ETL vs iPaaS vs Unified API: How Pricing Models Scale (or Don't)

November 21, 2025

Integration platforms don't just differ in architecture — they differ in how you pay for them.

Legacy systems often charge for infrastructure and setup. Low-code iPaaS tools add usage limits and hidden scaling costs. Unified APIs typically price by tier, not by real consumption.

Here's how ETL, iPaaS, and first-generation Unified APIs compare to Unified.to's transparent, usage-based pricing.

ETL — Hardware, Licenses, and Maintenance Fees

ETL tools come from a pre-cloud era.

Their pricing reflects that — tied to on-prem hardware, proprietary software, and expensive maintenance. Each new source or destination adds more cost and complexity.

• Model: Hardware or license-based
• Cost drivers: Infrastructure, compute, and manual upkeep
• Scalability: Low — costs grow nonlinearly with pipeline count
• Transparency: Low — contract-heavy, maintenance-intensive
• Outcome: High total cost of ownership

iPaaS — Flat-Rate or Task-Based, Costly to Scale

iPaaS vendors popularized 'per-task' or 'workflow-based' pricing.

It works for small automations but quickly breaks down at scale. Each event or trigger adds to your monthly total, often across opaque usage tiers.

• Model: Flat-rate or task-based
• Cost drivers: Number of workflows, steps, and triggers
• Scalability: Poor — costs rise steeply with event volume
• Transparency: Moderate — but often capped per plan
• Outcome: Affordable for small workflows, expensive for SaaS-scale integrations

First-Generation Unified APIs — Tiered and Contract-Based

Early Unified APIs improved pricing transparency but still rely on tiered or contract structures.

That means you commit to a certain volume or plan size — even if your usage fluctuates. It's simpler than iPaaS, but not aligned to real utilization.

• Model: Tiered or contract-based
• Cost drivers: Fixed monthly limits or user counts
• Scalability: Moderate — predictable but rigid
• Transparency: Moderate — requires negotiation or custom plans
• Outcome: Easier to understand, harder to right-size for growth

Unified.to — Transparent, Usage-Based Pricing

Unified.to's pricing is infrastructure-aligned: you pay only for what you use.

Every API call counts once, and volume discounts automatically reduce per-call cost as you scale. There are no per-user or per-connection fees — just a clear link between product usage and spend.

• Model: Usage-based, transparent, scalable
• Cost drivers: Number of API requests per month
• Scalability: Excellent — volume discounts built in
• Transparency: High — published pricing and calculator available
• Outcome: Start small, scale confidently with predictable costs

Why Pricing Models Matter

Integration costs can spiral if they're not aligned to actual product usage.

ETL and iPaaS models penalize growth. Unified.to's pricing is built for developers and product teams — predictable, elastic, and tied directly to value.

• No setup or platform fees
• No per-user or per-connection pricing
• No overage surprises
• Transparent calculator and trial available

The Bottom Line

Unified.to offers transparent, usage-based pricing built for growth.

Start free, pay only for what you use, and scale without platform fees or rigid tiers.

Explore pricing →