Struggling to scale your integrations?
Prismatic vs In-House: Why Doing Integrations Is Hard
In-house integration development almost always cuts corners to save time. This leads to tech debt and a poor UX overall. Prismatic enables broader sharing of responsibilities, supports efficient, reusable processes, and empowers everyone with a first-class UX.
Overview
Prismatic's embedded iPaaS is a purpose-built, cloud-native B2B SaaS integration platform best suited for SaaS teams that must create everything from simple to highly complex integrations. It provides a first-class UX for non-devs (via the low-code designer) and devs (via code-native integrations).
In comparison, in-house integration development is usually pragmatic, with devs prioritizing base functionality over everything else. Integrations built this way tend to be black boxes for everyone but the devs who wrote the code. UX, whether for internal non-devs or your customers, is not a priority. And the idea of building one integration that will work for any number of customers is usually seen as adding unnecessary complexity.
Prismatic:
- Includes everything necessary to build, deploy, and manage integrations
- Enables devs and non-devs alike to build integrations
- Provides detailed dashboards for everyone (including customers)
- Is built for real-world integration scenarios
- Incorporates AI for accelerated code-native development
 | In-House | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of devs needed | Initially, 1 to 2. Ongoing, 0 to 1. This is common, but will grow for large orgs. | Initially 1 to N. Ongoing, 1 to N. | |
| Time-to-market | Weeks or days (sometimes less). | Months. | |
| Maintenance ownership | Prismatic handles updates, security, and scaling. | 1 or more dedicated DevsOps engineers. | |
| Costs | Predictable pricing tied to plan and usage. | Substantial up-front dev, DevOps, and cloud costs. Variable ongoing costs (but usually still substantial). | |
| Reliability | 99.99% uptime per SLAs | Varies from really good to not-so-good. | |
| Customer self-service | Marketplace (search and activate), dashboards (configure and troubleshoot), and workflow builder (create one-off workflows). | Usually not a priority. Seen as unnecessary in most instances. | |
| Infrastructure scaling | Autoscaling AWS infrastructure to handle the highs and lows without hiccups. | Varies greatly based on what's been pulled together to support integrations. | |
| Connector library | Pre-built connectors and a custom connector SDK for building more | Custom, from scratch connectors for each system | |
| Support tools | Built-in monitoring logging and alerting tools that are accessible to non-devs and customers. | Not usually included, unless as an afterthought. Engineering bears the support load. | |
| Customization | Provides flexibility (custom connectors, code-native integrations) but encourages standard patterns for efficiency. | Full control, so you can make whatever you wish. But it comes with a steep price and added complexity. | |
| Productized integrations | Focus on making integrations product features. Build once, deploy many. | Integrations often treated as services (one customer, one custom integration) and not usually optimized for reuse or scalability. | |
| Security and compliance | Offloads much of this infrastructure by design. | You are directly responsible for building and maintaining auth, establishing compliance, and implementing security. | |
| Role of non-devs | Can build (low-code designer), deploy, and manage integrations. | Can forward onboarding and support emails to engineering. | |
| Customer onboarding | You can build new integrations for new customers in short order. | If a new integration is required, development timeframes may significantly delay deal closing. | |
| Innovation vs tech debt | Frees up engineering to focus on the core product instead of integration infrastructure and support. | Tech debt is a reality of creating custom integrations as fast as you can. | |
| Churn and retention | Faster onboarding, reliability, and visibility lead to less churn. | When integrations are slow to deploy, unstable, or take much hand-holding, churn risk increases. | |
| Maintenance load | Much lower since integration infrastructure is pre-built and managed. | As integrations mature, your maintenance burden increases (usually in a linear fashion). | |
| Usage and metrics | Provides visibility into usage, logs, and performance, enabling better data-driven decisions. | Probably lack accessible metrics for usage, customers, and issues. | |
| Risk exposure | The platform is outsourced, so you have less control of details, but substantially less risk overall. Compliance with standard frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, and CJIS are baked in. | You own everything and have complete control, but all the risk is also yours. | |
- Number of devs neededInitially, 1 to 2. Ongoing, 0 to 1. This is common, but will grow for large orgs.
