Freedom251 › Workflow Orchestration Software
Apache DolphinScheduler
What Apache DolphinScheduler is
Apache DolphinScheduler is a free, open-source platform for orchestrating data workflows through visual DAG interfaces or code. Workflows can be built with drag-and-drop tools or defined using Python, YAML, or the Open API. The project lists more than 30 built-in task types, including Shell, SQL, Spark, Flink, Hive, Kubernetes, and HTTP. Workflows can depend on other projects or workflows, pause and resume, and run batch backfills in serial or parallel mode.
Its decentralized multi-master and multi-worker design is described as increasing scheduling capacity with cluster size. Deployment options include standalone, cluster, and Kubernetes. Standalone is intended for quick evaluation, not production: the project recommends it for fewer than 20 workflows, and its default in-memory H2 database is cleared when the service stops or restarts.
Security documentation lists password, LDAP, Casdoor SSO, and OAuth2 authentication, plus administrator-managed controls for users, tenants, queues, tokens, worker groups, resources, and data sources. The security model assumes a secure, trustworthy network and does not address internal network cross-infiltration. Documentation, quick starts, and a community mailing list are available.
Who it suits
Apache DolphinScheduler suits teams that want to build and coordinate data workflows visually or as code. Its deployment options may suit users evaluating the platform or running cluster or Kubernetes deployments.
What it does well
- Free, open-source workflow orchestration.
- More than 30 built-in task types.
- Workflows can be defined with Python, YAML, or Open API.
- Supports cluster and Kubernetes deployment.
- Lists LDAP, Casdoor SSO, and OAuth2 authentication.
What to know first
- Standalone is recommended for fewer than 20 workflows.
- Standalone's in-memory H2 database clears on stop or restart.
- Security model assumes a secure, trustworthy network.
Limits
Standalone is recommended for fewer than 20 workflows, and its default in-memory H2 database is cleared when the service stops or restarts.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apache DolphinScheduler | Open-source workflow orchestration platform | Free |
| Open source | Apache-2.0 software · self-hosted deployment · no paid tier stated | Free |
As dolphinscheduler.apache.org lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Apache DolphinScheduler website.
- Choose a standalone, cluster, or Kubernetes deployment.
- Use the documentation and quick starts to guide deployment.
- Build workflows with the visual interface or define them with Python, YAML, or the Open API.
Verdict
Apache DolphinScheduler offers visual and code-based workflow design with multiple deployment options. Standalone has explicit evaluation limits, and the security model places network trust outside the product’s scope.
Questions
How much does Apache DolphinScheduler cost?
It is listed as free and open source, with a plan price of $0.
Can I use it without paying?
Yes. The product has a free plan and is open source.
Where can Apache DolphinScheduler run?
Listed platforms include API, Linux, self-hosted, and web. Documented deployment options are standalone, cluster, and Kubernetes.
Can workflows be defined as code?
Yes. Workflows can be defined with Python, YAML, or the Open API, as well as built in the visual interface.
What authentication methods are documented?
The security documentation lists password, LDAP, Casdoor SSO, and OAuth2 authentication.
Facts from Apache DolphinScheduler's own pages
- Access controls
- The security guide describes administrator-managed users, tenants, queues, tokens, worker groups, and authorization for resources and data sources. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- API
- The product supports workflow coding and integration through its Open API, and the maker provides a Python API for defining workflows as code. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Supported login methods are password authentication, LDAP, Casdoor SSO and OAuth2 authorization. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Authorization
- The security center controls queues, tenants, users, alarm groups, worker groups, tokens, projects, resources and data-source permissions. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Backfill
- Complement runs support executing a workflow over a selected date range in serial or parallel mode. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The project directs users and developers to GitHub issues plus users and dev mailing lists for support and discussion. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Concurrency
- The official site claims support for millions of data tasks with high concurrency, throughput and low latency. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Dependency management
- Workflows can express dependencies across projects and workflows, including dependent and sub-process task nodes. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The maker documents standalone, cluster, and Kubernetes deployment; standalone is intended for quick evaluation rather than production. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- Documentation covers installation, architecture, configuration, security, API usage and individual Python task classes with code and YAML examples. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Execution controls
- Users can kill, pause and resume task or workflow execution. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- The platform supports custom task types and plugin families for tasks, data sources, storage, alerts and scheduling. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2017 · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 28 Sept 2026
- High availability
- The architecture uses decentralized multi-master and multi-worker services so masters and workers can be scaled independently. · dolphinscheduler.apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Independent project footprint
- The public repository page shows about 14.5 thousand stars and 5.1 thousand forks. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Latest release
- GitHub lists version 3.4.3 as the latest release, published on September 6, 2026. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- License
- The source repositories identify the software as licensed under Apache License 2.0. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: code review workflow
- An independent review says UI-authored DAGs are easy to build but harder to review in pull requests than code-defined pipelines. · hysenlabs.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: failure recovery incident
- A published incident report reproduced a master-crash scenario where restart caused previously unscheduled tasks to run together and potentially exhaust CPU and memory. · medium.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: operational complexity
- Independent catalog coverage rates operational complexity as high because production deployments require multiple services and infrastructure components. · matca.io, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: scaling and maintenance
- A field report describes painful configuration sprawl, many manual operations, and significant infrastructure management when moving to Kubernetes. · apachedolphinscheduler.substack.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Maker founded
- The Apache Software Foundation says it was formed in 1999. · apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Maker headquarters
- The Apache Software Foundation lists its mailing address in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. · apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Maker legal name
- The Apache Software Foundation is the nonprofit organization that hosts and governs the project. · apache.org, 15 Oct 2026
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