Automatisch vs Kestra
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kestra
Declarative orchestration and scheduling platform
| Feature | Automatisch | Kestra |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 66 · Good | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,980 | ★ 28,316 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Zapier | Zapier, Make |
What are Automatisch and Kestra?
Automatisch
Automatisch is an open-source business automation tool that connects apps and services with visual workflows. It targets privacy-conscious teams wanting an open Zapier alternative. It is deployed via Docker.
- Visual automation flows
- Keeps data on your servers
- Growing connector catalog
- Open-source license
Kestra
Kestra is an event-driven orchestration platform for building and scheduling data and automation workflows declared in YAML. It targets data engineers and platform teams. It is deployed via Docker.
- Declarative YAML workflows
- Event-driven and scheduled runs
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- Built-in UI and API
Automatisch vs Kestra: key differences
Automatisch is written in JavaScript, while Kestra is built with Java. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Automatisch versus Apache-2.0 for Kestra. Automatisch is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Kestra. Kestra has the considerably larger community, at 28,316 GitHub stars versus 13,980.
Why pick each one
Choose Automatisch if…
- Privacy-friendly
- Simple workflow builder
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller integration set
- Still maturing
Choose Kestra if…
- Strong for data orchestration
- Scalable architecture
- Open-source license
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Heavier resource needs
Frequently asked questions
Is Automatisch or Kestra better?
Neither is universally better. Kestra has the larger community, while Automatisch is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Automatisch and Kestra free and open-source?
Yes. Automatisch is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Kestra under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automatisch and Kestra with Docker?
Automatisch: yes. Kestra: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automatisch or Kestra?
Automatisch has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Kestra. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.