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Best / Data pipelines

Best open-source Data pipelines

The best self-hosted data split in the c17.io catalog is Meltano or dlt for extract-and-load (the published Fivetran stack), dbt Core or SQLMesh for warehouse transforms (dbt Cloud), and Apache Airflow or Dagster for scheduling (Astronomer). Airbyte is Elastic License 2.0 and is not ranked.

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Ranked picks

  1. 1

    Meltano

    MIT declarative ELT — the c17 Fivetran path.

    When to pick it: Extract-and-load you run yourself.

    2,663 stars in the catalog

  2. 2

    dlt

    Apache-2.0 Python data load library named next to Meltano.

    When to pick it: A loader in Python, not a Meltano project.

    5,985 stars in the catalog

  3. 3

    dbt Core

    Apache-2.0 transform engine (dbt-labs/dbt) — the c17 dbt Cloud path. Not dbt Cloud.

    When to pick it: SQL models in the warehouse you already have.

    14,043 stars in the catalog

  4. 4

    SQLMesh

    Apache-2.0 transforms with dbt compatibility.

    When to pick it: The other engine if the project is not staying on dbt Core.

    3,327 stars in the catalog

  5. 5

    Apache Airflow

    Apache-2.0 scheduler — the c17 Astronomer path.

    When to pick it: DAGs you already have.

    47,220 stars in the catalog

  6. 6

    Dagster

    Apache-2.0 data-asset orchestrator named next to Airflow.

    When to pick it: Assets instead of DAGs.

    16,296 stars in the catalog

How they compare

ToolLicenseSelf-hostBest for
MeltanoMIT LicenseMediumExtract-and-load you run yourself.
dltApache License 2.0EasyA loader in Python, not a Meltano project.
dbt CoreApache License 2.0MediumSQL models in the warehouse you already have.
SQLMeshApache License 2.0MediumThe other engine if the project is not staying on dbt Core.
Apache AirflowApache License 2.0MediumDAGs you already have.
DagsterApache License 2.0MediumAssets instead of DAGs.

Related pages

FAQ

Fivetran, dbt, or Astronomer?
Extract is /replace/fivetran. Transforms are /replace/dbt-cloud. Scheduling is /replace/astronomer. Pick the bill you actually pay.
Why not Airbyte?
Airbyte's LICENSE is Elastic License 2.0. Meltano is MIT. dlt is Apache-2.0.
Are these free?
MIT or Apache-2.0 as listed. You pay the warehouse and hosting. Template users never pay c17.
How do I deploy it?
Open /stacks/meltano-elt, /stacks/dbt-core-transform, or /stacks/airflow-orchestrate. These are workers, not a public website.

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