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Fivetran Activations (formerly Census) vs Hightouch
Census is now Fivetran Activations, best inside a Fivetran account; Hightouch is the independent default with the deeper connector catalog and its own AI layer.
Side by side
| Fivetran Activations (formerly Census) | Hightouch | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Fivetran | Hightouch | ||||||
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based | ||||||
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud | ||||||
| Open source | No | No | ||||||
| Best for | Teams already on Fivetran for data loading who want reverse ETL in the same platform. | Data teams that model customer data in the warehouse and want marketing/sales to activate it without new pipelines. | ||||||
| Pricing | Usage-based on Monthly Active Rows (MAR) as part of Fivetran's plan tiers; a free plan includes a small MAR allowance for activations.
Prices read from the vendor's own page on September 21, 2026. Vendors change prices; check the source before you budget. | Free tier for up to 2 active syncs; paid plans are usage-based with unlimited seats, destinations, and sources.
Prices read from the vendor's own page on September 21, 2026. Vendors change prices; check the source before you budget. | ||||||
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Verdict
Both move data out of a warehouse and into the SaaS tools business teams use, both build syncs from SQL, dbt models, or a visual mapper, and both price on rows synced. The decision has changed shape recently: Census is no longer an independent company. Fivetran acquired it in 2025 and folded it into its own platform as "Activations," so choosing Fivetran Activations (formerly Census) today means choosing to run reverse ETL inside a Fivetran account, under Fivetran's pricing and packaging, rather than picking a standalone best-of-breed tool.
Hightouch remains the independent option, with a "Composable CDP" positioning — treating the warehouse itself as the source of truth for identity and segmentation rather than copying data into a separate store — plus an AI-driven marketing layer (audience generation, campaign orchestration) built on top of the same warehouse data.
Choose Fivetran Activations if
- You already run Fivetran for data loading and want reverse ETL in the same console and billing relationship.
- You want the free tier's activation allowance folded into a plan you're already paying for.
- You're comfortable depending on Fivetran's broader roadmap rather than a standalone reverse ETL product's.
Choose Hightouch if
- You want an independent reverse ETL vendor not bundled into a specific ELT platform.
- You want AI-generated audiences and campaign actions built into the same tool that runs your syncs.
- Your data team wants identity resolution handled in the warehouse itself, without a separate CDP.
The honest caveat
Because Census no longer exists as a standalone product, this comparison is really "reverse ETL bundled with Fivetran" versus "reverse ETL as its own product." If you don't already use Fivetran for loading, there is little reason to adopt Activations specifically to get reverse ETL — you'd be adopting a second Fivetran relationship rather than picking the sync tool on its own merits. Check reverse ETL and data warehouse for background, and price both against your real row volume before deciding — Fivetran's free tier and MAR pricing and Hightouch's free tier for up to two active syncs land very differently depending on how much you actually sync.
Last reviewed September 22, 2026