The key difference with Sequor is who maintains the integration code and how. With SaaS platforms, when Mailchimp changes their API, you're at the mercy of the vendor's timeline to update their connector. With Sequor, your team has full control - you can patch it immediately, add custom logic, or handle edge cases specific to your use case.
We've found that many data teams prefer this trade-off. They'd rather own a transparent, version-controlled integration they can debug and modify than wait weeks for a vendor fix or work around black-box limitations.
In practice, breaking API changes aren't as frequent as people fear - most mature APIs maintain backward compatibility pretty well. The bigger challenge is often the day-to-day flexibility: adding custom fields, handling edge cases, or integrating with your specific data transformations. That's where having maintainable, readable code really pays off.
That said, you're spot on that SaaS automation platforms like Make, Pabbly, or n8n are great choices for many use cases! The decision really comes down to your specific needs:
If you need plug-and-play simplicity and don't mind vendor dependency → SaaS platforms If you need custom logic, full control, or integration with your existing data stack → code-first tools like Sequor
We see Sequor filling the gap for teams that have outgrown SaaS connectors but don't want to build everything from scratch. Different tools for different needs!