Direct answer: ETL/data-integration platforms in 2026 use completely different public meters: Fivetran by connector MAR (monthly active rows), with official examples Facebook Ads 34,479 MAR 22.06, GA4 21,993 15.88, Google Ads 88,240 48.67, Marketo 847,574 424.54, and four connectors totaling 992,286 MAR about 511.15; Airbyte by credits (5 credits≈1GB, Standard 20/month; Plus 40 credits 189, 100 449, 250 999, 500 1,799, 1,000 3,199, 2,000 4,999); Hevo by events (Starter 299/month for 5M events, Professional 849/month for 20M, annual 12% off). A rough “1M rows/4 connectors” comparison: Fivetran about 511, Airbyte about 20 (1GB/5 credits), Hevo 299 (from 5M); at “10M rows”: Airbyte 40 credits 189, Hevo 20M 849; Fivetran linear extrapolation from the 992k example is about 5,150, but volume discounts reduce it — use the calculator/contract. Bottom line: the three cannot be compared on list price; convert your rows/GB/events into each vendor’s unit, then account for connector count, sync frequency, Transformations/Activations and annual discounts.
This guide is for data platform, analytics engineering, FinOps and procurement teams. Data cut-off: 7 November 2026; prices come from Fivetran Pricing, Airbyte Pricing and Hevo Pricing, in USD, excluding tax; all TCOs are editorial calculations, not vendor quotes. “MAR/credit/event, connectors, sync frequency, Transformations/Activations” differ, so official facts, editorial assumptions and non-comparable items are kept separate.
Fivetran: per-connector MAR, $5 base for 1–1M MAR; official examples 34k/88k/848k MAR about 22/49/425, four connectors totaling 992k about 511; Transformations 5,000 free then 0.01/0.007/0.002; Activations extra; annual saves up to 22%. Airbyte: 5 credits≈1GB, Standard 20/month; Plus 40/100/250/500/1,000/2,000 credits 189/449/999/1,799/3,199/4,999. Hevo: Starter 299/5M events, Professional 849/20M, annual 12% off, Enterprise custom.
Three meters: MAR, credits, events
Fivetran: per-connector MAR (monthly active rows added/changed/deleted); official examples 34,479 MAR 22.06, 21,993 15.88, 88,240 48.67, 847,574 424.54, four connectors totaling 992,286 MAR 511.15; standard connectors with 1–1M MAR have a $5 base charge; Transformations include 5,000 free model runs/month, then 0.01 (5,001–30,000), 0.007 (30,001–100,000), 0.002 (100,000+); Activations bill activated data separately (examples Snowflake→Salesforce 12,007 MAR 202.25, Snowflake→HubSpot 9,934 197.96); annual saves up to 22%. Airbyte: credits, 5 credits≈1GB (Standard 20/month); Plus 40 credits 189 (≈10GB), 100 449 (≈25GB), 250 999 (≈62.5GB), 500 1,799 (≈125GB), 1,000 3,199 (≈250GB), 2,000 4,999 (≈500GB); 15-minute syncs, SSO, 24h support SLA. Hevo: events, Starter 299/month for 5M events, Professional 849/month for 20M, annual 12% off (265/750); Enterprise fixed/custom.
| Platform | Meter | Published price (USD) | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fivetran | MAR/connector | Examples 34k/88k/848k MAR ≈ 22/49/425 | $5 base; Transformations/Activations extra |
| Airbyte Standard | 5 credits (≈1GB) | 20/month | Hourly syncs; basic support |
| Airbyte Plus | 40–2,000 credits | 189/449/999/1,799/3,199/4,999 | 15-min syncs/SSO/24h SLA |
| Hevo Starter | 5M events | 299/month (annual 265) | 1-hour schedule/10 users/dbt |
| Hevo Professional | 20M events | 849/month (annual 750) | Unlimited users/API/Reverse SSH |
| Hevo Enterprise | Custom | Quote | Fixed/contract |
Sources: Fivetran Pricing, Airbyte Pricing and Hevo Pricing (US/USD, accessed 7 November 2026). Excludes tax, annual discounts, connector add-ons, Transformations/Activations, storage/egress, support and migration; Hevo’s 5M/20M are event tiers and 50M/100M prices are not expanded on the page.
