Apache Airflow vs Mercure
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
Mercure
Real-time updates protocol and server-sent events hub
| Feature | Apache Airflow | Mercure |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,409 | ★ 5,297 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Pusher |
Why pick each one
Choose Mercure if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Airflow or Mercure better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Mercure is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache Airflow and Mercure free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Mercure under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Airflow and Mercure with Docker?
Apache Airflow: yes. Mercure: yes.