Census vs Airbyte Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
Free
- 500,000 monthly active rows (MAR) for connections
- 3,500 monthly active rows (MAR) for activations
- 5,000 monthly model runs (MMR) for transformations
Standard
Popular- Unlimited users
- 15-minute syncs
- 700+ fully managed connectors
- 200+ fully managed activation destinations
- Integration for dbt Core
- Role-based access control
- Access to Fivetran REST API
- Access to SSH tunnels for encryption
Enterprise
- 1-minute syncs
- Fivetran Activations' Audience Hub
- Enterprise database connectors
- Custom roles
- VPN tunnels (annual contract only)
- SCIM/user provisioning
- Pick any cloud provider (GCP, AWS, Azure)
- Hybrid deployment option
Business Critical
- Customer-managed keys for encryption
- PCI DSS Level 1 certification
- Private networking options
Free
- Single user
- API and MCP access
- Context Store refreshes daily (hourly for the first 14 days)
Individual
- Single user
- API and MCP access
- Context Store with hourly refresh
Team
Popular- Everything in Individual
- Parallel workflow execution
- Multiple users and workspaces
- Standard and AI support
Custom
- Everything in Team
- Custom workspace limits
- Custom Context Store refresh frequency
Census vs Airbyte FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a usage-based model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Airbyte: Sitting below enterprise ETL players like Fivetran on price, Airbyte leans on its open-source roots to win developers who want control without enterprise sticker shock. The free tier and low Individual price are clearly aimed at poaching users who'd otherwise self-host or hack together scripts, while Custom exists to compete for the same enterprise budgets as pricier rivals.
Still deciding? See the best Census alternatives or the best Airbyte alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
Keep tabs on both.
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