Unit costs: per 1,000 MAR, per GB, per 1M events
Fivetran official unit costs: 34,479 MAR 22.06 ≈ 0.640/1,000; 21,993 15.88 ≈ 0.722; 88,240 48.67 ≈ 0.552; 847,574 424.54 ≈ 0.501; four connectors 992,286 MAR 511.15 ≈ 0.515. Airbyte per-GB costs: 5 credits 20 ≈ 20.00/GB; 40 credits 189 ≈ 18.90; 100 449 ≈ 17.96; 250 999 ≈ 15.98; 500 1,799 ≈ 14.39; 1,000 3,199 ≈ 12.80; 2,000 4,999 ≈ 10.00. Hevo per 1M events: Starter 299/5=59.80; Professional 849/20=42.45; annual 265/5=53.00, 750/20=37.50. All three discount with volume, but the slopes and units differ — recalculate at your own volume.
| Platform/tier | Unit | Unit cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fivetran 34k MAR | Per 1,000 MAR | 0.640 | Official Facebook Ads example |
| Fivetran 88k MAR | Per 1,000 MAR | 0.552 | Official Google Ads example |
| Fivetran 848k MAR | Per 1,000 MAR | 0.501 | Official Marketo example |
| Fivetran 992k MAR total | Per 1,000 MAR | 0.515 | Four-connector total 511.15 |
| Airbyte 40 credits | Per GB | 18.90 | ≈10GB |
| Airbyte 250 credits | Per GB | 15.98 | ≈62.5GB |
| Airbyte 2,000 credits | Per GB | 10.00 | ≈500GB |
| Hevo Starter | Per 1M events | 59.80 | 5M/299; annual 53.00 |
| Hevo Professional | Per 1M events | 42.45 | 20M/849; annual 37.50 |
Editorial conversion, not a quote. Fivetran is derived from official example monthly fee/MAR; Airbyte assumes 1 credit≈0.25GB; Hevo uses 299/5 and 849/20. Excludes tax, annual discounts, connectors/sync frequency, Transformations/Activations, storage/egress and support; actual unit cost varies by contract/volume.
Same workload: 1M rows / 4 connectors
A rough “1M rows/month, 4 connectors”: Fivetran uses the official four-connector example 992,286 MAR ≈ 511.15 (assuming your four connectors’ MAR mix is close); Airbyte assumes 1 row≈1KB, so 1M rows≈1GB, Standard 5 credits 20/month; Hevo 1M events falls in Starter 5M, 299/month (annual 265). The spread is large: Airbyte 20, Hevo 299, Fivetran 511; but Fivetran’s 511 covers four connectors and its connector breadth/managed service, Airbyte’s 20 is the 1GB minimum, and Hevo’s 299 includes 5M events/10 users — features/limits are not equivalent.
| 1M rows/4 connectors | Fivetran | Airbyte | Hevo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly (USD) | About 511.15 | 20.00 (5 credits) | 299.00 (5M events) |
| Assumption | Official 992k MAR example | 1 row≈1KB→1GB | 1 event≈1 row |
| Limits/boundary | 4 connectors; Transformations/Activations extra | 1GB; hourly syncs | 5M events; 10 users; hourly schedule |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Fivetran uses the official four-connector example as an anchor; Airbyte’s 1 row≈1KB is an editorial assumption; whether Hevo’s event maps one-to-one to a row depends on the connector. Excludes tax, annual billing, Transformations/Activations, storage/egress and support; features/limits are not equivalent.
