Airbyte is an open-source ELT platform optimized for cost-effective data integration with 500+ pre-built connectors, while Segment is a closed-source CDP focused on real-time customer data collection and activation with advanced audience segmentation capabilities. Airbyte suits teams needing flexible, self-hosted data pipelines; Segment suits companies prioritizing plug-and-play customer data infrastructure.
Airbyte vs Segment — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Open-source ELT platform for building reliable data pipelines with 500+ connectors.
Cloud-based CDP for real-time customer data collection and audience activation across 450+ destinations.
Deployment Model. Pre-built Connectors. Primary Use Case. Starting Price (Annual). Real-time Event Processing. Audience Segmentation. Data Warehouse Integration
Choose Airbyte if you need flexible, cost-effective ELT pipelines with extensive connector support and want control over your infrastructure through self-hosting or are building a modern data stack. Choose Segment if you prioritize real-time customer event tracking, advanced audience segmentation, and activation capabilities with a fully managed platform and are building a CDP-centric strategy.
Airbyte: $0 (open-source) | Segment: $120/month
Airbyte: 1-2 hours (pre-built connector) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: $0 (self-hosted) or $100+ | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: SQL, dbt, Python (limited) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Unlimited (self-hosted dependent) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Yes (ELv2 license) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: $0 (open-source) / $500 (cloud) | Segment: $120-500
Airbyte: Real-time (CDC) or 1+ min | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 30-120 (self-hosted) / 5-15 (cloud) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Self-hosted, Cloud, Hybrid | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: dbt + Python/SQL + APIs | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Paid add-on (community default) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: SOC 2 (cloud), depends on self-hosting | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Basic (scheduled, triggered) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Beginner-Intermediate (UI-based) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 3/10 (normalization only) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Seat + sync volume-based | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Basic (connection-level monitoring) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Proprietary core + BSL source-available | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Self-hosted, Cloud, Docker, Kubernetes | Segment: Cloud-only (SaaS)
Airbyte: Yes (dedicated + SLA) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Free (Community Edition) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 100+ custom connectors | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Data Integration (ELT) | Segment: N/A
Starting Monthly Cost (Single Connector)
Airbyte: $0 (self-hosted), $50-150 (cloud) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Community (best-effort), paid enterprise optional | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Low-code Python/Java SDK | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Open-source (Apache 2.0) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Available in cloud/enterprise plans | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: $0 (self-hosted) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: No (requires Collibra, Alation, etc.) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Yes (Elastic License) | Segment: No (proprietary)
Airbyte: Yes (AWS, GCP, Azure, on-prem) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 3-4 (self-hosted) / 2 (cloud) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 3/10 (UI-driven) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Limited via custom connectors | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 2-3 days (visual builder) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: SSPL (commercial redistribution blocked) | Segment: N/A
Estimated Monthly Cost (1,000 syncs/month, self-hosted)
Airbyte: $500-1,500 (Airbyte Cloud) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: 5 (YAML + limited Python) | Segment: N/A
Community Taps/Targets via Singer Protocol
Airbyte: Custom connectors only | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Full visual UI included | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Variable (infrastructure-based) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Community + Enterprise (M-F business hours) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Supported (Python, Java, YAML) | Segment: N/A
Airbyte: Full control (self-hosted option) | Segment: Limited (US/EU regions)
Airbyte: $0 (open-source) or $6,000 | Segment: $14,400
Airbyte: 5-60 minutes (batch) | Segment: <500ms (real-time)
Airbyte: Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, DuckDB, Postgres | Segment: Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery
Airbyte: 15-20 (via destinations) | Segment: 50+
Airbyte: 7-14 (with engineering) | Segment: 1-3 (managed service)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Limited (BAA available)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Enterprise plans
Maximum Monthly Event Volume (highest tier)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Unlimited (custom pricing)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Yes (Segment Identity Graph)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Yes (native real-time syncing)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Basic 3-5 step funnels
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: HIPAA & SOC 2 Type II
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: 3-13 months (configurable)
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: Basic audience segmentation via destinations
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: 450+ destinations
Airbyte: N/A | Segment: 24/7 dedicated support
How to choose between Airbyte and Segment
Airbyte vs Segment — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Airbyte vs Segment. Contains 109 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Airbyte vs Segment — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Airbyte vs Segment.
What's the main difference between Airbyte and Segment?
Airbyte is an ELT (Extract-Load-Transform) platform designed for building reliable data pipelines from sources to data warehouses, while Segment is a CDP (Customer Data Platform) optimized for real-time customer event collection and activation to marketing/analytics destinations. Airbyte excels at bulk data movement; Segment excels at real-time customer data orchestration.
Can I use Airbyte for real-time streaming like Segment?
Airbyte is primarily batch-optimized with typical latencies of 5-60 minutes per sync. While it supports near real-time syncs (every 1 minute), it's not designed for sub-second event streaming like Segment. For true real-time event processing, Segment is the better choice.
Airbyte's open-source version is free if self-hosted (infrastructure costs only). Airbyte Cloud starts at $500/month. Segment's minimum is $1,200/month. For high-volume usage, Airbyte's open-source model is typically 70-90% cheaper than Segment.
No. Segment is cloud-only SaaS with no self-hosting or on-premise option. Airbyte offers both self-hosted (open-source) and managed cloud versions, giving you full infrastructure control if needed.
Should I use both Airbyte and Segment together?
Yes, many companies use both. Use Airbyte to move bulk historical data and sync data warehouses, and use Segment for real-time customer event tracking and activation. Segment can be a source in Airbyte, and Airbyte can push warehouse data to Segment destinations.
How to Choose Between Airbyte and Segment
Deployment Model: Airbyte has Open-source (self-hosted) or cloud-hosted, while Segment has Cloud-only SaaS.
Pre-built Connectors: Airbyte has 500+ connectors, while Segment has 450+ connectors.
Primary Use Case: Airbyte has ELT (Extract-Load-Transform), while Segment has CDP (Customer Data Platform).
Starting Price (Annual): Airbyte has $0 (open-source) or $500/month cloud, while Segment has $1,200/month.
Real-time Event Processing: Airbyte has Batch-optimized (near real-time available), while Segment has True real-time event streaming.
Audience Segmentation: Airbyte has Basic segmentation via destinations, while Segment has Advanced audience builder with 50+ destination activations.
Data Warehouse Integration: Airbyte has Primary strength - optimized for warehouses, while Segment has Secondary feature - works with warehouses.