Pentaho, now part of Hitachi Vantara, has long been a go-to open-source platform for data integration and business analytics. Known for its ETL engine (Pentaho Data Integration or Kettle), it enables batch workflows, transformation logic, and report generation. Pentaho also supports embedded dashboards and predictive modeling — making it a legacy favorite for on-prem data teams.
However, in 2025, many teams are moving toward more modern, cloud-native, and modular alternatives. Some want real-time support, visual workflow builders, SaaS deployment, or open standards with Git-based versioning. Others seek better integration with data warehouses, Airflow orchestration, or scalable APIs for embedded analytics. Whether you’re upgrading from Pentaho Kettle or replacing its reporting layer, this list will help you choose a modern alternative that fits your stack.
Below are the best Pentaho alternatives in 2025 for data integration, transformation, visualization, and analytics delivery.
What is Pentaho?
Pentaho is an open-source data integration and analytics platform originally created by Pentaho Corporation and now owned by Hitachi Vantara. It includes Pentaho Data Integration (PDI), also known as Kettle, for building ETL workflows, as well as Pentaho Business Analytics for reporting, dashboards, and OLAP analysis. While robust, its UI and architecture have aged, and modern data teams often look for tools with better cloud compatibility, orchestration, and scalability.
Why Look for Pentaho Alternatives?
1. Outdated UI and Workflow Design: Pentaho’s graphical workflow builder and dashboard tools feel dated compared to modern cloud-native and drag-and-drop platforms.
2. Complex Deployment and Maintenance: Pentaho requires Java setup, local server management, and lacks container-native or serverless deployment options out of the box.
3. Limited Real-Time & Streaming Support: Pentaho is primarily batch-focused and not built for real-time analytics or change data capture (CDC).
4. Lacks CI/CD and Modern DevOps Features: There’s no native Git integration, test automation, or orchestration support for cloud pipelines or versioned deployments.
5. Better ELT + BI Platforms Exist: Tools like dbt, Airbyte, Metabase, and Superset offer more modular, testable, and flexible data and analytics experiences.
Top Pentaho Alternatives (Comparison Table)
| # | Tool | Open Source | Best For | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Apache NiFi | Yes | Visual real-time data flows | Self-hosted |
| #2 | Talend Open Studio | Yes | Batch ETL with GUI | Desktop / On-prem |
| #3 | Airbyte | Yes | Open-source ELT platform | Cloud / Self-hosted |
| #4 | Hevo Data | No | No-code, real-time ELT | Cloud |
| #5 | Matillion | No | Visual ELT for cloud DWHs | Cloud |
| #6 | Apache Hop | Yes | Kettle’s modern successor | Self-hosted |
| #7 | dbt | Yes | Analytics engineering + SQL | Cloud / CLI |
| #8 | Superset | Yes | Open-source BI dashboards | Self-hosted |
| #9 | Metabase | Yes | Lightweight analytics UI | Cloud / Self-hosted |
| #10 | Meltano | Yes | Modular pipelines via Singer | Self-hosted |
Top 10 Alternatives to Pentaho
#1. Apache NiFi
NiFi is an open-source, visual dataflow tool used for real-time stream and batch processing. With a drag-and-drop interface, built-in backpressure handling, and flexible routing logic, it’s a modern replacement for Pentaho’s ETL and orchestration capabilities.
Features:
- Visual flow builder with queues + retries
- Supports batch + streaming pipelines
- Encryption, access control, and audit logs
- Data provenance and real-time monitoring
- Extensible via custom processors
#2. Talend Open Studio
Talend Open Studio is a Java-based visual ETL tool similar to Pentaho Kettle. It offers batch integration jobs with scheduling, data quality, and transformation features. Best for users who want an open-source, GUI-based pipeline builder with legacy support.
Features:
- Drag-and-drop job designer
- Open-source desktop version
- Data profiling and cleansing options
- Broad connector library
- Integration with Hadoop and Spark
#3. Airbyte
Airbyte is an open-source ELT platform with over 300 connectors and support for batch and incremental sync. It replaces Pentaho for teams wanting self-hosted or managed cloud data pipelines with modern dbt-compatible transformations.
Features:
- 300+ connectors for SaaS + DBs
- Connector builder and UI management
- Supports dbt for T in ELT
- Self-hosted or managed cloud
- Monitoring and schema tracking
#4. Hevo Data
Hevo is a cloud-native, no-code ELT platform designed for real-time syncing and pipeline observability. It’s a solid Pentaho alternative for SaaS data teams who want quick setup and out-of-the-box data transformations.