- Time-to-marketWeeks or days (sometimes less).
- Maintenance ownershipPrismatic handles updates, security, and scaling.
- CostsPredictable pricing tied to plan and usage.
- Reliability99.99% uptime per SLAs
- Customer self-serviceMarketplace (search and activate), dashboards (configure and troubleshoot), and workflow builder (create one-off workflows).
- Infrastructure scalingAutoscaling AWS infrastructure to handle the highs and lows without hiccups.
- Connector libraryPre-built connectors and a custom connector SDK for building more
- Support toolsBuilt-in monitoring logging and alerting tools that are accessible to non-devs and customers.
- CustomizationProvides flexibility (custom connectors, code-native integrations) but encourages standard patterns for efficiency.
- Productized integrationsFocus on making integrations product features. Build once, deploy many.
- Security and complianceOffloads much of this infrastructure by design.
- Role of non-devsCan build (low-code designer), deploy, and manage integrations.
- Customer onboardingYou can build new integrations for new customers in short order.
- Innovation vs tech debtFrees up engineering to focus on the core product instead of integration infrastructure and support.
- Churn and retentionFaster onboarding, reliability, and visibility lead to less churn.
- Maintenance loadMuch lower since integration infrastructure is pre-built and managed.
- Usage and metricsProvides visibility into usage, logs, and performance, enabling better data-driven decisions.
- Risk exposureThe platform is outsourced, so you have less control of details, but substantially less risk overall. Compliance with standard frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, and CJIS are baked in.
- In-House
- Number of devs neededInitially 1 to N. Ongoing, 1 to N.
- Time-to-marketMonths.
- Maintenance ownership1 or more dedicated DevsOps engineers.
- CostsSubstantial up-front dev, DevOps, and cloud costs. Variable ongoing costs (but usually still substantial).
- ReliabilityVaries from really good to not-so-good.
- Customer self-serviceUsually not a priority. Seen as unnecessary in most instances.
- Infrastructure scalingVaries greatly based on what's been pulled together to support integrations.
- Connector libraryCustom, from scratch connectors for each system
- Support toolsNot usually included, unless as an afterthought. Engineering bears the support load.
- CustomizationFull control, so you can make whatever you wish. But it comes with a steep price and added complexity.
- Productized integrationsIntegrations often treated as services (one customer, one custom integration) and not usually optimized for reuse or scalability.
- Security and complianceYou are directly responsible for building and maintaining auth, establishing compliance, and implementing security.
- Role of non-devsCan forward onboarding and support emails to engineering.
- Customer onboardingIf a new integration is required, development timeframes may significantly delay deal closing.
- Innovation vs tech debtTech debt is a reality of creating custom integrations as fast as you can.
- Churn and retentionWhen integrations are slow to deploy, unstable, or take much hand-holding, churn risk increases.
- Maintenance loadAs integrations mature, your maintenance burden increases (usually in a linear fashion).
- Usage and metricsProbably lack accessible metrics for usage, customers, and issues.
- Risk exposureYou own everything and have complete control, but all the risk is also yours.
Proven impact at scale
Prismatic beautifully supports the model we wanted: technical support staff configure new instances of known integrations; software engineers get involved when there's something new; support staff can monitor what's happening day-to-day. Meanwhile, we can focus engineering cycles on adding value for our customers.
Prismatic has been a game-changer for our team. The platform's intuitive low-code builder, marketplace and robust monitoring capabilities allow us to deliver complex integrations faster and more reliably than ever before. Whether quickly wiring up an integration using pre-built components or developing custom logic, Prismatic gives us the flexibility we need.
We probably save 95% of engineering time, we've deployed far more integrations than we would have without Prismatic. Everyone gets it; everyone understands that we can integrate wherever we need to, and that's quite a powerful thing.
