Apache Airflow vs Windmill
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
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Apache Airflow | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,409 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Airflow or Windmill better?
Neither is universally better. Apache Airflow has the larger community, while Windmill is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache Airflow and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Airflow and Windmill with Docker?
Apache Airflow: yes. Windmill: yes.