Features:
- No-code UI for 150+ sources
- Real-time + batch ingestion
- Built-in data quality monitoring
- Support for Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift
- Easy scheduling and retry logic
#5. Matillion
Matillion provides visual ELT job design directly within cloud data warehouses. It’s ideal for Snowflake, Redshift, and BigQuery users replacing Pentaho’s job flows with warehouse-native execution and scheduling.
Features:
- Visual job orchestration for cloud DWH
- Push-down ELT logic into warehouse
- RBAC, audit logs, versioning
- Data pipeline testing + alerting
- Integrates with dbt + CI/CD
#6. Apache Hop
Hop is the modern, open-source evolution of Pentaho Kettle, built by original contributors. It supports ETL pipelines via visual designers and integrates with Apache Beam for batch and streaming.
Features:
- Successor to Pentaho PDI
- Visual design for pipelines and workflows
- Modular architecture + plugin support
- Apache Beam integration for real-time
- Runs on CLI, Docker, or GUI
#7. dbt
dbt (data build tool) is a command-line framework for modeling, testing, and deploying transformations using SQL. It replaces Pentaho’s transformation logic with analytics engineering workflows built directly in your warehouse.
Features:
- SQL-first, versioned transformations
- Testing, lineage, documentation built-in
- CI/CD-friendly and GitOps compatible
- Supports Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift
- Cloud and CLI versions available
#8. Superset
Superset is an open-source BI platform for dashboarding and exploration. While not an ETL tool, it replaces Pentaho’s reporting UI with flexible, SQL-driven dashboards that integrate with any modern data warehouse.
Features:
- Rich charting and visual filtering
- Self-service + RBAC controls
- Custom SQL Lab for querying data
- Embeddable dashboards with OAuth support
- Connects to all major SQL databases
#9. Metabase
Metabase is a lightweight, open-source BI tool that replaces Pentaho dashboards and reports with a visual query builder and embeddable charts. It’s ideal for small-to-midsize teams who want self-service analytics.
Features:
- Cloud-hosted or self-managed
- Interactive dashboards and alerts
- SQL editor and visual builder
- Authentication, RBAC, and embeds
- Slack + email report scheduling
#10. Meltano
Meltano is an open-source ELT and orchestration tool built for data engineers. It’s CLI-native and supports modular pipeline development using Singer taps and targets. A modern Pentaho replacement for code-first teams.
Features:
- Modular ELT via plugins
- CI/CD, testing, and dbt integration
- Works with Airflow and Git-based pipelines
- Open-source and self-hosted
- Ideal for engineering-driven teams
Conclusion
Pentaho served as a pioneer in open-source data integration and reporting — but it hasn’t kept pace with modern, cloud-native pipelines. In 2025, teams are moving to tools that offer easier deployment, real-time capabilities, open APIs, or better developer workflows.
Tools like NiFi and Hop bring visual flows. Airbyte, Hevo, and Meltano offer modern ELT stacks. Matillion and Talend target structured ETL in cloud warehouses. Superset and Metabase modernize the analytics UI. Choose the alternative that fits your technical maturity, stack, and scale — and bring your pipelines into the future.
Pentaho Alternatives FAQs
What are the best Pentaho alternatives?
The best Pentaho alternatives in 2025 are:
- Apache NiFi
- Talend Open Studio
- Airbyte
- Hevo Data
- Matillion
- Apache Hop
- dbt
- Superset
- Metabase
- Meltano
Is Pentaho still open-source?
Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) is open-source, but most enterprise features (Server, dashboarding, governance) are commercial under Hitachi Vantara.
Which Pentaho alternative supports real-time data?
Apache NiFi, Airbyte (limited), and Estuary (not listed here) support real-time and streaming pipelines.
Is Apache Hop a fork of Pentaho?
Yes. Apache Hop is the modern reimplementation of Kettle/PDI, built by contributors from the original Pentaho team.
Which alternative is best for no-code users?
Hevo, Talend, and Matillion all offer drag-and-drop interfaces suited for non-coders building ETL workflows.
What tools replace Pentaho dashboards?
Metabase and Superset both offer modern, interactive dashboards with support for SQL, filters, and embeds.
Does Pentaho support cloud deployments?
Only partially. Most Pentaho setups are on-prem or VM-based. Tools like Matillion and Airbyte offer better cloud-native support.
