StackStorm 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?
StackStorm
Event-driven automation, often called IFTTT for ops
VS
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | StackStorm | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,515 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, AWS Systems Manager | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is StackStorm or Windmill better?
Windmill is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider StackStorm if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are StackStorm and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. StackStorm is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run StackStorm and Windmill with Docker?
StackStorm: yes. Windmill: yes.