Same workload: 10M rows
A rough “10M rows/month”: Airbyte 10GB → 40 credits 189/month; Hevo 10M events → Professional 20M tier 849/month (annual 750); Fivetran has no public 10M example; linear extrapolation from the 992k example at 0.515/1,000 gives 5,150/month, but Fivetran’s volume discounts reduce it materially, so use its calculator/contract. In other words: do not treat the linear extrapolation as a quote; at 10M, get a Fivetran quote and compare Airbyte/Hevo at the same limits.
| 10M rows/month | Fivetran | Airbyte | Hevo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly (USD) | Linear about 5,150 (upper bound, not a quote) | 189.00 (40 credits≈10GB) | 849.00 (20M events) |
| Assumption | 0.515/1,000 MAR × 10,000 | 1 row≈1KB→10GB | 1 event≈1 row; 20M tier |
| Boundary | Volume discount not included | 15-min syncs/SSO/24h SLA | Unlimited users/API/Reverse SSH |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Fivetran’s 10M is a linear upper bound; actual volume discounts reduce it, so use the calculator/contract. Airbyte assumes 1 row≈1KB, 10GB/40 credits; Hevo uses 20M events/849. Excludes tax, annual billing, Transformations/Activations, storage/egress and support; features/limits are not equivalent.
Which option fits which scenario?
Many connectors, managed reliability/enterprise support, budget available: Fivetran (per MAR, annual up to 22% off, Transformations/Activations add-ons); budget-first, open-source/self-hosted or GB-based cloud, 15-minute syncs/SSO: Airbyte (credits, from 40 credits 189); events billing, hourly schedule, 10/unlimited users, dbt/Reverse SSH: Hevo (Starter 299/Professional 849); only a few connectors/low volume: try Airbyte Standard 20 or Hevo Starter 299, then step up; 10M+ rows/many connectors: get all three to quote the same limits — do not linearly extrapolate list prices. Include payment/storage/egress/Transformations/Activations.
| Scenario | First choice | Monthly (example) | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Many connectors/managed reliability | Fivetran | About 511 (4 connectors/992k MAR) | MAR/volume discount/Activations |
| Budget-first/low volume | Airbyte Standard | 20 (5 credits/1GB) | Connectors/sync frequency/limits |
| 15-min syncs/SSO | Airbyte Plus | 189 (40 credits/10GB) | SLA/connectors/usage |
| Events billing/hourly schedule | Hevo Starter | 299 (5M events) | Event definition/users/connectors |
| Unlimited users/API | Hevo Professional | 849 (20M events) | Limits/contract/add-ons |
| 10M+ rows/many connectors | Quote all three at same limits | Custom | Discount/contract/migration |
Sources: the three official pricing pages (accessed 7 November 2026). This is an editorial decision matrix, not vendor advice; connector coverage, sync latency, reliability, SLA, support and migration cost were not tested.
What should procurement and acceptance specify?
At least ten things: connector list/count, monthly MAR/GB/events, sync frequency, historical backfill, Transformations/Activations, target warehouse, storage/egress, SSO/audit, SLA/support, contract/annual. Run a 2–4 week POC on real connectors and record MAR/GB/events, sync latency, failures/retries, backfill, Transformations and the bill; do not compare only “20/299/511 per month”.
- Connectors: source/destination list, count, custom/private connectors.
- Usage: monthly MAR, GB, events; peaks/backfill.
- Frequency: hourly/15-minute/streaming; latency requirements.
- Backfill: historical volume, reruns, cost.
- Transformations: model runs, dbt, cost.
- Activations: reverse sync, destinations, MAR/cost.
- Warehouse: Snowflake/BigQuery/Redshift; storage/egress.
- Compliance: SSO/SAML, audit, residency, SOC2.
- SLA: uptime, support response, credits.
- Contract: annual/monthly, discounts, renewal, exit/migration.
FAQ
How do the three price?
Fivetran by connector MAR (monthly changed rows) with a $5 base; Airbyte by credits (5 credits≈1GB); Hevo by events (5M/20M tiers). Different units make list prices incomparable.
What does 1M rows cost?
Roughly: Fivetran official four-connector 992k MAR ≈ 511; Airbyte 1GB/5 credits 20; Hevo 5M events tier 299. Features/limits are not equivalent; calibrate with connectors/sync/Transformations.
