# dbt Core / SQLMesh

Warehouse transforms you run. dbt Core is Apache-2.0; SQLMesh is Apache-2.0 — dbt Cloud without the seat.

**Replaces:** dbt Cloud

**Tier:** Medium

## Problem

dbt Cloud meters developers, jobs, and the IDE. You wanted the transform engine. dbt Core is Apache-2.0 (dbt-labs/dbt on GitHub). SQLMesh is Apache-2.0 (SQLMesh/sqlmesh) if you want that framework with dbt compatibility. This is not dbt Cloud's scheduler UI, Semantic Layer SKU, or every native Git integration. ELT stays on /replace/fivetran. Orchestration stays on /replace/astronomer.

## Stack

- [dbt Core](https://www.getdbt.com) — Apache-2.0 transform engine (github.com/dbt-labs/dbt) — not dbt Cloud
- [SQLMesh](https://sqlmesh.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) — Apache-2.0 transform framework with dbt compatibility

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

| You stop paying | Typical / year | Self-host instead |
|---|---:|---|
| dbt Cloud (small team) | $1,200 | dbt Core or SQLMesh in CI |

**About $1,200 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

Placeholder: dbt Core or SQLMesh as a CI/worker job against the warehouse you already have. Not a public website. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. Extract stays on /stacks/meltano-elt; scheduling on /stacks/airflow-orchestrate.

[Start on Railway](https://c17.io/go/railway/dbt-core-transform?from=%2Fstacks%2Fdbt-core-transform.md)

[Airflow if this is scheduling the job, not the SQL transform](https://c17.io/stacks/airflow-orchestrate)

## AGENT_PROMPT

```
Replace dbt Cloud with dbt Core (preferred) or SQLMesh.

- Run dbt in CI against the warehouse you already have. One model you actually ship. Do not enable dbt Cloud and call it Core.
- SQLMesh if you want that framework. Orchestrate with Airflow if jobs need a scheduler — /stacks/airflow-orchestrate.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.
```

## FAQ

### dbt Core or SQLMesh?

dbt Core if the project is already dbt. SQLMesh if you want that engine with dbt compatibility. Pick one.

### Is this Fivetran?

No. Fivetran is extract-and-load — /replace/fivetran. dbt is transforms in the warehouse.

### Who runs the job?

CI, or Airflow (/replace/astronomer). dbt Cloud's scheduler is the product this page leaves.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/dbt-core-transform