Apache NiFi vs Windmill
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Apache NiFi | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,242 | ★ 18,022 |
| First released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Azure Data Factory, Zapier | Zapier, Retool |
What are Apache NiFi and Windmill?
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
Windmill
Windmill is a developer platform that turns scripts into workflows, APIs, and internal apps with scheduling and approvals. It targets engineers automating internal tooling. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Scripts in Python, TypeScript and more
- Auto-generated UIs for scripts
- Flows with branching and retries
- Fast Rust execution engine
Apache NiFi vs Windmill: key differences
Apache NiFi is written in Java, while Windmill is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache NiFi versus AGPL-3.0 for Windmill. Windmill is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Apache NiFi. Apache NiFi is the more established project (first released 2014), while Windmill arrived in 2022. Windmill has the considerably larger community, at 18,022 GitHub stars versus 6,242.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache NiFi if…
- Powerful visual dataflow
- Strong data lineage
Watch out for
- Resource heavy
- Complex for simple tasks
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Watch out for
- More technical than no-code tools
- Requires Postgres
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache NiFi or Windmill better?
Windmill is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache NiFi if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apache NiFi and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Apache NiFi 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 NiFi and Windmill with Docker?
Apache NiFi: yes. Windmill: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache NiFi or Windmill?
Windmill has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Apache NiFi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.