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Apache DolphinScheduler vs Apache NiFi

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?
AP Apache DolphinScheduler Distributed visual workflow scheduling platform VS AP Apache NiFi Visual dataflow automation and routing system
FeatureApache DolphinSchedulerApache NiFi
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score94 · Excellent91 · Excellent
CategoryAutomation & WorkflowsAutomation & Workflows
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageJavaJava
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, bare-metaldocker, kubernetes, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 14,499★ 6,242
First released20192014
ReplacesAWS Step Functions, Azure Data FactoryAzure Data Factory, Zapier

What are Apache DolphinScheduler and Apache NiFi?

Apache DolphinScheduler

Apache DolphinScheduler is a distributed, extensible workflow scheduler with a visual drag-and-drop interface. It is designed for big data and ETL job orchestration with high reliability.

  • Visual DAG workflow designer
  • Distributed and decentralized scheduling
  • Multi-tenant support
  • Rich task type plugins

Read the full Apache DolphinScheduler guide →

Apache NiFi

Apache NiFi is a system to automate the flow of data between systems through a drag-and-drop interface. It supports routing, transformation and mediation of data with strong provenance tracking.

  • Drag-and-drop dataflow design
  • Detailed data provenance
  • Hundreds of built-in processors
  • Backpressure and prioritized queuing

Read the full Apache NiFi guide →

Apache DolphinScheduler vs Apache NiFi: key differences

Both projects are written in Java. Apache NiFi is the more established project (first released 2014), while Apache DolphinScheduler arrived in 2019. Apache DolphinScheduler has the considerably larger community, at 14,499 GitHub stars versus 6,242.

Why pick each one

Choose Apache DolphinScheduler if…

  • Friendly visual interface
  • Scales horizontally

Watch out for

  • Heavy Java-based stack
Apache DolphinScheduler details

Choose Apache NiFi if…

  • Powerful visual dataflow
  • Strong data lineage

Watch out for

  • Resource heavy
  • Complex for simple tasks
Apache NiFi details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache DolphinScheduler or Apache NiFi better?

Neither is universally better. Apache DolphinScheduler has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Apache DolphinScheduler and Apache NiFi free and open-source?

Yes. Apache DolphinScheduler is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Apache NiFi under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Apache DolphinScheduler and Apache NiFi with Docker?

Apache DolphinScheduler: yes. Apache NiFi: yes.

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