- Driver / ETL Model
- Per-Connector Licensing
- No Built-In Spreadsheet AI
Query Streams
- On-Premise Agent
- Flat-Rate Pricing
- Nova AI Built In
Skip the Drivers.
Just Query.
CData’s product line is built around JDBC/ODBC drivers, ETL replication, and connector licensing — a toolkit for engineers wiring up BI platforms and pipelines. Query Streams is a single, turnkey product: install an on-premise agent, open Excel or Google Sheets, and query live SQL with an AI assistant built in. If you already know the SQL, the same saved query becomes a live REST endpoint in about 90 seconds.
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Connect AILooking for a CData alternative that gets your database data into Excel, Google Sheets, or a REST API without wiring up JDBC drivers, connector licenses, or an ETL pipeline? Query Streams is a secure, real-time database integration platform that delivers live SQL results straight to Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets through a lightweight on-premise agent, with an AI assistant built into the query experience. Experienced database people can also turn a saved query into a live REST endpoint in about 90 seconds — no API server to install. Sign up for free to connect your first database in minutes.
What Is CData?
CData is a data-connectivity vendor that sells a family of separate products aimed at engineers and IT teams rather than a single end-user application. The lineup includes CData Sync, a replication/ETL tool for high-volume data movement and change data capture between 250+ sources and destinations like Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, and on-premise databases; CData Connect AI (formerly Connect Cloud), a cloud-hosted virtualization layer that exposes a standardized SQL layer over 270+ connectors so BI tools, spreadsheets, and AI agents can query live data without moving it; CData API Server, which auto-generates REST, OData, and JSON APIs from a database; and CData’s JDBC/ODBC/ADO.NET drivers, standards-based connectors that plug hundreds of data sources directly into existing tools.
That breadth is CData’s strength — few vendors cover as many databases and SaaS applications with standards-based drivers. But it also means CData is really four different products, each licensed and configured separately, built primarily for developers wiring data into BI tools, ETL pipelines, and custom applications. There is no single, unified product built specifically around live SQL querying from a spreadsheet with an AI assistant baked in — which is exactly the gap Query Streams fills.
Why Teams Look for a CData Alternative
CData’s driver and connector catalog is genuinely broad, and for teams building custom integrations or ETL pipelines, that is often the right tool. But for teams whose actual goal is “get live database data into a spreadsheet, safely, without engineering effort,” the multi-product, driver-based model adds friction. Here are the most common reasons teams look for a CData alternative:
Four Products, Not One
Sync, Connect AI, API Server, and the JDBC/ODBC/ADO.NET drivers are separate products with separate setup, separate licenses, and separate learning curves — not a single application built for one workflow.
Per-Connector Licensing Complexity
CData’s drivers and connectors are commonly licensed per data source, per developer, or as multi-source subscription bundles — adding a new source can mean a new licensing decision rather than a flat monthly plan.
Built for Engineers, Not Spreadsheet Users
Drivers, Sync, and API Server are designed to be wired into BI tools, ETL jobs, or custom applications by a technical team — they are not a point-and-click way for a business analyst to get live data into Excel.
ETL Model for Data Movement
CData Sync is built around scheduled replication and change data capture — a strong pattern for warehouses, but it means the data your team sees is a copy from the last sync run, not a live query against the source.
No Built-In Spreadsheet AI Assistant
CData Connect AI focuses on giving external LLMs and AI agents a governed SQL layer to query — it does not include a first-party conversational assistant embedded directly in the Excel or Google Sheets experience.
Enterprise Setup Overhead
Getting a database into Excel via CData typically means choosing the right product, provisioning a connector, and configuring the connection — more steps than installing a single lightweight agent and opening a spreadsheet add-in.
Query Streams vs CData: Feature Comparison
Here is a direct feature-by-feature comparison between Query Streams and CData’s product line. Green highlights indicate clear advantages; red highlights indicate limitations; gray rows are close calls or depend on your use case.
