Automa 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?
Automa
Browser automation via drag-and-drop visual workflows
VS
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Automa | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,543 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, UiPath | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Automa if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 21.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is Automa or Windmill better?
Automa is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Windmill if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Automa and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Automa is licensed under MIT and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automa and Windmill with Docker?
Automa: check the project docs for container support. Windmill: yes.