SHSelfHostIndex

Apache DolphinScheduler vs Temporal

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 TE Temporal Durable execution platform for reliable distributed workflows
FeatureApache DolphinSchedulerTemporal
CategoryAutomation & WorkflowsAutomation & Workflows
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageJavaGo
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, bare-metaldocker, kubernetes, helm
GitHub stars★ 14,412★ 22,173
First released20192019
ReplacesAWS Step Functions, Azure Data FactoryAWS Step Functions, Azure Logic Apps

Why pick each one

Choose Apache DolphinScheduler if…

  • Friendly visual interface
  • Scales horizontally
Apache DolphinScheduler details

Choose Temporal if…

  • Extremely reliable for long workflows
  • Strong multi-language support
Temporal details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache DolphinScheduler or Temporal better?

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

Are Apache DolphinScheduler and Temporal free and open-source?

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

Can I run Apache DolphinScheduler and Temporal with Docker?

Apache DolphinScheduler: yes. Temporal: yes.

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