Comparing Dataddo with IBM DataStage and Weld
Carolina Russ6 min read
What is Dataddo
Dataddo is a fully managed, no-code data integration platform designed for business users, marketers, and analysts who need quick access to data without engineering support. It supports over 300 prebuilt connectors to cloud apps, databases, and BI tools, and offers flexible data flows for ETL, ELT, reverse ETL, and dashboard integrations. If a specific connector isn’t available, Dataddo will build it on request. The platform emphasizes ease of use, with automated handling of API changes, built-in pipeline monitoring, and a “SmartCache” feature that temporarily stores historical data, allowing teams to run reports without immediately setting up a data warehouse. With support for secure data practices (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliance) and simple, transparent pricing plans, including a free tier, Dataddo is ideal for organizations looking to centralize data quickly and with minimal overhead.
Pros
- No-code interface makes setup simple for non-technical users.
- Integrates with 300+ platforms, including many marketing and CRM tools.
- Onboarding and connector requests are generally well-handled.
- Offers competitive pricing, especially for small teams.
Cons
- Some users report delays for complex issues.
- New or niche sources may not be instantly available.
- Cancelling or modifying plans can be frustrating.
G2 Review:
What I like about Dataddo
It is so user friendly and doesnt have any learning curve. Any user can really understand and create their own custom flows without any external support
What I dislike about Dataddo
If a flow is created, Dataddo needs to introduce how to add more features in the flow (maybe edit columns or add/remove them instead of creating and replacing with a net new flow).
What is IBM DataStage
IBM DataStage (part of IBM InfoSphere Information Server) is a high-performance ETL and data integration platform that supports parallel processing and massive data volumes. It provides a visual design interface (DataStage Designer) to build data flows, along with features for metadata management, data lineage, and enterprise governance. DataStage can run on-premise or on cloud (via IBM Cloud Pak for Data) and integrates with IBM’s data quality and master data management solutions.
Pros
- Parallel processing engine for high-throughput ETL, optimized for large data volumes.
- Robust metadata management, data lineage, and governance via InfoSphere platform integration.
- Supports on-premise, virtualized, and containerized (Cloud Pak) deployments for flexibility.
- Extensive transformation library (data cleansing, lookups, joins) and connectivity (files, databases, mainframes, Hadoop).
Cons
- High total cost of ownership: perpetual licensing and specialized administration needed.
- User interface and development experience feel dated compared to modern cloud ETL tools.
- Steep learning curve for job optimization (partitioning, parallel directives) and advanced features.
G2 Reviews:
What I like about IBM DataStage
Best data integration tool on the market with a wide range of connectors and advanced data integration and quality features.
What I dislike about IBM DataStage
I quite like the platform as a whole, but I believe it can improve regarding data lineage (it should indeed improve now with the arrival of Manta to the IBM portfolio).
What is Weld
Weld is a powerful ETL platform that seamlessly integrates ELT, data transformations, reverse ETL, and AI-assisted features into one user-friendly solution. With its intuitive interface, Weld makes it easy for anyone, regardless of technical expertise, to build and manage data workflows. Known for its premium quality connectors, all built in-house, Weld ensures the highest quality and reliability for its users. It is designed to handle large datasets with near real-time data synchronization, making it ideal for modern data teams that require robust and efficient data integration solutions. Weld also leverages AI to automate repetitive tasks, optimize workflows, and enhance data transformation capabilities, ensuring maximum efficiency and productivity. Users can combine data from a wide variety of sources, including marketing platforms, CRMs, e-commerce platforms like Shopify, APIs, databases, Excel, Google Sheets, and more, providing a single source of truth for all their data.
Pros
- Lineage, orchestration, and workflow features
- Ability to handle large datasets and near real-time data sync
- ETL + reverse ETL in one
- User-friendly and easy to set up
- Flat monthly pricing model
- 200+ connectors (Shopify, HubSpot, etc.)
- AI assistant
Cons
- Requires some technical knowledge around data warehousing and SQL
- Limited features for advanced data teams
- Focused on cloud data warehouses
A reviewer on G2 said:
What I like about Weld
First and foremost, Weld is incredibly user-friendly. The graphical interface is intuitive, which makes it easy to build data workflows quickly and efficiently. Even with little experience in SQL and pipeline management, we found that Weld was straightforward and easy to use. What really impressed me, however, was Weld's flexibility. It was able to handle data from a wide variety of sources, including SQL databases, Google Sheets, and even APIs. The solution also allowed us to customize my data transformations in a way that best suited my needs. Whether I needed to clean data, join tables, or aggregate data, Weld had the necessary tools to accomplish the task. Weld's performance was also exceptional. I was able to run large-scale ETL jobs quickly and efficiently, with minimal downtime via a Snowflake instance and visualization via own-hosted Metabase. The solution's scalability meant that I could process more data without any issues. Another standout feature of Weld was its support. I never felt lost or unsure about how to use a particular feature, as the support team was always quick to respond to any questions or concerns that I had. Overall, I highly recommend Weld as an ETL solution. Its user-friendliness, flexibility, performance, and support make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to streamline their data integration processes. I will definitely be using Weld for all my ETL needs going forward.
