheduled data between SaaS, ERP, CRM, etc.	Replicate raw data from sources into a data warehouse for analytics
Target Users	Business users, IT teams, operations	Data engineers, analysts, BI teams
Architecture	Event- or workflow-based pipelines (often low-code/no-code)	Data pipelines built for batch ingestion and transformation
Data Movement	Point-to-point (app-to-app) or hub-and-spoke	Source → Staging → Warehouse
Real-Time Support	Often supports near real-time or triggered syncs	Typically batch-oriented, some support near real-time
Transformations	In-pipeline or via custom scripts	After loading into the warehouse, usually with SQL/dbt
Monitoring & Error Handling	Visual dashboards, retry logic, error alerts	Logs, alerting via CLI, email, or APIs
Common Use Cases	Salesforce to NetSuite sync, Order-to-Cash flow, Lead routing	Marketing data aggregation, finance analytics, dashboards
Example Tools	Celigo, Boomi, MuleSoft, Zapier, Workato	DataStori, Fivetran, Stitch, Airbyte, Matillion

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Pricing models

iPaaS tools typically charge users by

- the number of business workflows or

- volume of data processed or

- per connector

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ELT tools typically charge users by

- the rows fetched or

- the volume of data processed or

- per connector

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Conclusion

Both iPaaS and ELT tools offer robust data integration solutions, each excelling in different areas. iPaaS's strength lies in its suitability for businesses seeking to automate complex business workflows. ELT tools stand out with the automated, maintenance-free data pipelines, ideal for organizations focusing on data warehousing and analytics.

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iPaaS (Celigo) or ELT (Fivetran)