# Sling

> Single-binary CLI for moving data between databases and files

Sling is a data movement tool distributed as one Go binary, moving data between databases, warehouses, and file storage from the command line or a pipe, with a managed platform available above it.

Website: https://slingdata.io

## Use it when

- The job is moving data between databases, warehouses, and files without standing up a platform.
- A step inside an existing orchestrator, a CI job, or an ad-hoc migration needs one dependency-free binary.
- Database-to-database and file-to-database moves are the bulk of the work, the ground SaaS connector catalogs cover thinly.
- A shell pipe is an acceptable pipeline: stdin in, table out.

## Think twice when

- You need a large SaaS connector catalog; REST API sources exist on Pro, but Airbyte and Fivetran cover far more.
- Scheduling, monitoring, and team workflows must come built in; the CLI has none, and the Sling Platform is the paid answer.
- GPL-3.0 copyleft is a problem for how you distribute tooling.
- Log-based CDC matters; it sits on the Pro tier.

## How it runs

One static Go binary, run from a shell or any scheduler, configured by flags, environment variables, or YAML replication specs. Incremental loads use an update key with backfill ranges; schema drift adds new columns by default. The Sling Platform adds a visual editor, cron scheduling, and agents running in your infrastructure, billed as a flat per-team subscription.

## Details

### General

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| License | Open source (copyleft) |
| SPDX identifier | GPL-3.0 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Managed, Hybrid |
| Workload | Batch |
| Operational complexity | Low |
| Pricing | Free, Subscription |
| Language | Go |
| Repository | https://github.com/slingdata-io/sling-cli |
| Documentation | https://docs.slingdata.io |
| Stars | 906 |

### Batch ELT

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Authoring model | Single-binary CLI and YAML; visual editor in the Platform |
| Source coverage | Databases, files, object storage and REST APIs |
| Destinations | Databases, warehouses and file or object storage |
| Custom connectors | YAML API Specs on Pro, auth, pagination and JMESPath |
| Incremental sync | update_key incremental and backfill ranges; log-based CDC on Pro |
| Sync frequency | Your scheduler for the CLI; cron in the Platform |
| Schema drift | Adds new columns by default; type changes only if enabled |
| Transformations | Column-level transforms and source SQL; no modelling layer |
| Scheduling | None in the CLI; the Platform schedules and runs via agents |
| Billing unit | Flat per-team subscription; no usage metering |

## Capabilities

- [Batch ELT](https://matca.io/capabilities/batch-elt)

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Source: https://matca.io/sling
Last updated: 2026-08-31T11:40:49.271Z