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Comparing Hevo with StreamSets Data Collector and Weld

Carolina Russ
Carolina Russ6 min read
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What is Hevo

Hevo Data has ETL, ELT, and reverse-ETL capabilities, and is code-free with integrations to various tools and data warehouses. For non-technical users who want to get up and running with their data, Hevo can help. That said, experienced data specialists may wish for some more technical depth in the platform, giving them room to do more complex work.

Pros

  • Supports both ELT, ELT, and reserve ELT
  • Plenty of fully maintained connectors
  • Great for non-technical users
  • Simple UI that's easy to work with
  • Affordable pricing

Cons

  • Limited features for more advanced use cases
  • Limited custom scheduling features
  • Only 50 connectors are available on the Free plan
  • Lack of flexibility when wanting to edit pipelines
  • Error messages and status codes could be better

As one reviewer on G2 puts it: :

What I like about Hevo

Hevo is really good for normal pipelines, but it has some limitations for more complex use cases.

What I dislike about Hevo

Read full review

What is StreamSets Data Collector

StreamSets Data Collector is an open-source data integration engine built for continuous ingestion, transformation, and delivery—often referred to as a DataOps platform. It supports both streaming (Kafka, Kinesis) and batch (JDBC, files) data sources, with a drag-and-drop canvas to design pipelines. The standout feature is Schema Drift Detection: pipelines automatically adapt to changes in incoming data schemas. Commercial editions add operational monitoring, metadata management, and lineage.

Pros

  • Schema Drift Detection automatically adjusts to incoming data changes, preventing many pipeline breaks.
  • Supports both streaming (Kafka, Kinesis, JMS) and batch (JDBC, files) in the same pipeline.
  • Drag-and-drop pipeline builder with over 200 connectors and transformation processors.
  • Open-source core (Data Collector); enterprise edition adds operational monitoring, lineage, and governance.

Cons

  • Open-source lacks robust monitoring and lineage features; must pay for the Data Ops Platform for full enterprise functionality.
  • UI performance can degrade for very large pipelines; memory usage can be significant.
  • Steep learning curve for advanced pipeline patterns, especially around custom scripting in Groovy or Java.

StreamSets Data Operations Platform:

What I like about StreamSets Data Collector

StreamSets’ ability to automatically detect and adapt to schema changes (drift) in streaming sources greatly reduces pipeline failures.

What I dislike about StreamSets Data Collector

The open-source feature set is limited—monitoring, lineage, and enterprise support require the paid Data Ops Platform. Debugging complex pipelines can be tricky if not familiar with the UI.
Read full review

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

  • Premium quality connectors and reliability
  • User-friendly and easy to set up
  • AI assistant
  • Very competitive and easy-to-understand pricing model
  • Reverse ETL option
  • Lineage, orchestration, and workflow features
  • Advanced transformation and SQL modeling capabilities
  • Ability to handle large datasets and near real-time data sync
  • Combines data from a wide range of sources for a single source of truth

Cons

  • Requires some technical knowledge around data warehousing and SQL
  • Limited features for advanced data teams

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.
Read full review

Hevo vs StreamSets Data Collector: Ease of Use and User Interface

Hevo

Hevo is designed with non-technical users in mind, offering a simple UI and code-free capabilities, making it easy for beginners to use.

StreamSets Data Collector

The Data Collector UI is a canvas where users drag origin, processor, and destination stages. Schema drift is highlighted automatically. While basic pipelines are easy to build, complex transformations may require custom scripting in Groovy/Java.

Hevo vs StreamSets Data Collector: Pricing Transparency and Affordability

Hevo

Hevo offers affordable pricing and a free plan with limited connectors, making it accessible for startups and small businesses. However, the costs can rise with data volume and feature needs.

StreamSets Data Collector

Data Collector is free, but enterprise features (monitoring, lineage, role-based access) require paid Data Ops Platform licenses. Pricing is custom based on number of nodes and connectors.

Hevo vs StreamSets Data Collector: Comprehensive Feature Set

Hevo

Hevo supports ETL, ELT, and reverse-ETL, making it versatile for different data needs. It also has plenty of fully maintained connectors, although it may lack some advanced features required by seasoned data professionals.

StreamSets Data Collector

Features: streaming & batch pipelines, schema drift detection, transformation processors (masking, joins, lookups), origin/destination connectors (Kafka, S3, HDFS, JDBC), and enterprise ops (alerting, lineage, governance) in paid edition.

Hevo vs StreamSets Data Collector: Flexibility and Customization

Hevo

While Hevo is great for non-technical users, it lacks flexibility and customization options for more complex data tasks, making it less suitable for advanced data teams.

StreamSets Data Collector

Supports custom processors in Groovy/Java for bespoke logic. Pipelines can be parameterized and deployed in containers or VMs. Integration with external schedulers (Airflow) and monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana).

Summary of Hevo vs StreamSets Data Collector vs Weld

WeldHevoStreamSets Data Collector
Connectors200++150+200+
Price€99 / Unlimited usage€299 / 5M rowsData Collector: Free (OSS); Data Ops Platform: Custom enterprise pricing
Free tierNoYesYes
LocationEUINDIASan Francisco, CA, USA
Extract data (ETL)YesYesYes
Sync data to HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo, Excel etc. (reverse ETL)YesYesNo
TransformationsYesYesYes
AI AssistantYesNoNo
On-PremiseNoNoYes
OrchestrationYesNoYes
LineageYesNoYes
Version controlYesNoYes
Load data to and from ExcelYesNoYes
Load data to and from Google SheetsYesNoNo
Two-Way SyncYesNoNo
dbt Core IntegrationYesYesNo
dbt Cloud IntegrationYesNoNo
OpenAPI / Developer APIYesYesNo
G2 Rating4.84.34.5

Conclusion

You’re comparing Hevo, StreamSets Data Collector, Weld. Each of these tools has its own strengths:

  • Hevohevo supports etl, elt, and reverse-etl, making it versatile for different data needs. it also has plenty of fully maintained connectors, although it may lack some advanced features required by seasoned data professionals.hevo offers affordable pricing and a free plan with limited connectors, making it accessible for startups and small businesses. however, the costs can rise with data volume and feature needs..
  • StreamSets Data Collectorfeatures: streaming & batch pipelines, schema drift detection, transformation processors (masking, joins, lookups), origin/destination connectors (kafka, s3, hdfs, jdbc), and enterprise ops (alerting, lineage, governance) in paid edition. data collector is free, but enterprise features (monitoring, lineage, role-based access) require paid data ops platform licenses. pricing is custom based on number of nodes and connectors. .
  • Weldweld 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 €99 for 2 million active rows, making it more affordable and predictable, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises..
Review the detailed sections above—connectors, pricing, feature set, and integrations—and choose the one that best matches your technical expertise, budget, and use cases.

Want to try a better alternative? Try Weld for free today.