SHSelfHostIndex

Apache NiFi vs Apache DolphinScheduler

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 NiFi Visual dataflow automation and routing system VS AP Apache DolphinScheduler Distributed visual workflow scheduling platform
FeatureApache NiFiApache DolphinScheduler
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★ 6,188★ 14,412
First released20142019
ReplacesAzure Data Factory, ZapierAWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory

Why pick each one

Choose Apache NiFi if…

  • Powerful visual dataflow
  • Strong data lineage
Apache NiFi details

Choose Apache DolphinScheduler if…

  • Friendly visual interface
  • Scales horizontally
Apache DolphinScheduler details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache NiFi or Apache DolphinScheduler 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 NiFi and Apache DolphinScheduler free and open-source?

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

Can I run Apache NiFi and Apache DolphinScheduler with Docker?

Apache NiFi: yes. Apache DolphinScheduler: yes.

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