Flyway vs DBConvert Streams
Flyway version-controls database schema by applying ordered migration scripts.
DBConvert Streams moves and replicates the data itself with Load mode, CDC, and a built-in IDE. They solve different problems and are commonly used together — Flyway shapes the schema, DBConvert Streams moves the data.
Quick answer
Choose by job
Choose Flyway if
- Your job is versioning schema (DDL) changes alongside application code.
- You need repeatable, ordered migrations applied through CI/CD.
- You want a SQL-first migration tool with a simple linear versioning model.
- Schema drift and environment parity are the problems you are solving.
Choose DBConvert Streams if
- Your job is moving or replicating table data, not versioning schema DDL.
- You need initial Load plus ongoing CDC between MySQL/PostgreSQL, files, or S3.
- You want to inspect and validate source vs target data, not manage change scripts.
- You are migrating data into an environment whose schema is managed separately.
At a glance
Side-by-side facts
Where Flyway wins
Version-control schema alongside application code
Ordered migration scripts live in the repo and apply consistently across dev, staging, and production. This is the problem Flyway exists to solve — DBConvert Streams does not.
Apply repeatable migrations in CI/CD
Flyway runs as a build/deploy step, enforcing the same schema state everywhere with a clear version history.
Stay SQL-first with a simple model
Plain versioned SQL files and a linear versioning scheme — minimal abstraction, low learning curve for SQL teams.
Eliminate schema drift
A single source of truth for DDL keeps environments in parity and makes the schema history auditable.
Integrate broadly via CLI, Maven, Gradle, API
First-class build-tool and pipeline integrations make Flyway easy to wire into existing delivery workflows.
Where DBConvert Streams wins
Move the data, not just the schema
Load mode and CDC transfer rows between MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, files, and S3 — the part Flyway does not address at all.
Capture ongoing changes after the schema is in place
Native MySQL binlog and PostgreSQL logical replication keep the target in sync continuously, with checkpointed state and resume.
Validate that the data actually matches
Built-in Compare checks row counts and sample data between source and target — Flyway has no concept of data-level validation.
Inspect data in the same product that moves it
Browse schemas, run SQL, and inspect ER diagrams alongside the migration. Flyway is a CLI/build step with no data UI.
Treat files and S3 as real endpoints
CSV, JSONL, and Parquet are first-class sources and targets — outside Flyway’s scope entirely.
Configure migration without writing scripts
Table mapping and filters are stream configuration, not authored migration files — a different model for a different job.
Workflow
Migrate data into an environment whose schema Flyway already manages
- 1Let Flyway apply the versioned migration scripts so the target schema is at the expected version.
- 2Install DBConvert Streams as a self-contained desktop app or Docker distribution.
- 3Connect source and target in Data Explorer and inspect both schemas side by side.
- 4Run a Load-mode stream to populate the Flyway-managed target with data.
- 5Open Compare to validate the target, then switch to CDC mode to keep it in sync.
Flyway owns the schema version; DBConvert Streams moves and keeps the data in sync. They are not alternatives — they cover adjacent halves of the same delivery pipeline.
Also supported
The same workflow runs for other source/target combinations:
- PostgreSQL → MySQL/MariaDB (reverse direction, Load + CDC)
- MySQL/MariaDB ↔ MySQL/MariaDB (homogeneous replication)
- PostgreSQL ↔ PostgreSQL (homogeneous replication)
- MySQL/PostgreSQL → files (CSV, JSONL, Parquet)
- MySQL/PostgreSQL → S3-compatible storage
- Files / S3 → MySQL or PostgreSQL
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is DBConvert Streams a Flyway replacement?
No. They solve different problems.
- Flyway — Version-controls schema (DDL) through ordered migration scripts applied in CI/CD.
- DBConvert Streams — Moves and replicates table data with Load mode, CDC, and a built-in IDE.
You would not pick one over the other — many teams run Flyway for schema and DBConvert Streams for data movement.
Can DBConvert Streams version-control schema like Flyway?
No. DBConvert Streams does not manage versioned DDL migration scripts or apply them through CI/CD. It moves data between endpoints. For schema version control, Flyway (or Liquibase) is the right tool, and it complements rather than competes with DBConvert Streams.
Can Flyway move table data between databases?
Not as its job. Flyway applies schema and reference-data migration scripts you author; it does not perform bulk data transfer, change data capture, or source/target comparison between two live databases. That is what DBConvert Streams does.
Do teams use Flyway and DBConvert Streams together?
Yes — they cover adjacent halves of a pipeline.
- Flyway — Brings the target schema to the expected version.
- DBConvert Streams — Loads the data into that schema and keeps it in sync via CDC.
Schema first (Flyway), data second (DBConvert Streams) is a common, complementary split.
When should I not use DBConvert Streams?
When the problem is purely schema version control — ordered DDL migrations, CI/CD parity, drift prevention — and no data movement is involved. In that case Flyway or Liquibase is the right tool.