What is Fivetran’s MAR?
Monthly Active Rows: rows added/changed/deleted per connector per month, billed per connector. Official examples 34k/88k/848k MAR cost 22/49/425; 1–1M MAR has a $5 base charge.
How many GB is an Airbyte credit?
5 credits≈1GB; 40 credits≈10GB, 100≈25GB, 250≈62.5GB, 500≈125GB, 1,000≈250GB, 2,000≈500GB. Actual conversion depends on connectors/data width; the page gives approximations.
What is a Hevo event?
Hevo bills by events (records/rows): Starter 5M, Professional 20M; whether an event maps one-to-one to a row depends on the connector/data model — confirm with real connectors.
Why is Fivetran’s 10M an “upper bound”?
Fivetran has no public 10M example; linear extrapolation from the 992k example at 0.515/1,000 gives 5,150, but volume discounts reduce it. Get an actual quote from Fivetran’s calculator/contract; do not treat the linear value as a quote.
What hidden costs should we expect?
Transformations (after 5,000: 0.01/0.007/0.002), Activations (example 12k MAR 202), extra connectors, historical backfill, storage/egress, SSO/audit, support and migration. Annual discounts (Fivetran up to 22%, Hevo 12%) also matter.
How do we choose and accept?
Many connectors/managed reliability: Fivetran; budget-first/low volume: Airbyte; events/hourly schedule/many users: Hevo; 10M+: quote all three at the same limits. A 2–4 week POC on real connectors records MAR/GB/events, latency, failures/retries and the bill.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official facts” from “editorial modelling”: Fivetran’s MAR examples 34k/88k/848k/992k, $5 base, Transformations 0.01/0.007/0.002, Activations examples and annual up to 22% come from Fivetran Pricing; Airbyte’s Standard 20/5 credits, Plus 40/100/250/500/1,000/2,000 credits at 189/449/999/1,799/3,199/4,999 and 15-min syncs/SSO/24h SLA come from Airbyte Pricing; Hevo’s Starter 299/5M, Professional 849/20M and annual 12% off come from Hevo Pricing. The TCOs are arithmetic at 1M/10M rows with 1 row≈1KB and 1 event≈1 row assumptions, not vendor quotes.
Eight limitations: (1) only US public list prices are used, excluding tax, annual discounts, enterprise contracts and regional differences; (2) only platform fees are counted, excluding Transformations/Activations, extra connectors, backfill, storage/egress, SSO/audit, support and migration; (3) 1 row≈1KB and 1 event≈1 row are editorial assumptions; actual conversions depend on connectors/data width; (4) Fivetran’s 10M is a linear upper bound without volume discounts — not a quote; (5) connector coverage, sync latency, reliability and SLA are not fully equivalent; (6) real sync latency, failures/retries, backfill and connector stability were not tested; (7) dbt Cloud, Matillion, Talend and Informatica are excluded; (8) prices and terms can change by contract, region and exchange rate. Treat this as a unit-conversion template and replace assumptions with a 2–4 week real-connector POC.
Sources and basis
- Fivetran, Pricing: fivetran.com/pricing. Per-connector MAR; examples 34k/88k/848k MAR ≈ 22/49/425, four connectors 992k ≈ 511; $5 base; Transformations 5,000 free then 0.01/0.007/0.002; Activations examples; annual up to 22%. Accessed 7 November 2026.
- Airbyte, Pricing: airbyte.com/pricing. Standard 20/month with 5 credits (≈1GB); Plus 40/100/250/500/1,000/2,000 credits = 189/449/999/1,799/3,199/4,999; 15-min syncs/SSO/24h SLA. Accessed 7 November 2026.
- Hevo, Pricing: hevodata.com/pricing. Starter 299/month (5M events), Professional 849/month (20M events), annual 12% off (265/750); Enterprise custom. Accessed 7 November 2026.
Data cut-off 7 November 2026; prices are public list prices excluding tax; all models are editorial calculations. This is not procurement advice.