What I dislike about Weld
Weld is still limited to a certain number of integrations - although the team is super interested to hear if you need custom integrations.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Ease of Use & Interface
Dataddo
Dataddo offers a clean, intuitive no-code interface that allows users to set up data flows quickly. The drag-and-drop flow builder and prebuilt connectors minimize the learning curve, making it accessible for non-technical users.
IBM DataStage
DataStage Designer provides a visual canvas to build ETL jobs, but the interface is relatively old-school. Job parameters, parallelism, and performance tuning require specialized training. Monitoring and debugging use InfoSphere consoles.
Pricing & Affordability
Dataddo
Pricing is straightforward and competitive, with plans starting at $99/month for three data flows. The free tier allows users to test the platform with limited functionality before committing to a paid plan.
IBM DataStage
DataStage has high licensing costs (perpetual + support) and often requires dedicated hardware. Best suited for large enterprises with extensive ETL needs; cost-prohibitive for small/medium businesses.
Feature Set
Dataddo
Dataddo supports over 300 connectors, ETL/ELT workflows, reverse ETL capabilities, data transformations, and built-in monitoring.
IBM DataStage
Features include: visual job design, parallel processing (MPP), pushdown optimization (offloading to DB/Hadoop), data quality integration, metadata-driven development, and enterprise governance. Also supports REST and mainframe data sources.
Flexibility & Customization
Dataddo
While Dataddo is primarily designed for ease of use, it still offers flexibility through its wide range of connectors and the ability to create custom data flows. However, it may not provide the same level of customization as more technical platforms.
IBM DataStage
Custom logic can be written via routines (BASIC, Java, or Python) and embedded in jobs. DataStage can integrate with external schedulers (Control M) and monitoring tools. However, it’s not open-source, so feature evolution is tied to IBM’s roadmap.
Summary of Dataddo vs IBM DataStage vs Weld
| Weld | Dataddo | IBM DataStage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connectors | 200+ | 398+ | 200+ |
| Price | $79 / 5M Active Rows | $99.00 / mo for 3 data flows to sync data between any source and destination | Enterprise licensing (custom, usually six-figure annual) |
| Free tier | No | Yes | No |
| Location | EU | US/EU | Armonk, NY, USA (IBM HQ) |
| Extract data (ETL) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sync data to HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo, Excel etc. (reverse ETL) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Transformations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI Assistant | Yes | No | No |
| On-Premise | No | No | Yes |
| Orchestration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lineage | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Version control | Yes | No | Yes |
| Load data to and from Excel | Yes | No | Yes |
| Load data to and from Google Sheets | Yes | Yes | No |
| Two-Way Sync | Yes | Yes | No |
| dbt Core Integration | Yes | No | No |
| dbt Cloud Integration | Yes | No | No |
| OpenAPI / Developer API | Yes | No | No |
| G2 Rating | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4 |
Conclusion
You’re comparing Dataddo, IBM DataStage, Weld. Each of these tools has its own strengths:
- Dataddo: dataddo supports over 300 connectors, etl/elt workflows, reverse etl capabilities, data transformations, and built-in monitoring. . pricing is straightforward and competitive, with plans starting at $99/month for three data flows. the free tier allows users to test the platform with limited functionality before committing to a paid plan..
- IBM DataStage: features include: visual job design, parallel processing (mpp), pushdown optimization (offloading to db/hadoop), data quality integration, metadata-driven development, and enterprise governance. also supports rest and mainframe data sources. . datastage has high licensing costs (perpetual + support) and often requires dedicated hardware. best suited for large enterprises with extensive etl needs; cost-prohibitive for small/medium businesses. .
- Weld: weld integrates elt, data transformations, and reverse etl all within one platform. it also provides advanced features such as data lineage, orchestration, workflow management, and an ai assistant, which helps in automating repetitive tasks and optimizing workflows.. weld offers a straightforward and competitive pricing model, starting at $79 for 5 million active rows, making it more affordable and predictable, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises..
