Shippit Replaces Fivetran with Estuary to Modernize Their Data Infrastructure and Save 45%
In logistics technology, speed, reliability, and cost-efficiency aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re survival tools. Shippit, a leading delivery optimization platform, empowers businesses to streamline logistics and delight customers with faster, smarter deliveries. But behind the scenes, the company’s growing data demands began to collide with the limits and cost of its legacy data pipeline provider, Fivetran.
With surging costs, inflexible pricing, and the growing complexity of managing a modern data platform, Shippit switched to Estuary and hasn’t looked back.
About Shippit
Location
Sydney, Australia
Industry
Logistics & Delivery Optimization
Goals
Shippit set out to cut costs by moving away from Fivetran's pricing model, powering internal analytics, and preparing for real-time, customer-facing data products with reliable, scalable data pipelines.
Shippit's multi-carrier shipping technology helps retailers ship smarter, optimise their fulfilment, and share better post-purchase experiences.
The Challenge
In its early days, Shippit relied on Fivetran to centralize data. With just one person managing the data stack, Fivetran made sense: it was a quick fix and cheaper than hiring another engineer. However, as the company grew into a team of six dedicated data professionals, it became clear they needed a solution that could scale more sustainably, especially regarding pricing.
Here’s what wasn’t working:
- Unpredictable, Rigid, and Expensive Pricing: Fivetran’s recent pricing changes led to unsustainable costs for low-volume, high-connector teams like Shippit, with opaque tiers tied to sync frequency that introduced latency trade-offs and billing unpredictability.
- CDC Complexity: Shippit already used Debezium and Kafka for Change Data Capture (CDC) and needed a solution to integrate or replace it without the overhead.
- Poor Fit for SaaS Sources: Many of Shippit’s SaaS tools (e.g., Intercom, Salesforce, NetSuite) used append-only models, making Fivetran’s full sync approach inefficient and costly.
The Solution: Estuary Flow
Shippit was clear on what they needed: a streaming-first, fully-managed, connector-rich platform with a transparent pricing model that could even mirror the power of Debezium + Kafka without the operational burden. Estuary delivered precisely that—and more.
Why Shippit Chose Estuary:
- Transparent Pricing: What you see is what you pay. Shippit’s monthly bill dropped by 45%.
- Streaming-Native: Estuary’s support for CDC and real-time pipelines offered the performance of Kafka without the maintenance nightmares.
- Managed Connectors: Unlike open-source-first tools like Airbyte, Estuary's native connectors are maintained in-house, tested, and production-grade.
- Scalable Setup: Estuary allowed Shippit to quickly ingest and transform data from core SaaS systems like NetSuite, Intercom, and Salesforce into downstream analytics platforms with minimal lift.
- Fast Response Time: The Estuary team's quick response to Shippit's inquiries was a welcome change from their experiences with other providers.
“Fivetran’s pricing punished us for using more connectors. Estuary gave us freedom and saved us 45% a year.”
- Keat Min Woo, Staff Data Platform Engineer
The Impact: Fueling Internal & External Analytics
| Metric | Before (Fivetran) | After (Estuary) | Improvement |
| Cost | High | Low | 45% cost reduction |
| Sync Speed | Up to 15 min (based on pricing tier) | Real-time CDC | Faster, more granular data |
| Operational Flexibility | Vendor lock-in, full syncs | Streaming-first, merge-friendly | Architectural freedom |
Shippit’s platform isn’t just about logistics; it’s about data. The company recently launched a product allowing customers to optimize deliveries using their data. While this product runs through their Kafka stack, Estuary now powers Shippit’s internal analytics, critical for day-to-day department decisions.
And as Estuary’s footprint at Shippit expands, so will its role in enabling new customer-facing experiences and analytics offerings.
Conclusion: Estuary Isn’t Just a Replacement, It’s a Level-Up
Fivetran was a stepping stone. Estuary is the long-term solution.
Estuary provides a robust, scalable data integration layer without compromise for modern logistics platforms like Shippit, where speed and cost efficiency are critical. Whether your data stack includes SaaS platforms, Kafka, or custom CDC, Estuary gives you the flexibility to build without friction—and the freedom to grow without financial punishment.