Hightouch and RudderStack both are platforms that allow you to sync data to downstream marketing destinations like CRM tools, email tools, and advertising platforms. Both platforms have the functionality to collect events via an SDK, resolve identities, and sync data to 200+ tools.
However, there are plenty of differences ranging from usability to pricing, to scalability.
Compare Hightouch and RudderStack
| Functionality | Hightouch | RudderStack |
|---|---|---|
| Data Activation | Data warehouse to destination | Data warehouse to destination |
| Data Activation Destinations | 200+ | 200+ |
| Custom Destinations | Yes | Yes |
| Audience Management | No-code audience builder, journey management, and analytics | Limited audience building capabilities for non-technical users |
| Reverse ETL | Core competency. Built out with deep extensions into your existing workflows | Available. Limited extensions and workflow integration. |
| Real-Time | Event forwarding & low latency API | Event forwarding & low latency API |
| Data Schema Flexibility | Supports any custom entity or object (users, accounts, households, playlists, etc.) | Standard schemas for event collection. Audiences schema only allos you to build off of one data model at a time |
| Data Storage | Data is stored in your existing cloud infrastructure | Default option is a RudderStack-managed storage bucket on a 7-day rolling basis |
| Data Retention | Unlimited lookback & history | Unlimited lookback & history |
| Source of Truth | Your owned data warehouse | Your owned data warehouse |
| Data Collection | Client-side, server-side, and other 3rd-party sources | Client-side, server-side, and other 3rd-party sources |
| Identity Resolution | Unify any & all of the customer or entity data in your warehouse | Only rigid rules supported |
| Identity Graph Ownership | Lives in your owned data warehouse | Lives in your owned data warehouse |
| Security & Compliance | Immediately GDPR & CCPA compliant. Able to sign BAA to be HIPAA compliant | Immediately GDPR & CCPA compliant. Able to sign BAA to be HIPAA compliant |
| Pricing | Unbundled: individually priced features with no MTU billing | Priced based on event volume and features. Typically more expensive than other vendors. |
| Proof of Concept | 2-3 for SMB, 4-6 weeks for enterprise | Not available |
| Implementation | 100% of customers are live with a production use case at the time of contract signature | Variable |
Pros and Cons of Hightouch
Pros
- 10X faster implementation time than Traditional CDPs
- No duplicative data storage
- Can sync events directly to downstream destinations
- Runs on your own existing data infrastructure
Cons
- Newer player in the CDP market
- Fewer customers
- Must have existing data store
Pros and Cons of RudderStack
Pros
- Can leverage data warehouse/lake for storage
- Open-source SDKs
- Supports in-flight event transformations
- Provides some ETL capabilities
Cons
- Not accessible to marketers
- Audience builder is difficult to use
- Reverse ETL is limited and underdeveloped
- Only event collection is open-source
- Inflexible identity resolution
Should I buy Hightouch or RudderStack?
It depends what your priorities as a business are. RudderStack has excellent event collection SDKs, however lacks a fully built out data activation suite of products. They check a lot of the boxes as far as "having" the products, but their Reverse ETL product and Identity Resolution products are currently immature compared to Hightouch.
RudderStack is trying to be a Composable CDP, but their core competency is as an open-source infrastructure solution for event collection targeted at developers.
If you are looking for a tool that can be used across an organization to activate all of your tools, Hightouch is a much more built out and flexible tool to do so.
