Hightouch and Treasure Data both are tools 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 downstream tools.
However, the devil is in the details. The architecture of each are vastly different. Treasure Data is a “traditional CDP” while Hightouch is a warehouse-centric, “composable CDP”.
This architectural difference leads to massive differences in cost, implementation time, and usability despite the fact both platforms allow you to do a similar thing at a high-level.
Compare Hightouch and Treasure Data
| Functionality | Hightouch | Treasure Data |
|---|---|---|
| Data Collection | Client-side, server-side, & other 3rd-party sources | Client-side, server-side, & other 3rd-party sources |
| Data Storage | Your existing data infrastructure (data warehouse, data lake, or database) | Treasure Data's managed infrastructure |
| Data Retention | Unlimited lookback & history | Variable |
| Data Schema | Controlled by you (supports any custom entity or object) | More flexible than most traditional CDPs, more difficult to set up than Composable CDPs |
| Audience Management | No-code audience builder (supports any online or offline data stored in your data warehouse) | Limited audience-building capabilities for non-technical users |
| Journey Orchestration | Yes | Yes |
| Identity Resolution | No-code tool to define exact or fuzzy-match rules to build owned identity graphs within your data warehouse | Deterministic IDR managed in Treasure Data's infrastructure |
| Identity Graph Storage Location | Lives in your warehouse | Owned by Treasure Data |
| Reverse ETL | Core sync engine that integrates with existing toolsets & workflows | NA |
| Real-Time Audience Computation | Dependent upon data landing in the warehouse | Yes (limited to clickstream/behavioral data with no time-based lookbacks) |
| Real-Time Streaming (Event Forwarding) | Yes | Yes |
| Low-Latency Profile API | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming Reverse ETL | Yes | No |
| Data Activation Flow | Warehouse to destination (no data is stored in Hightouch) | Treasure Data to destination |
| Activation Destinations | 250+ | 170+ |
| Source of Truth | Single: Your owned data warehouse | Multiple: Treasure Data & your owned data warehouse |
| Security & Compliance | Data lives in your infrastructure (can be configured to be GDPR, CCPA, & HIPAA compliant) | Data lives outside of your cloud infrastructure (can be configured to be GDPR, CCPA, & HIPAA compliant) |
| Pricing | Unbundled: individually priced features with no MTU billing | Bundled pricing: dependent on monthly tracked users (MTUs) & feature add-ons |
| Proof of Concept (POC) | Less than 1 month | 4-6+ months |
Pros and Cons of Hightouch
Pros
Most powerful point & click audience builder (supports any offline & online customer data)
Warehouse-native campaign analytics to experiment, measure & analyze audiences
Publicly available customer support metrics (99% CSAT Score)
Cons
Newer vendor in the CDP market
Must have actionable data available in a data platform
Pros and Cons of Treasure Data
Pros
Strong support for Japanese-specific brands/companies
Data engineering & analytics functionality
AI/ML capabilities
Cons
Not marketer-friendly (built for data teams)
Architecture is built on legacy technology (Presto & Hive)
Requires substantial data engineering resources to implement & maintain
Identity graph is owned Treasure Data
Data is stored outside of your cloud infrastructure
Should I Buy Hightouch or Treasure Data?
When deciding whether to invest in a Hightouch (a Composable CDP) or Treasure Data (a Traditional CDP), it's important to consider the unique needs of your business. Although a packaged Traditional CDP might appear simpler, Composable CDPs are more flexible and scalable.
The main areas Hightouch wins against Treasure Data are:
- Implementation Time: With Hightouch you are live at the time of contract signature. With Treasure Data, there is typically a 6-12 month implementation process after contract signature
- Flexibility: With Hightouch, you can use any data in your data warehouse vs Treasure Data where you can only use data that has been collected into your CDP
- Source of Truth: With Hightouch, your retain a single source of truth in your cloud data warehouse.
While Treasure Data can be a decent option for companies looking to implement a more legacy solution, most data-focused companies are now adopting Composable CDPs, such as Hightouch, because they offer greater flexibility, security, time-to-value, and interoperability at a far lower cost. If you’re interested in learning more about the Composable CDP, book a demo with one of our solution architects today to see how we can help.
