dltHub
Berlin company behind dlt, the open-source Python library data engineers use to build pipelines
Quick Overview
| Company | ScaleVector GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | ETL Tools Alternatives |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Data Location | Managed workspaces can be pinned to the EU or the US; the control plane itself runs in AWS's Northern Virginia region regardless of which one is chosen, and customer pipeline data stays in the selected region |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type I; SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 in progress |
| Pricing | dlt, the open-source Python library, is free under Apache 2.0; the managed dltHub platform starts at $12,000/month on a 12-month minimum commitment with 5,000 monthly credits included, plus a custom-priced Enterprise tier |
| Free Option | 14-day free trial of dltHub with $30 in credits, no card required |
| Replaces | Fivetran, Airbyte, custom Python ETL scripts |
Detailed Review
dltHub is built around dlt, an open-source Python library — Apache 2.0, no seat limits, no row limits — that infers schemas, handles nested JSON, manages incremental loading and writes to more than twenty destinations, all from code a data engineer commits to Git rather than configures in a UI.
For a team that already writes Python for its pipelines and finds a connector catalogue a black box when something breaks, dlt is the opposite bet: transparent, debuggable, and free to run anywhere Python runs, including fully air-gapped.
The company behind it, ScaleVector GmbH, is registered in Berlin, and the managed dltHub platform adds orchestration, monitoring and a workspace on top of the open-source library — priced from $12,000 a month on a 12-month minimum commitment with 5,000 credits included, well above what a small team is likely to need, alongside a 14-day trial with $30 of credits and no card required.
A workspace can be pinned to the EU or the US, though the control plane itself runs in AWS's Northern Virginia region regardless of which one is chosen.
dltHub is the youngest and least proven entity in this category — dlt itself only appeared on GitHub in 2022, and ScaleVector publishes SOC 2 Type I with Type II and ISO 27001 still in progress rather than complete.
It is also not a connector platform in the Keboola or Weld sense: dlt gives you the primitives to build a pipeline, not a managed catalogue of pre-built ones, so a team without Python engineers gets little from it.
What it does solve outright is the objection every open-source tool in this category raises eventually — dlt is Apache 2.0, so nobody can revoke the licence to code already running in production.
What dltHub does well
- Apache 2.0, free, no row or seat limits, on the open-source dlt library
- Schema inference, nested JSON handling and incremental loading built in
- 20+ destinations, and runs anywhere Python runs, including air-gapped
- Workspace data can be pinned to the EU or the US
- SOC 2 Type I certified, with Type II and ISO 27001 in progress
Where dltHub falls short
- Managed dltHub platform starts at $12,000 a month, a 12-month minimum
- Control plane runs in AWS Northern Virginia regardless of workspace region
- A code library, not a managed connector catalogue — needs Python engineers
- dlt only appeared in 2022, the shortest track record in this category
Standout feature. Code you own, not a black box: dlt is the only tool here built as an open-source Python library rather than a platform.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Apache 2.0, free, no row or seat limits, on the open-source dlt library
- Schema inference, nested JSON handling and incremental loading built in
- 20+ destinations, and runs anywhere Python runs, including air-gapped
- Workspace data can be pinned to the EU or the US
- SOC 2 Type I certified, with Type II and ISO 27001 in progress
Cons
- Managed dltHub platform starts at $12,000 a month, a 12-month minimum
- Control plane runs in AWS Northern Virginia regardless of workspace region
- A code library, not a managed connector catalogue — needs Python engineers
- dlt only appeared in 2022, the shortest track record in this category
Alternatives to dltHub
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dltHub?
dltHub is built around dlt, an open-source Python library — Apache 2.0, no seat limits, no row limits — that infers schemas, handles nested JSON, manages incremental loading and writes to more than twenty destinations, all from code a data engineer commits to Git rather than configures in a UI.
For a team that already writes Python for its pipelines and finds a connector catalogue a black box when something breaks, dlt is the opposite bet: transparent, debuggable, and free to run anywhere Python runs, including fully air-gapped.
Where is dltHub based?
dltHub operates from Berlin, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany). Compliance: SOC 2 Type I; SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 in progress.
What does dltHub cost?
dlt, the open-source Python library, is free under Apache 2.0; the managed dltHub platform starts at $12,000/month on a 12-month minimum commitment with 5,000 monthly credits included, plus a custom-priced Enterprise tier. 14-day free trial of dltHub with $30 in credits, no card required.
Who is dltHub best for?
Data engineers who want pipelines as code, not clicks. Code you own, not a black box: dlt is the only tool here built as an open-source Python library rather than a platform.
What are the drawbacks of dltHub?
Managed dltHub platform starts at $12,000 a month, a 12-month minimum. Control plane runs in AWS Northern Virginia regardless of workspace region. A code library, not a managed connector catalogue — needs Python engineers. dlt only appeared in 2022, the shortest track record in this category.