dbt
Data Engineering · Free + paid
Data transformation tool for analytics engineers
At a glance
- Made by
- dbt Labs, LLC
- Korean
- None (English and a few others only)
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- Web, Windows, Mac, CLI, API
- Open source
- Apache 2.0 (dbt v2.0 source code)
- GitHub
- 14,013 stars · Apache-2.0
What is dbt?
dbt lets data analysts and engineers transform data the way software is developed (modularity, testing, version control). When you write a model as a select statement, dbt builds it into tables and views in your data warehouse. It shows project- and column-level lineage as an interactive DAG, and when you rename a model or column, it automatically fixes downstream references. dbt does not store data and works with Snowflake, Databricks, and others. Fivetran and dbt Labs merged into one company.
- SQL-based modular, tested, version-controlled data transformation
- Interactive project- and column-level lineage
- Automatic fixing of downstream references when models or columns are renamed
- State-based orchestration that rebuilds only changed models (dbt State)
- Define and query metrics with the dbt Semantic Layer
- Browser IDE and VS Code/Cursor extensions
- dbt Wizard, an AI agent for analytics engineering
- dbt MCP server
Who uses dbt and for what
- Data teams build and test analytics data models inside the warehouse
- Prepare trustworthy data for AI and analytics
- Reduce warehouse compute costs
Pricing
What you get for free — Available (Developer: 1 developer seat, 3,000 model builds per month, 1 project)
| Plan | Price | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | $0/mo | 1 developer seat, 3,000 model builds per month, 1 project |
| Starter | $100/mo | Per user, 5 developer seats, 15,000 model builds per month, 5,000 metric queries per month, 1 project |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Custom pricing, 100,000 model builds per month, 30 projects |
| Enterprise+ | Contact sales | Custom pricing, unlimited projects, PrivateLink and IP restrictions |
| dbt State (add-on) | $0.094 | Pay-as-you-go per DATT (daily active target table), 30-day free trial |
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying. · Official pricing page
Combos that work well with dbt
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
ChatGPT (OpenAI) converts source fields into a model of plan, currency, billing cycle, and limit. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. The origin of numbers is traced through transformation history and documentation.
Cost: Brain: API pay-as-you-go + subscription (ChatGPT) / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Claude converts source fields into plan, currency, period, and limit models. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Trace the source of numbers through transformation history and documentation.
Cost: Brain: freemium (free + paid subscription) + API pay-as-you-go / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Gemini converts source fields into a model of plan, currency, billing period, and limit. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Transformation history and documentation make it possible to trace the origin of numbers.
Cost: Brain: freemium (free + paid subscription) + API pay-as-you-go / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
DeepSeek converts source fields into plan, currency, billing cycle, and limit models. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Transformation history and documentation make it possible to trace where each number came from.
Cost: Brain: open source (free) + API pay-as-you-go / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Perplexity converts source fields into plan, currency, billing cycle, and limit models. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Transformation history and documentation make it possible to trace where each number came from.
Cost: Brain: freemium (free + paid subscription) / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Mistral converts source fields into plan, currency, billing cycle, and limit models. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Trace the origin of numbers through transformation history and documentation.
Cost: Brain: open source (free) + API pay-as-you-go / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Llama converts source fields into a model of plan, currency, billing cycle, and limit. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Transformation history and documentation make it possible to trace the origin of numbers.
Cost: Brain: open source (free, license-conditional) / Tool: open source + paid cloud-managed plan
Pricing data normalization and quality testing
Qwen converts source fields into a model of plan, currency, billing cycle, and limits. In dbt, tests check for duplicate, NULL, relationship, and range errors. Transformation history and documentation make it possible to trace where each number came from.
Cost: Brain: open source (free) + Alibaba Cloud API pay-as-you-go / Tool: open source + paid managed cloud plan
AI tools similar to dbt (alternatives)
dbt vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dbt | Free + paid | 38 | 5 | Yes | $100/mo | No |
| Apache Flink | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Hadoop | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Kafka | Free + paid | 10 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Pulsar | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
1 of these 5 tools have a free plan. Cheapest paid plan: dbt ($100/mo).
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
dbt on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 24 AI tools in the Data Engineering field.
- Connected to 5 other tools — #6 in its field.
- Part of 38 work combos recorded on the map.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use dbt for free?
Available (Developer: 1 developer seat, 3,000 model builds per month, 1 project). Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What works well with dbt?
Based on the combos on the map, there is a workflow such as "Pricing data normalization and quality testing" that uses it together with GPT.
What AI can I use instead of dbt?
Tools that do the same job, such as Apache Flink, Apache Hadoop, Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, are connected to it on the map.
Can I use dbt in Korean?
None (English and a few others only)
Sources (official pages)
- https://www.getdbt.com/
- https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt
- https://www.getdbt.com/pricing
- https://docs.getdbt.com/
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.