Watchtower 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?
Watchtower
Automatically update running Docker containers to new images
VS
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Watchtower | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,695 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Renovate | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is Watchtower or Windmill better?
Watchtower is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Windmill if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Watchtower and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Watchtower is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Watchtower and Windmill with Docker?
Watchtower: yes. Windmill: yes.