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AWS Glue alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll data integration and ELT tools

Top picks

  • Airbyte logo

    Best overall

    Airbyte

    Starting price: $20/month (cloud)

  • Fivetran logo

    Best free option

    Fivetran

    Starting price: Usage-based; $5 monthly base charge per standard connection

  • dbt logo

    Best open source

    dbt

    Starting price: $100 per user/month (Starter)

Common reasons people leave AWS Glue: few ready-made SaaS connectors compared with Fivetran or Airbyte, and spark jobs need tuning and can be slow to start. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces AWS Glue, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Airbyte currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Airbyte logoAirbyteOpen source$20/month (cloud)YesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 576.8
2Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) logoTalend (Qlik Talend Cloud)Paid—NoWeb, Self-hosted4 of 468.8
3Fivetran logoFivetranFree plan + paidUsage-based; $5 monthly base charge per standard connectionNoWeb6 of 664.8
4dbt logodbtOpen source$100 per user/month (Starter)YesWeb, Windows, macOS +14 of 459.4
5Databricks logoDatabricksPaid—NoWeb4 of 450.0
  1. Airbyte logo

    1. AirbyteTop pick

    Best for: Data engineers who want open-source ELT they can self-host and extend with custom connectors

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    76.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWS Glue

    Open-source ELT with hundreds of connectors you can self-host, avoiding per-DPU billing and AWS lock-in.

    Pros

    • Core engine is free to self-host with no row-based fees
    • Connector Builder and CDK make custom sources straightforward
    • Same pipelines can move between self-hosted and managed cloud

    Cons

    • Self-hosting means you handle upgrades, scaling and failed syncs
    • Community connectors vary in quality and maintenance
    • SSO and faster sync schedules are limited to higher paid plans
    Visit Airbyte Compare with AWS GlueDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Airbyte a good AWS Glue alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Self-hosting
    Free (Airbyte Core)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026airbyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $20/month (cloud)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026airbyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no credit card
    Checked Nov 8, 2026airbyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Connectors
    700+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026airbyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) logo

    2. Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud)Acquired

    Best for: Enterprises that need integration, data quality and governance from one vendor, in cloud or on-premises

    PaidWeb, Self-hosted

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWS Glue

    Mature visual ETL suite with many connectors that runs across clouds and on premises, not just AWS.

    Pros

    • Covers batch, real-time CDC, ETL, ELT and API integration in one platform
    • Built-in data quality, lineage and governance tools
    • Runs in the cloud, on-premises or hybrid

    Cons

    • No published prices; every plan goes through Qlik sales
    • Heavyweight for small teams that only need a few connectors
    • Product names and editions have shifted since the Qlik acquisition
    Visit Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) a good AWS Glue alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Owner
    Qlik
    Checked Nov 8, 2026talend.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
    Checked Nov 8, 2026talend.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integration patterns
    Batch, real-time, ETL, ELT and APIs
    Checked Nov 8, 2026talend.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Talend Data Fabric
    Still sold, cloud and on-premises
    Checked Nov 8, 2026talend.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Fivetran logo

    3. Fivetran

    Best for: Data teams that want hands-off, reliable connectors into a cloud warehouse and can pay for volume

    Free plan + paidWeb

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWS Glue

    Managed connectors that load SaaS and database data into a warehouse without writing or tuning Spark jobs.

    Pros

    • Large catalogue of fully managed connectors, including enterprise databases and SAP
    • Handles schema changes and retries without manual pipeline work
    • Free plan covers small workloads, and each new connection gets a trial

    Cons

    • Usage-based pricing by monthly active rows is hard to predict and gets expensive at scale
    • No self-hosted open-source edition; hybrid deployment is a paid option
    • Custom sources need extra work compared with tools that have a connector SDK
    Visit Fivetran Compare with AWS GlueDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Fivetran a good AWS Glue alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days per new connection
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Connectors
    750+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing model
    Usage-based (monthly active rows)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    Usage-based; $5 monthly base charge per standard connection
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Annual contract discount
    Up to 22%
    Checked Nov 8, 2026fivetran.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. dbt logo

    4. dbt

    Best for: Analytics engineers who want version-controlled, tested SQL models in their data warehouse

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWS Glue

    Handles the transform step in SQL inside your warehouse, replacing Spark ETL scripts with version-controlled models.

