Apache Airflow vs Skyvern
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
Skyvern
Automate browser workflows with LLMs and computer vision
| Feature | Apache Airflow | Skyvern |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,409 | ★ 22,708 |
| First released | 2015 | 2024 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | UiPath, Zapier |
Why pick each one
Choose Skyvern if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 22.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Airflow or Skyvern better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Skyvern is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache Airflow and Skyvern free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Skyvern under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Airflow and Skyvern with Docker?
Apache Airflow: yes. Skyvern: yes.