dbt is a transformation tool that lets analysts and analytics engineers build, test, and document data models in SQL directly within the warehouse, handling the transform step of ELT. It targets analytics engineers who want software-engineering practices applied to data modeling. dbt Core is open-source under Apache 2.0 and free to self-host, while dbt Cloud adds a managed experience with a free Developer plan and paid seats. Because it focuses on transformation, it does not provide extraction connectors or CDC; those concerns are handled by other tools. dbt carries SOC2 and ISO27001 compliance.
transformationopen-sourceself-hostableeltfree-tier
Overview
- Founded
- 2016
- Pricing tier
- Low
- Startup-friendly
- Yes
- Enterprise-ready
- Yes
ETL / data pipeline
- Free tier
- Yes: dbt Core is open-source/free; dbt Cloud has a free Developer plan.
- Open-source
- Yes
- Self-hostable
- Yes
- ELT
- Yes
- Change data capture
- No
- Prebuilt connectors
- No