| Feature | Query Streams | CData |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Single on-premise agent, outbound-only, purpose-built for live spreadsheet queries | Four separate products (Sync, Connect AI, API Server, Drivers) covering ETL, virtualization, APIs, and point-to-point drivers |
| Data security / on-premise access | Agent installs inside your network; outbound-only, no inbound firewall rules | CData Sync and Cloud Gateway also support outbound-only, on-premise-friendly connectivity, but as one option among several deployment models to configure |
| Microsoft Excel | Native Excel add-in with live SQL queries, on-demand refresh | CData Connect AI offers a free Excel add-in for live data connectivity, separate from the Sync/API Server/Drivers products |
| Google Sheets | Native Google Sheets add-on with live SQL queries | CData Connect AI includes a Google Sheets integration with a free tier limited in rows, sources, and monthly queries |
| SQL databases | SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Access, Oracle, Snowflake, BigQuery, DuckDB | Broader raw driver coverage — hundreds of databases via JDBC/ODBC/ADO.NET |
| SaaS / API connectors | API-to-SQL bridge: Stripe, HubSpot, Shopify, GA4, GSC, ShipStation (growing) | 270+ connectors spanning CRM, ERP, marketing, and accounting platforms — a genuine CData strength |
| AI assistant | Nova AI: built into the query builder, generates validated SQL and charts from plain English | CData Connect AI exposes data to external LLMs/agents (ChatGPT, Claude, MCP) via a governed SQL layer, but has no first-party conversational assistant inside the spreadsheet |
| Real-time / live querying | Queries execute live against the source on every run; no staging copy | CData Sync moves data on a schedule (replication/CDC); Connect AI virtualizes live queries but as a separate product from replication |
| Parallel execution | Run multiple queries simultaneously across multiple worksheet tabs | Not a primary focus of CData’s spreadsheet connectivity; depends on the underlying BI/driver client |
| External sharing | Share interactive query capability without exposing SQL code or credentials | Sharing model depends on which CData product and downstream tool is used |
| REST API | Turn a saved query into a live REST endpoint in about 90 seconds — per-recipient key, read-only, no gateway to host | CData API Server is a separate product: install it, introspect schema, auto-generate REST/OData, then host and secure the server |
| Free tier | Free tier with full feature access, unlimited users, no row caps | CData Connect AI offers a free trial and a limited forever-free plan; Sync, API Server, and Drivers are primarily paid, quote- or license-based products |
| Pricing model | Flat-rate plans, no per-connector fees | Historically per-connector / per-developer annual licensing for drivers, plus separate subscriptions for Sync, Connect AI, and API Server |
Architecture: Purpose-Built Agent vs Driver / ETL Toolkit
The clearest way to understand the difference between the two platforms is to look at what each one was actually built to do. CData’s products are building blocks: drivers you plug into other software, an ETL engine you schedule, an API layer you configure, and a virtualization gateway you wire up for BI tools and AI agents. Query Streams is a finished product: install the agent, connect a database, and query it live from a spreadsheet the same day — or publish that saved query as a REST endpoint in about 90 seconds.
CData: Driver / ETL Toolkit
- Four separate products to evaluate, license, and configure for different jobs
- CData Sync replicates data on a schedule — not a live query against the source
- Excel/Sheets connectivity lives in a distinct product (Connect AI) from the drivers and ETL tools
- Per-connector and per-developer licensing can add up as you add data sources
- No first-party natural-language assistant embedded in the spreadsheet itself
- REST/OData generation lives in API Server, a separate product you install, host, and secure
Query Streams: Purpose-Built Live Query
- One agent, one product, built specifically for spreadsheet-first querying
- Every query executes live against your database — no staged copy to keep in sync
- Native Excel and Google Sheets add-ins are the core product, not a bolt-on
- Saved SQL becomes a live REST endpoint in about 90 seconds — no API server to host
- Flat-rate plans instead of per-connector or per-developer licensing
- Nova AI is built into the query builder from the start
REST API in About 90 Seconds vs CData API Server
CData API Server is a separate product in the lineup. You install it, point it at a schema, and it auto-generates REST, OData, and JSON endpoints that you then host and secure. That is the right tool if you need full CRUD from table metadata across a catalog of tables.
If you already know the SQL, Query Streams skips that project. Save the query, generate a per-recipient key, and the endpoint is live in about 90 seconds. The Network Agent runs the query inside your network — read-only by default, no inbound port, no API gateway to host. Experienced database people typically spend that minute and a half on the key and the URL, not on standing up an API server. See the Instant REST API guide and the Database REST API feature page.
