Novu 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?
Novu
Open-source notification infrastructure for developers
VS
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Novu | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,466 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Courier, Knock | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Novu if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is Novu or Windmill better?
Neither is universally better. Novu has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Novu and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Novu is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Novu and Windmill with Docker?
Novu: yes. Windmill: yes.