Integrate.io: A review of the data integration tool

A data center.
Image: vladimircaribb/Adobe Stock

The importance of data will only continue to grow in 2023 as companies seek better and more effective ways to harness information. Data warehouse integration combined with ETL techniques will help achieve better data analytics, which in turn helps achieve business objectives. One such ETL and integration solution is offered by Integrate.io.

SEE: Job description: ETL/data warehouse developer (TechRepublic Premium)

Integrate.io’s low-code platform supports connectivity to over 200 e-commerce-related data stores as well as software-as-a-service applications like Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot and Google Adwords. In this review of Integrate.io, we’ll take a closer look at the company’s main product offerings, how much it costs to get started and possible Integrate.io alternatives.

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What is Integrate.io?

The Integrate.io logo.
Image: Integrate.io

Integrate.io is a cloud-based integration platform as a service that launched in 2021, though the company itself was founded in 2012. Integrate.io and its solutions exist as a result of the merger of well-known data-oriented tools such as FlyData, DreamFactory, Xplenty and Intermix.io. The solution runs on Amazon data centers using Amazon Web Services technology.

At its core, Integrate.io offers ETL and data pipeline solutions with a primary focus on e-commerce customer data and extensive automation features. Having worked in e-commerce for over 15 years, I can attest to the need for rapid results in data processing and analysis due to the fast-paced, always-on nature of the industry.

While Integrate.io is touted as a low-code platform, users have the ability to use comprehensive code as needed for expression languages, advanced application programming interfaces and webhooks.

Integrate.io features

The Integrate.io platform offers a variety of modules and features to support data integration, data warehouse management and ETL projects. Here are the main modules offered.

ETL & Reverse ETL

ETL involves extracting, transforming and loading data to move information from diverse sources into a centralized data warehouse. Reverse ETL entails exactly the opposite flow of data. Integrate.io offers features to help users with both of these processes.

SEE: Data integration vs ETL: What are the differences? (TechRepublic)

Integrate.io users can specifically build and transform data pipelines with ETL connectors for Snowflake, Salesforce, NetSuite, REST API, Redshift and others. The company touts itself as the industry’s easiest no-code ETL and reverse ETL platform to use.

ELT & CDC

In Integrate.io’s ELT and CDC solution, over 100 data connectors are available to automate data pipeline management. Customization, flexible job scheduling, unified analytics and auto-schema mapping are some of Integrate.io’s standout features in this area.

Data Warehouse Insights

Integrate.io’s Data Warehouse Insights allows companies to see how users are accessing and engaging with data. An auto-capture feature automatically gathers metadata on users, jobs and tables to see what’s working well, how to foment reliable forecasts and where improvements might be needed. Real-time reporting provides fast and comprehensive analytics.

SEE: Cloud data warehouse guide and checklist (TechRepublic Premium)

Table dependencies are another factor in this module; Integrate.io allows you to determine the more active versus less active models and tables and visualize the dependencies for users and workflows.

API Generation

The API generation tool — which stemmed from DreamFactory — connects to data sources without APIs. This is a rare and unique feature that makes Integrate.io stand out from its competitors. In addition, Integrate.io includes the well-known and comprehensive REST API solution.

Data Observability

This free feature is the latest component in the Integrate.io platform. Data Observability includes fully automated monitoring with customizable notifications, real-time alerts and historical alert resolution tracking, and detailed end-to-end reporting. The solution comes with a variety of alert types and hones in on correcting data errors and increasing data credibility at the data-owner level.

Pros and cons of Integrate.io

Pros

  • Simple data transformation capabilities.
  • Easy workflows for defining task dependencies.
  • Streamlined Salesforce to Salesforce integrations.
  • Comprehensive data security and compliance.
  • A multitude of data sources and destinations.
  • Strong customer support.

Cons

  • Only basic error logging is available for troubleshooting.
  • The interface gets complex when focusing on more comprehensive pipelines.
  • The company’s e-commerce background might not make it a great fit for other customers.
  • Aspects of the platform are not wholly integrated.

Integrate.io pricing

Pricing for Integrate.io is simple and easy to navigate. It is based on the number of connectors used, regardless of related traffic or customer count. Both source and destination apply here.

According to Integrate.io, customers can expect to pay a flat fee per year based on how many connectors they need, so the price won’t go up even if they increase the number of users or data volume.

If they choose to add more connectors, they can then upgrade their package while still getting a predictable pricing plan with no hidden fees. This is different from other data warehouse integration platforms, many of which have variable costs that change when adding users or that require users to pay hosting and hardware fees.

Interested buyers have the option to reach out to Integrate.io for more concrete pricing information. Free trials are also available for several Integrate.io modules.

Integrate.io alternatives

Fivetran

The Fivetran logo.
Image: Fivetran

Fivetran is an ETL data management tool that offers bulk and batch data movement, data centralization and replication, and quick and easy connector deployment.

Users appreciate its ease of setup, strong data migration and API integration features, and rich set of connectors. However, some reviewers have indicated that the tool is pricey, requires significant internal expertise to operate and lacks customer support.

Hevo Data

The Hevo logo.
Image: Hevo

Hevo is an end-to-end data pipeline platform with a focus on data warehouse centralization, analytics transformations, and business and operational intelligence.

Users consider this product highly usable, easy to set up and generally good at meeting their requirements. Some negative reviews, however, point out that the tool makes it difficult to write transformation scripts. They also highlight that running models takes too long and that Hevo should have more data destination options.

Zapier

The Zapier logo.
Image: Zapier

Zapier is a no-code automation platform that works across thousands of applications. In fact, its focus is more on automation and integration than comprehensive data management and analysis. Zapier is very application-oriented and relies on workflows.

Reviewer pros have been based on the product being usable, easy to administer and good at meeting requirements. Users appreciate its customizability and wide range of app integration options. It’s also considered easy to use and administer.

However, some reviewers have stated that complicated workflows don’t work well with Zapier. They also mention that cloud-to-cloud operations aren’t quite up to par and the cost goes up quickly with a significant number of integrations.

Read next: Best ETL tools and software (TechRepublic)

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