dbt review
dbt is a SQL-based data transformation framework and platform from dbt Labs with built-in data tests and unit tests. It ranks #2 of 9 in our ETL testing tools list (8.9/10). Best for analytics engineers testing transformations inside the warehouse.
Price: Free plan · paid from $100/user/mo · Starter plan free trial (length not stated).
What dbt is
dbt builds warehouse models from SQL and runs data tests (unique, not_null, accepted_values, relationships, plus custom SQL tests) and unit tests against them. The open-source runtime is free; the dbt platform adds a browser IDE, job scheduling and CI checks on GitHub and GitLab.
Pros and cons
- Free Developer plan (1 seat) and an Apache 2.0 open-source runtime
- Four generic data tests built in; any SQL query that returns failing rows can become a test
- Job scheduling and CI checks on GitHub and GitLab included from the free plan
- Adapters for Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery among others
- Tests run inside one warehouse; comparing a separate source system with a target is not built in
- Tests are written in SQL and YAML rather than built in a no-code interface
- Starter costs $100 per user per month and is limited to 1 project; SSO needs Enterprise
dbt pricing
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Annual saving | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Free | Free | — | Free; 1 developer seat, 3,000 successful models built/month, 1 project |
| Starter | — | $100/mo | — | $100 per user/month; five developer seats, 15,000 successful models built/month, 1 project |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom quote | — | Custom pricing; 100,000 models built/month, 30 projects, SSO/RBAC/SCIM |
| Enterprise+ | Custom quote | Custom quote | — | Custom pricing; unlimited projects, PrivateLink, hybrid projects |
USD, per user per month unless noted. "—" means the price is not published or we could not confirm it. Last checked Nov 15, 2026. Status: verified on dbt's pricing page.
Key facts
| Free plan | Yes. Developer plan: 1 developer seat, 3,000 successful models built per month, 1 project; open-source dbt runtime (Apache 2.0) can be self-hosted |
|---|---|
| Free trial | Starter plan free trial (length not stated) |
| Paid from | See vendor · $100 monthly |
| Minimum seats | 1 |
| Platforms | Cloud (SaaS), Self-hosted (open-source runtime) |
| Integrations | Trusted adapters incl. Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery |
| Compliance and security | SSO, RBAC and SCIM (Enterprise), MFA |
| Support | Priority support with SLAs (Enterprise), Docs, Community |
| No-code test creation | Not confirmed |
| Source-to-target comparison | Not confirmed |
| CI/CD integration | Yes |
| Scheduled test runs | Yes |
| Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery support | Yes |
| Facts checked | Nov 15, 2026 · verified on the vendor's own site (source) |
dbt alternatives
dbt compared
Frequently asked questions
How much does dbt cost?
dbt has a free plan ($100 billed monthly). Prices last checked Nov 15, 2026.
Is dbt free?
Yes. Developer plan: 1 developer seat, 3,000 successful models built per month, 1 project; open-source dbt runtime (Apache 2.0) can be self-hosted
What are the best dbt alternatives?
iceDQ (8.6/10), QuerySurge (8.5/10), Datafold (8.3/10) are the highest-scoring alternatives in our ETL testing tools ranking.