dbt Core

SQL-based data transformation with software engineering practices

Vendor
dbt Labs
Also known as
dbt, dbt-core

Available worldwide · Popular in: US

What is dbt Core?

dbt is a framework that enables data teams to transform data using SQL-based development practices similar to software engineering, with built-in testing, version control, and deployment capabilities. It provides lineage tracking, documentation, and can run locally or in the cloud.

Independently observed

dbt Core pricing

Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.

Pricing as of verify at live pricing ↗Independently observed
from $100/moHybridFree tier14-day trial

Free Developer tier, $100/seat/month for Starter, custom pricing for Enterprise

Developer

Free
Free
min 1 seats

The fastest way to get started with dbt

seats
1
projects
1
successful_models_per_month
3,000
  • Browser-based IDE
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Job scheduling
  • Keep on the latest dbt release

Starter

$100/seat/month
min 5 seats

Pay as you go pricing for your first dbt project

seats
5
projects
1
queried_metrics_per_month
5,000
successful_models_per_month
15,000
  • All Developer features
  • dbt Catalog basic
  • dbt Semantic Layer basic
  • dbt Copilot code generation
  • API access

Enterprise

Contact sales
Contact sales
projects
30
queried_metrics_per_month
20,000
successful_models_per_month
100,000
  • All Starter features
  • dbt Catalog advanced
  • dbt Semantic Layer advanced
  • dbt Copilot
  • dbt Canvas
  • dbt Insights
  • dbt Mesh Enterprise

Enterprise+

Contact sales
Contact sales
projects
Unlimited
queried_metrics_per_month
20,000
successful_models_per_month
100,000
  • All Enterprise features
  • PrivateLink
  • IP Restrictions
  • Rollback
  • Hybrid projects

What dbt Core does

The capabilities that matter for data engineering tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.

Core
Tool role
Transformation
Processing paradigm
Batch
Connectivity
Connector count
6+ named integrations with broader ecosystem
CDC / log-based replication
-
Transformation
In-warehouse transformation (push-down)
-
dbt-native orchestration
Deployment
Self-hosted / open-source available
Managed cloud available
Governance
Data lineage / asset catalog
Authoring
Python-first authoring
-
Execution
Incremental / partition-aware runs
-
Quality
Built-in data quality / tests
Scale
Horizontal scale (distributed executor)
-
Independently observed

Platform & deployment

Independently observed
Platforms
  • CLI
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Windows
Deployment
  • Self-hosted

Integrations (6)

Independently observed
  • Tableau
  • Fivetran
  • OpenAI
  • Snowflake
  • Azure AI
  • Databricks

Security & compliance

Known vulnerabilities: 4 (0 in the last 12 months), max severity HIGH sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality

dbt Core FAQ

Common questions about dbt Core, answered from independent, dated evidence.

What is dbt Core?

dbt is a framework that enables data teams to transform data using SQL-based development practices similar to software engineering, with built-in testing, version control, and deployment capabilities. It provides lineage tracking, documentation, and can run locally or in the cloud. It is indexed under Data Engineering Tools.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

Is dbt Core free to use?

dbt Core is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $100 per user per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

What platforms does dbt Core support?

dbt Core supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

Can dbt Core be self-hosted?

Yes. dbt Core can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

What does dbt Core integrate with?

We have confirmed 6 integrations for dbt Core, including Tableau, Fivetran, OpenAI, Snowflake, Azure AI and Databricks. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

What security certifications does dbt Core have?

We have independently confirmed ISO 27001 and GDPR for dbt Core. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as dbt Core not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com/security

Is dbt Core open source?

Yes. dbt Core is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.

Source: https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-core

Where is dbt Core available?

dbt Core is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.

Source: https://www.getdbt.com

dbt Core alternatives

Other data engineering tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.

All dbt Core alternatives, ranked →

Compare dbt Core

Side by side against other data engineering tools, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.

Independent · unbought · dated

The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence

Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for dbt Core, not the verdict.

Balanced composite 66 / 100
high · 76%
Signal contributions to the composite score
SignalScoreWeightContributionEvidence
Package downloads950.1412.9
Capabilities810.086.4
Development activity630.095.9
Release cadence990.055.1
Dependent projects460.062.9
Security score600.042.5
Security posture300.072.2
Stars780.032.0
Integrations240.071.7
Developer Q&A activity00.060.0-

Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.

All data & sourcesshow ↓

Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.

Activity

AttributeValueEvidence
Commits last 30d100mediumsource · 2026-09-16 · 65%

Adoption

AttributeValueEvidence
Github stars13,837highsource · 2026-09-16 · 90%
Package downloads weekly21,005,917highsource · 2026-07-31 · 85%
Dependent repos553highsource · 2026-09-16 · 85%

Content

AttributeValueEvidence
Faq8 itemsmediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 64%

Features

AttributeValueEvidence
CapabilitiesRole: transform · Lineage: Yes · Paradigm: batch · Dbt native: Yes · Data quality: Yes · Managed cloud: Yesmediumsource · 2026-09-16 · 60%

Integrations

AttributeValueEvidence
Count6mediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60%

Language

AttributeValueEvidence
PrimaryRusthighsource · 2026-09-16 · 90%

License

AttributeValueEvidence
SpdxApache-2.0highsource · 2026-09-16 · 95%

Market

AttributeValueEvidence
AvailabilityPrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: …mediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 50%

Pricing

AttributeValueEvidence
Modelopen_sourcemediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60%
Free tierYesmediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60%
Price levelfreemediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60%
TransparentYesmediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60%

Release

AttributeValueEvidence
Cadence days2mediumsource · 2026-07-31 · 70%
History20 itemsmediumsource · 2026-09-16 · 70%

Reliability

AttributeValueEvidence
Status pageYesmediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60%

Security

AttributeValueEvidence
Iso27001Yeshighsource · 2026-08-05 · 75%
GdprYeshighsource · 2026-08-14 · 75%
Scorecard6highsource · 2026-09-16 · 90%
VulnerabilitiesCount: 4 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=dbt-core&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGHhighsource · 2026-09-16 · 90%
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