Apache Airflow vs Restate
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
Restate
Durable execution engine for resilient applications
| Feature | Apache Airflow | Restate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BUSL-1.1 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,409 | ★ 4,263 |
| First released | 2015 | 2023 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Temporal |
Why pick each one
Choose Restate if…
- Released under the BUSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Airflow or Restate better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Restate is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache Airflow and Restate free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Restate under BUSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Airflow and Restate with Docker?
Apache Airflow: yes. Restate: yes.