Apache Airflow vs Mage
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Apache Airflow
Programmatically author, schedule and monitor workflows
VS
Mage
Open-source data pipeline tool for transforming and integrating data
| Feature | Apache Airflow | Mage |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,409 | ★ 8,789 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Azure Data Factory, Apache Airflow |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Airflow or Mage better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Mage is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache Airflow and Mage free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Mage under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Airflow and Mage with Docker?
Apache Airflow: yes. Mage: yes.