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Ansam Yousry
Ansam Yousry

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Differences between dbt Core and dbt Cloud

dbt (Data Build Tool) is an open-source tool that enables data analysts and engineers to build data transformation pipelines. There are two main versions of dbt: dbt Core and dbt Cloud.

In this article, we'll discuss the differences between dbt Core and dbt Cloud. For more detailed information, check out this medium post.

dbt Core

dbt Core is the open-source version of dbt that can be installed and run locally. It is a command-line tool that allows you to write SQL code to transform your data. dbt Core has the following features:

  • Can be run on your local machine or on a server.

  • Allows you to write SQL code to transform your data.
    Integrates with popular data warehouses such as Snowflake, BigQuery, and Redshift.

  • Supports version control using Git.

  • Provides testing functionality to ensure the quality and accuracy of your data.

  • Allows you to document your data pipelines using Markdown.

dbt Core is a powerful tool that provides a lot of functionality for transforming your data but requires some setup and configuration.

dbt Cloud

dbt Cloud is a cloud-based platform that provides a user-friendly interface for building and managing data transformation pipelines. It is a paid service that provides additional features on top of dbt Core. dbt Cloud has the following features:

  • Provides a web-based interface for building and managing data pipelines.

  • Automates the deployment and running of your dbt projects.

  • Provides a collaborative environment for teams to work on data pipelines together.
    Includes a built-in scheduler for running data pipelines on a schedule.

  • Provides additional functionality for monitoring and alerting on data pipelines.

dbt Cloud is a powerful tool that provides a lot of functionality for building and managing data pipelines without requiring a lot of setup and configuration. It is especially useful for teams who want to collaborate on data pipelines and don't want to manage their own infrastructure.

Conclusion

dbt is a powerful tool for building and managing data transformation pipelines. dbt Core is the open-source version that can be installed locally, while dbt Cloud is a cloud-based platform that provides additional features on top of dbt Core. Which version you choose depends on your needs and preferences. If you're just getting started with dbt, dbt Core is a great place to start. If you're working on a team or need additional functionality, dbt Cloud may be a better fit.

Top comments (3)

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noel_g profile image
Noel Gomez

I wrote a similar article a few wks ago.
datacoves.com/post/dbt-cloud-vs-db...

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ansamal93038737 profile image
Ansam Yousry

Good job 👍👏

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noel_g profile image
Noel Gomez

thanks