We've been able to see a roughly 50% increase in new customer acquisition simply by that factor of reducing time on our maintenance. My development team can now focus on new integrations and new automations.
After evaluating numerous embedded iPaaS vendors, Prismatic emerged as the clear leader for scaling customer integrations. Their comprehensive toolset not only enables access to diverse data sources but empowers our customers to build, deploy, and manage their own integrations with confidence.
Prismatic has enabled FMX to be efficient, consistent, and reliable in our integrations with third party systems. Prismatic has quickly become the clear choice for all facets of our integration strategy, including the migration of current integrations from previous solutions. We are pleased to mention our partnership with Prismatic when discussing system integration with prospects, customers, and other solution providers.
Prismatic beautifully supports the model we wanted: technical support staff configure new instances of known integrations; software engineers get involved when there's something new; support staff can monitor what's happening day-to-day. Meanwhile, we can focus engineering cycles on adding value for our customers.
Prismatic has been a game-changer for our team. The platform's intuitive low-code builder, marketplace and robust monitoring capabilities allow us to deliver complex integrations faster and more reliably than ever before. Whether quickly wiring up an integration using pre-built components or developing custom logic, Prismatic gives us the flexibility we need.
We probably save 95% of engineering time, we've deployed far more integrations than we would have without Prismatic. Everyone gets it; everyone understands that we can integrate wherever we need to, and that's quite a powerful thing.
We've been able to see a roughly 50% increase in new customer acquisition simply by that factor of reducing time on our maintenance. My development team can now focus on new integrations and new automations.
After evaluating numerous embedded iPaaS vendors, Prismatic emerged as the clear leader for scaling customer integrations. Their comprehensive toolset not only enables access to diverse data sources but empowers our customers to build, deploy, and manage their own integrations with confidence.
Prismatic has enabled FMX to be efficient, consistent, and reliable in our integrations with third party systems. Prismatic has quickly become the clear choice for all facets of our integration strategy, including the migration of current integrations from previous solutions. We are pleased to mention our partnership with Prismatic when discussing system integration with prospects, customers, and other solution providers.
Prismatic beautifully supports the model we wanted: technical support staff configure new instances of known integrations; software engineers get involved when there's something new; support staff can monitor what's happening day-to-day. Meanwhile, we can focus engineering cycles on adding value for our customers.
Prismatic has been a game-changer for our team. The platform's intuitive low-code builder, marketplace and robust monitoring capabilities allow us to deliver complex integrations faster and more reliably than ever before. Whether quickly wiring up an integration using pre-built components or developing custom logic, Prismatic gives us the flexibility we need.
We probably save 95% of engineering time, we've deployed far more integrations than we would have without Prismatic. Everyone gets it; everyone understands that we can integrate wherever we need to, and that's quite a powerful thing.
We've been able to see a roughly 50% increase in new customer acquisition simply by that factor of reducing time on our maintenance. My development team can now focus on new integrations and new automations.
After evaluating numerous embedded iPaaS vendors, Prismatic emerged as the clear leader for scaling customer integrations. Their comprehensive toolset not only enables access to diverse data sources but empowers our customers to build, deploy, and manage their own integrations with confidence.
Prismatic has enabled FMX to be efficient, consistent, and reliable in our integrations with third party systems. Prismatic has quickly become the clear choice for all facets of our integration strategy, including the migration of current integrations from previous solutions. We are pleased to mention our partnership with Prismatic when discussing system integration with prospects, customers, and other solution providers.
How much might you save?
B2B SaaS teams that use Prismatic spend significantly less dev time on integrations. Use this calculator to estimate what you could save.
More Resources
Learn more about Prismatic vs in-house integration development.
Common Questions
An embedded iPaaS is a purpose-built integration platform that a B2B SaaS vendor embeds into its product so customers can connect to their other apps directly from within the UI.
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