    Pros

    • Open-source core under Apache 2.0, usable without paying for the cloud platform
    • Models, tests and docs live in Git and go through normal code review
    • Works across the major warehouses and lakehouses
    • Large community and package ecosystem

    Cons

    • Only transforms data; you still need a separate tool to extract and load it
    • Team plan is priced per developer seat, which adds up for larger teams
    • Assumes comfort with SQL, Git and the command line
    Visit dbt Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is dbt a good AWS Glue alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Nov 3, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    1 developer seat, 3,000 models/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getdbt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $100 per user/month (Starter)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getdbt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Merged with Fivetran
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getdbt.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Databricks logo

    5. Databricks

    Best for: Data engineering and ML teams that want SQL, Spark and model training on one platform

    PaidWeb

    50.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWS Glue

    Runs the same Spark ETL jobs with notebooks and Delta tables, and works across AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

    Pros

    • Data stays in open formats in your own cloud storage
    • Covers ETL, SQL analytics and machine learning in one place
    • Available on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud

    Cons

    • Billing in DBUs plus separate cloud compute charges is hard to predict
    • Steeper learning curve than a pure SQL warehouse
    • Overkill for teams that only need BI dashboards
    Visit Databricks Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Databricks a good AWS Glue alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Pricing model
    Pay as you go, no up-front cost
    Checked Nov 8, 2026databricks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Billing unit
    Databricks Unit (DBU)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026databricks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026databricks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud charges
    Billed separately by your cloud provider
    Checked Nov 8, 2026databricks.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best AWS Glue alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Airbyte logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for most people

Airbyte

Open-source ELT with hundreds of connectors you can self-host, avoiding per-DPU billing and AWS lock-in.

dbt logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for a free option

dbt

Handles the transform step in SQL inside your warehouse, replacing Spark ETL scripts with version-controlled models.

Fivetran logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Fivetran

Managed connectors that load SaaS and database data into a warehouse without writing or tuning Spark jobs.

Airbyte logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for open source

Airbyte

Open-source ELT with hundreds of connectors you can self-host, avoiding per-DPU billing and AWS lock-in.

Airbyte logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for self-hosting

Airbyte

Open-source ELT with hundreds of connectors you can self-host, avoiding per-DPU billing and AWS lock-in.

dbt logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for Mac

dbt

Handles the transform step in SQL inside your warehouse, replacing Spark ETL scripts with version-controlled models.

dbt logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for Windows

dbt

Handles the transform step in SQL inside your warehouse, replacing Spark ETL scripts with version-controlled models.

dbt logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for Linux

dbt

Handles the transform step in SQL inside your warehouse, replacing Spark ETL scripts with version-controlled models.

Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) logo

Best AWS Glue alternative for working in the browser

Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud)

Mature visual ETL suite with many connectors that runs across clouds and on premises, not just AWS.

AWS Glue alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to AWS Glue?

Airbyte ranks first right now. Open-source ELT with hundreds of connectors you can self-host, avoiding per-DPU billing and AWS lock-in. Talend (Qlik Talend Cloud) and Fivetran follow it in our ranking.

AWS Glue vs Airbyte: what's the difference?

AWS Glue is a paid product; Airbyte is free and open source. Verified prices: AWS Glue $0.44 per DPU-hour, Airbyte $20/month (cloud). Airbyte is open source and AWS Glue is not. Both run on Web.

Is AWS Glue free?

AWS Glue is a paid product. ETL price: $0.44 per DPU-hour; Billing: Per second, 1-minute minimum (Glue 2.0+); Data Catalog free tier: 1M objects and 1M requests per month. Checked on AWS Glue's own site, November 2026.

How much do AWS Glue alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked AWS Glue alternatives: Airbyte, $20/month (cloud); Fivetran, Usage-based; $5 monthly base charge per standard connection; dbt, $100 per user/month (Starter). Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to AWS Glue?

Yes. Airbyte (open source), Fivetran (free plan + paid) and dbt (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to AWS Glue?

Yes: Airbyte and dbt. Airbyte and dbt can also be self-hosted.

Which AWS Glue alternatives work on Linux?

dbt runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from AWS Glue?

The complaints we hear most: few ready-made SaaS connectors compared with Fivetran or Airbyte; spark jobs need tuning and can be slow to start; little value if your data platform isn't on AWS.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces AWS Glue, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.