Side by side
Apache Airflow vs Dagster
Both stand on workflow orchestration software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Airflow is built for scheduled Python batch workflows, with operational controls and a broad set of provider packages. Its deployment support is Linux-based, and secret-backend integrations are read-only.
Visit Apache Airflow
Pick Dagster if you need asset-aware orchestration, pipeline visibility, and data-quality tools, especially when you want to run compute in your own infrastructure. The core framework is open source, and a 30-day trial is listed. Check the per-credit and per-minute charges on Solo or Starter, or contact sales for Pro pricing.
Visit DagsterThe facts
| Apache Airflow | Dagster | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | See the plans |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | airflow.apache.org | dagster.io |
| On workflow orchestration software | #7 of 38 | #29 of 38 |
Apache Airflow: what it does well
- Free to download and use under the Apache License.
- Supports manual triggers, backfills, and reruns.
- Operators connect to major cloud services.
- More than 80 provider packages are available.
- Credentials are masked in Airflow 3 and later.
What to know first
- Workflows must be defined in Python code.
- Designed for scheduled batch workflows.
- Secret-backend integrations do not allow writes.
- Windows deployment is unsupported except WSL2 development.
Dagster: what it does well
- Models data assets and dependencies for lineage visibility.
- Supports partitions, incremental runs, declarative workflows, and fault-tolerant orchestration.
- Integrated catalog brings together discovery, lineage, workflows, and operational metadata.
- Includes validation, automated testing, freshness checks, and observability tools.
- Core orchestration framework is open source and available on GitHub.
What to know first
- Solo is limited to one user, one code location, and one deployment.
- Starter is limited to three users, five code locations, and one deployment.
- Solo and Starter add per-credit and serverless-compute-minute charges.
- Pro pricing requires contacting sales.
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