CData API Server
- Separate product to license, install, and keep patched
- Schema introspection generates CRUD/OData — you still host and secure the server
- Built for engineers wiring an API layer into other systems, not a 90-second share
- Database credentials and the API process live wherever you deployed API Server
Query Streams: saved query to REST
- About 90 seconds once the agent is in and you know the SQL
- One key per partner or app — scoped to that query, revocable anytime
- Read-only by default; the agent executes inside your network
- No inbound firewall rule and no API gateway for you to host
How Query Streams Works
Getting started with Query Streams takes minutes. Install the lightweight Network Agent on any machine that can reach your database, connect your data sources, and start querying from Excel, Google Sheets, or a REST endpoint. Multiple agents can be deployed across your infrastructure — on-premise, in AWS EC2, Azure VMs, Google Cloud, or any environment globally — and all present their data sources as a unified dropdown in the query builder.
Install the Agent
Download and install the Query Streams Agent on any Windows, Linux, or macOS machine in your network. It makes outbound-only connections — no firewall changes needed.
Connect Databases
Add your SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Access, Oracle, BigQuery, Snowflake, or DuckDB connections through the agent’s local dashboard.
Write and Share Queries
Use the web portal’s SQL editor or Nova AI to create queries with interactive filters. Save and share them with teammates or external partners.
Query from Excel or Sheets
Open the Excel add-in or Google Sheets add-on, select a saved query, adjust filters, and run. Data streams live from your agent — no cloud routing, no row limits.
Or Publish a REST API
Turn the same saved query into a live REST endpoint in about 90 seconds — one key per partner, read-only, revocable. No API server to install.
When to Choose CData
CData is a strong choice for specific technical workflows. Here is an honest assessment of when it makes more sense than Query Streams:
• You need JDBC/ODBC/ADO.NET drivers to plug an uncommon database or SaaS app directly into an existing BI tool, ETL platform, or custom application
• You are building a scheduled replication or change-data-capture pipeline into a warehouse like Snowflake, Databricks, or BigQuery
• You need connectivity to one of CData’s 270+ niche SaaS/CRM/ERP connectors that Query Streams does not yet cover
• Your team already has engineering resources to evaluate, license, and configure a driver-based or virtualization-layer connectivity stack
• You need auto-generated CRUD or OData from a full schema via CData API Server, not a saved-query REST endpoint
When to Choose Query Streams
Query Streams is the stronger choice for teams whose goal is simple: get live database data into a spreadsheet or a REST endpoint, safely, without standing up a connectivity platform. Here are the use cases where switching from CData to Query Streams delivers the biggest impact:
Excel and Sheets Are the Destination
If the end goal is a spreadsheet — not a BI tool, warehouse, or custom app — Query Streams’ native add-ins get you there directly, without a driver or virtualization layer in between.
On-Premise Database Users
Teams running SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or MySQL behind a corporate firewall get a single lightweight agent instead of choosing between multiple CData products and deployment modes.
Non-Technical Analysts
Team members who need data but don’t know SQL can use Nova AI, built directly into the query builder, to generate validated SQL from plain English — no separate AI product to configure.
Teams That Want Predictable Costs
Flat-rate plans mean adding a new database or a new teammate doesn’t trigger a new per-connector or per-developer licensing conversation.
Teams Sharing Data Externally
Share the interactive capability to run a query — complete with user-adjustable filters — with external partners, clients, or vendors, without exposing SQL code or credentials.
REST API in About 90 Seconds
Experienced database people skip the API-server project: save the SQL you already have, mint a per-recipient key, and the endpoint is live. No inbound port. No gateway to host.
Fast Time-to-First-Query
Install the agent, connect a database, open Excel — there is no product-selection step, no driver installation matrix, and no virtual database to define first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Query Streams a direct replacement for CData? +
How fast can I get a REST API on my database with Query Streams? +
Does CData have a native Excel or Google Sheets add-in? +
Can I connect to on-premise databases without exposing them to the internet with CData? +
Does CData have an AI assistant like Nova AI? +
How is CData’s pricing different from Query Streams pricing? +
Does Query Streams support as many data sources as CData? +
Is there a free alternative to CData for querying databases in a spreadsheet? +
Get Started
Ready to Skip the Driver Setup?
Connect your databases, write real SQL, and share live data from Excel, Google Sheets, or a REST endpoint in about 90 seconds — all secured by a single on-premise agent, with an AI assistant built in from day one.
Related guides: Instant REST API | Skyvia Alternative | Coefficient Alternative | ODBC Alternative for Excel | Power BI Alternative
Category: Articles
Tags: cdata, cdata alternative, database integration, google-sheets, excel, jdbc, odbc, rest api, data connectivity, sql
Meta Description: CData alternative 2026: live SQL in Excel and Google Sheets, plus a REST endpoint in about 90 seconds. No JDBC drivers, no ETL, free tier.
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