Comparing Meltano with Rows.com and Weld
Carolina Russ6 min read
What is Meltano
Meltano is an open-source data integration platform, similar to Airbyte, that enables businesses to build and manage their own data pipelines. It offers a wide range of connectors for databases, APIs, application logs, and other data sources. Meltano also supports robust data transformation and orchestration capabilities, making it easier to customize and automate workflows. It integrates seamlessly with popular cloud data warehouses, making it a flexible choice for modern data teams looking to manage their end-to-end data stack.
Pros
- Open-source platform
- A really large number of connectors through Singer
- Offer an SDK to more easily build Singer taps and targets
- Flexibility in Deployment
Cons
- No fully managed options so you need to deploy yourself (in Beta though)
- Requires high maintenance
- Limited data transformation capabilities (only through deep integration with DBT)
- Only has a limited number of connectors that are natively built outside of Singer
As a user on G2 puts it::
What I like about Meltano
All the managerial tasks are handled under the hood, leaving you to focus on getting or consuming the data you need.
What I dislike about Meltano
With so many features baked into Meltano, navigating the documentation can be challenging. However, I've gotten around this by using Bing AI search, which brings me the answer immediately.
What is Rows.com
Rows.com is a next-generation spreadsheet platform that natively integrates with hundreds of SaaS APIs, databases, and BI tools. It automates data imports (ELT) directly into your spreadsheet, lets you build dashboards and reports, and supports scripting and automation—all inside a familiar spreadsheet interface.
Pros
- Native connectors to 500+ SaaS tools (partnerships with major APIs)
- Automates ELT directly into the spreadsheet—no separate pipeline to maintain
- Built-in charting, collaboration, and dashboard capabilities
- Supports JavaScript and Python formulas for advanced automation
- Free plan available with core features
Cons
- Heavy API-dependent sheets can lag when importing large datasets
- Some enterprise connectors and advanced automations require paid plans
- Not designed for full data-warehouse scale—best for mid-size data tables
Rows.com review on G2:
What I like about Rows.com
Creating tables from Excel or Google Sheets imports is incredible. Creating charts and visuals in just a few clicks and navigating your workspace is PERFECT.
What I dislike about Rows.com
The basic dashboard is not very clear. Need to understand the features and divide screens to jump between spaces.
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
Meltano
Meltano is simple and easy to use for those with technical expertise, particularly due to its portability and command-line usability, but may be challenging for less technical users.
Rows.com
Rows.com feels like a modern spreadsheet but with built-in API connectors. Non-technical users can browse pre-built integrations, while power users can script custom workflows in JavaScript or Python.
Pricing & Affordability
Meltano
Meltano is open-source and free to use, making it highly affordable, but requires significant investment in deployment and maintenance, especially without a fully managed option.
Rows.com
A free tier covers most basic import needs. Paid plans start at $39/user/month for Pro, which unlocks advanced integrations, higher API quotas, and dedicated support. Enterprise pricing is custom.
Feature Set
Meltano
The platform offers extensive integration options, including support for data transformation and orchestration, but relies heavily on the Singer framework, which can limit capabilities.
Rows.com
Rows.com offers ELT connectors, in-sheet data transformations (via formulas or scripts), scheduling/automation, native charting and dashboards, real-time collaboration, and Jira/Slack notifications. It bridges spreadsheet flexibility with ETL and BI tooling.
Flexibility & Customization
Meltano
Meltano is highly flexible for advanced users who can manage their own deployments and build on the platform, but it requires substantial maintenance and lacks a fully managed option.
Rows.com
Users can write custom JavaScript/Python functions directly in cells, chain API calls across sheets, and build automated workflows (e.g., “every morning, pull this data and send a Slack alert”). It’s highly customizable for spreadsheet-centric data work.
Summary of Meltano vs Rows.com vs Weld
| Weld | Meltano | Rows.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connectors | 200+ | 600+ | + |
| Price | $79 / 5M Active Rows | free (self-hosted), custom (managed), paid support packages | Free / starts at $39/user/mo for Pro |
| Free tier | No | Yes | Yes |
| Location | EU | US | US |
| Extract data (ETL) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sync data to HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo, Excel etc. (reverse ETL) | Yes | No | No |
| Transformations | Yes | No | Yes |
| AI Assistant | Yes | No | No |
| On-Premise | No | Yes | No |
| Orchestration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lineage | Yes | No | No |
| Version control | Yes | No | No |
| Load data to and from Excel | Yes | No | Yes |
| Load data to and from Google Sheets | Yes | No | Yes |
| Two-Way Sync | Yes | No | No |
| dbt Core Integration | Yes | Yes | No |
| dbt Cloud Integration | Yes | No | No |
| OpenAPI / Developer API | Yes | Yes | No |
| G2 Rating | 4.8 | 4.9 |
Conclusion
You’re comparing Meltano, Rows.com, Weld. Each of these tools has its own strengths:
- Meltano: the platform offers extensive integration options, including support for data transformation and orchestration, but relies heavily on the singer framework, which can limit capabilities.. meltano is open-source and free to use, making it highly affordable, but requires significant investment in deployment and maintenance, especially without a fully managed option..
- Rows.com: rows.com offers elt connectors, in-sheet data transformations (via formulas or scripts), scheduling/automation, native charting and dashboards, real-time collaboration, and jira/slack notifications. it bridges spreadsheet flexibility with etl and bi tooling.. a free tier covers most basic import needs. paid plans start at $39/user/month for pro, which unlocks advanced integrations, higher api quotas, and dedicated support. enterprise pricing is custom..
- 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..
