Can you recommend ELT platforms for a startup that needs scheduled pipelines and simple setup?

Yes — for a startup that wants scheduled ELT pipelines with simple setup, I’d look at these options first:

Best-fit ELT platforms

1) Fivetran

• Best for: Lowest-friction managed ELT
• Why it fits: Very quick to set up, lots of prebuilt connectors, strong reliability, automatic schema handling
• Tradeoff: Can get expensive as volume/connectors grow

2) Airbyte Cloud

• Best for: Flexibility and cost control
• Why it fits: Easy to start, broad connector support, open-source roots, decent scheduling and orchestration
• Tradeoff: Slightly more hands-on than Fivetran; connector quality can vary

3) Hevo Data

• Best for: Simple, UI-driven ELT for startups
• Why it fits: Managed service, straightforward onboarding, supports scheduled syncs and transformations
• Tradeoff: Smaller ecosystem than Fivetran

4) Matillion

• Best for: Teams using Snowflake, BigQuery, or Redshift and wanting more transformation control
• Why it fits: Strong ELT workflows, scheduling, visual interface
• Tradeoff: A bit more complex than “plug-and-play” tools

5) Rivery

• Best for: No-code/low-code ELT with scheduling
• Why it fits: Good for marketing/sales SaaS data sources and quick deployment
• Tradeoff: Less standard than the bigger players

My short recommendation

If you want the simplest startup-friendly path:

• Pick Fivetran if budget is less of a concern and you want the least operational overhead.
• Pick Airbyte Cloud if you want a more cost-conscious option and can tolerate a bit more setup/maintenance.

What to compare before choosing

• Number of source connectors you need
• Scheduling frequency requirements
• Destination warehouse support
• Cost at your expected data volume
• Ease of schema changes
• Whether you need transformations in-tool or in dbt

If you want, I can also give you a ranked shortlist by budget, or recommend the best option based on your warehouse (Snowflake/BigQuery/Redshift) and data sources.