Kestra vs Skyvern

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?
FeatureKestraSkyvern
CategoryAutomation & WorkflowsAutomation & Workflows
LicenseApache-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetesdocker
GitHub stars★ 27,575★ 22,708
First released20212024
ReplacesZapier, MakeUiPath, Zapier

Why pick each one

Choose Kestra if…

  • Strong for data orchestration
  • Scalable architecture
  • Open-source license
Kestra details

Choose Skyvern if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 22.7k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
Skyvern details

Frequently asked questions

Is Kestra or Skyvern better?

Neither is universally better. Kestra has the larger community, while Skyvern is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Kestra and Skyvern free and open-source?

Yes. Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Skyvern under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Kestra and Skyvern with Docker?

Kestra: yes. Skyvern: yes.

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