Apache DolphinScheduler vs Kestra
Apache DolphinScheduler
dolphinscheduler.apache.org
Kestra
kestra.ioSide by side
| Figure | Apache DolphinScheduler | Kestra |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · Data Orchestration Software | 8.9 (#1) | 8.4 (#5) |
| Spec score · Workload Automation Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · Workflow Orchestration Software | 8.9 (#5) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Deployment | The maker documents standalone, cluster, and Kubernetes deployment; standalone is intended for quick evaluation rather than production. | Kestra can be self-hosted with Docker or Kubernetes, and Enterprise Edition also supports cloud, on-premises and air-gapped environments. |
| Documentation depth | Documentation covers installation, architecture, configuration, security, API usage and individual Python task classes with code and YAML examples. | The documentation includes installation guides, configuration references, security hardening, migration guides, release notes and an API reference. |
| Execution controls | Users can kill, pause and resume task or workflow execution. | The platform provides retries, failure policies, timeouts, concurrency limits, worker assignment, log capture and conditional error handling. |
| Latest release | GitHub lists version 3.4.3 as the latest release, published on September 6, 2026. | Release notes show Kestra v2.0.6 published on October 13, 2026 with 18 bug fixes and two changes. |
| Scheduling | Workflows support cross-project and cross-workflow dependencies, pause and resume operations, and batch backfills in serial or parallel mode. | Scheduling supports intervals, cron expressions, condition-based schedules, event triggers, HTTP triggers, webhooks and backfills. |
| Self-hosting | Deployment options include standalone, cluster, Docker and Kubernetes modes operated by the customer. | Kestra can run on a laptop, VM, Kubernetes, public cloud, on-premises infrastructure or an air-gapped environment. |
| Support | The homepage directs users to documentation, quick starts, and a community mailing list for updates. | Enterprise Edition includes a customer success program and enterprise support with an SLA. |
| System requirements | The standalone guide requires JDK 1.8 or 11, a binary package and a deployment account with passwordless sudo privileges. | The installation documentation specifies at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB of memory for correct operation. |
| What it does | Apache DolphinScheduler is a distributed workflow-orchestration platform for building and running data-pipeline DAGs through a visual interface. | Kestra is an open-source orchestration platform for scheduled and event-driven data, AI, infrastructure and business workflows. |
Plans
Apache DolphinScheduler
- Apache DolphinSchedulerFree
- Open sourceFree
Kestra
- Open SourceFree
- Enterprise EditionPriced on request
- Kestra CloudPriced on request
- Kestra CloudPriced on request
In their own words
Apache DolphinScheduler
Apache DolphinScheduler is a free, open-source workflow orchestration platform for designing and running data workflows through visual directed-acyclic-graph interfaces or code. Workflows can be built with drag-and-drop tools or defined in Python, YAML, or the Open API. The project lists more than 30 task types, including Shell, SQL, Spark, Flink, Hive, Kubernetes, and HTTP. Scheduling supports cross-project and cross-workflow dependencies, pause and resume operations, and serial or parallel batch backfills. A decentralized multi-master, multi-worker design is described as increasing scheduling capacity with cluster size. Deployment options are standalone, cluster, and Kubernetes. Standalone is for evaluation, recommended for fewer than 20 workflows, and its in-memory H2 database is cleared when the service stops or restarts. Authentication includes password, LDAP, Casdoor SSO, and OAuth2, with administrator-managed resource controls. The security model assumes a trusted network.
Kestra
Kestra is a declarative orchestration platform for building, running, and governing workflows across an organization. Workflows, called flows, are defined in YAML and can combine tasks, dependencies, conditions, triggers, and runtime parameters. Execution controls include retries, failure policies, timeouts, concurrency limits, worker assignment, and log capture. Kestra advertises more than 2,000 plugins for connecting to external tools, with examples including Airbyte, AWS, Azure, BigQuery, dbt, Docker, GitHub, Kafka, Kubernetes, Slack, Snowflake, and Terraform. A flow can orchestrate SQL, Python, shell, APIs, Terraform, dbt, Spark, and custom tools. The platform includes an MCP server for AI agents and supports exposing flows as callable tools. Teams can self-host with Docker or Kubernetes; Enterprise Edition also supports cloud, on-premises, and air-gapped environments. Setup instructions cover macOS, Windows, and Linux, alongside web and API platforms. Kestra Cloud advertises up to two months free during team setup. The Open Source and Enterprise Edition plans have no price listed.