ETL, ELT, & Reverse ETL Demystified: How iPaaS Data Integration Tools Finally Make Your Apps Talk

Introduction – The “Why Won’t These Apps Just Talk?” Moment

Tina runs HR at a mid-size tech firm. Every hire triggers a copy-paste relay: export candidate details from Greenhouse, upload to the LMS, update a payroll spreadsheet, repeat. One typo, and benefits start late. An iPaaS (integration platform as a service) breaks that loop by turning every step into a reusable flow - no code, no late forms. This post shows how ETL, ELT, and Reverse ETL work inside an iPaaS and why teams like Tina’s finally relax when data moves itself.

Quick Glossary: ETL, ELT, and Reverse ETL in Plain English

Term What Happens One-Line Example
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) Data leaves the source, gets cleaned, then lands in the target. Strip accents from names in Greenhouse before loading them into payroll.
ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) Load raw data first, refine it later inside the warehouse. Pipe all clickstream rows into Snowflake, build a “clean visits” view on demand.
Reverse ETL Push curated warehouse data back into frontline tools. Send “new-hire milestones” from Snowflake to Slack and the LMS.

Need a broader primer? See TechTarget’s overview.

Why Business Teams Should Care

  • Reports refresh without manual merges.
  • Consistent data fuels timely outreach to staff and customers.
  • Payroll, marketing, and finance stop arguing about “which spreadsheet is right.”
  • Audit trails satisfy compliance reviews without frantic digging.

The Pain with Traditional Vendors and DIY Scripts

  1. Weeks per new connection – custom code for every app pair.
  2. Schema-change scramble – a Friday column tweak breaks Tuesday payroll.
  3. Exploding invoices – per-row fees climb as data grows.

With an iPaaS, those headaches fade because every connection shares the same easy to use interface and can be easily scheduled to run at specific intervals.

Meet CONVAYR iPaaS: The Integration Platform Built for Non-Tech Teams

What CONVAYR Actually Does

  • Acts as a cloud hub between every source and target.
  • Swaps SQL scripts for point-and-click mapping.
  • Handles security and encryption by default.

      • Under the Hood

      • Pre-built connectors for popular SaaS tools.
      • No-code transformers to reshape fields.

      Real-Life Scenarios: ETL, ELT, Reverse ETL Inside an iPaaS

      Role “Before” Pain “After” With iPaaS Method
      Marketing Manager Campaign metrics scattered across CRM, ad platform, and web analytics. A single dashboard refreshes hourly. Reverse ETL
      HR Lead Payroll CSV uploads by hand every other Friday. Payroll syncs nightly from the HRIS. ETL
      Ops Analyst Overnight batch reports mean yesterday’s numbers. Warehouse tables transform on demand; dashboards stay current. ELT

      For more use cases, check Census on Reverse ETL

      How to Pick the Right Data Integration Platform

      1. Business-ready interface – can someone who knows the process, not SQL, build a flow?
      2. Connector depth – CONVAYR partners with you to connect any of your SaaS applications and file storage locations
      3. Transparent pricing – clear connector-based pricing tiers, no surprise line items.
      4. Growth capacity & governance – role-based access and field-level logs.

      Atlan’s roundup of Reverse ETL tools lists key evaluation criteria that also apply to broader iPaaS choices.

      Why CONVAYR Changes the Game

      • True no-code canvas - any manager maps fields in minutes.
      • ETL, ELT, and Reverse ETL live in one place, so no extra modules.
      • Simple Connector-based pricing.

      CONVAYR

      Quick-Start Checklist: Your Four-Step Path to the “Aha!”

      1. List two apps that never stay in sync.
      2. Launch a CONVAYR trial and choose the matching connector or speak to us to get your application connected if it's not already supported.
      3. Map fields simply - no JSON in sight.
      4. Turn on the flow, watch data zip across the gap, sip coffee.

      Let Your Data Do the Busywork

      Copy-paste shouldn’t decide payroll dates, campaign budgets, or customer health scores. ETL, ELT, and Reverse ETL explain how data moves; an iPaaS makes those moves fast, repeatable, and visible. With CONVAYR, HR, marketing, and finance shift focus from fixing spreadsheets to hitting goals.

      Ready for your own “why didn’t we do this sooner?” moment? Start a free CONVAYR trial, connect two apps, and see data harmonize before your next meeting.