head to head · open source
ansible vs conductor
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars, 24,474 forks, 837 open issues and last shipped yesterday. conductor has 32,401 stars, 1,051 forks, 253 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ansible leads on adoption by 120% (71,204 vs 32,401 stars). ansible is written in Python under GPL-3.0; conductor is written in Java under Apache-2.0. ansible has attracted 34% as many forks as stars, conductor 3%. ansible was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ansible | conductor | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 32K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 24K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ansible if
- You weight community size — 71K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick conductor if
- You want the conductor feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and conductor fits your workflow better
About ansible
[ ][copying] Ansible Ansible is a radically simple IT automation system. It handles configuration management, application deployment, cloud provisioning, ad hoc task execution, network automation, and multi node orchestration. Ansible makes complex changes like zero downtime rolling updates with load balancers easy. More information on the Ansible website. Design Principles Have an extremely simple setup process with a minimal learning curve. Manage machines quickly and in parallel. Avoid custom agents and additional open ports, be agentless by leveraging the existing SSH daemon. Describe infrastructure in a…
read the full ansible overview →
About conductor
Conductor Durable Execution for Workflows and Agents Build agents that adapt. Run graphs that endure. Conductor is an open source durable execution platform for microservices, AI agents, and adaptive workflow graphs. It turns runtime choices—loops, branching, fan out, tool calls, approvals, retries, and cancellation—into durable, inspectable execution. It originated at Netflix and is actively maintained by Orkes and the community. Get Running in 60 Seconds Prerequisites: Node.js v16+ and Java 21+ must be installed. Open — your server is running with the built in ui next UI. Upgrading from a previous version? The…
read the full conductor overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ansible or conductor more popular?
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars and conductor has 32,401. ansible has the larger community by that measure.
Are ansible and conductor free?
Both are open source. ansible is licensed under GPL-3.0 and conductor under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ansible and conductor?
ansible is written in Python and conductor in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ansible or conductor?
Choose ansible if you want the larger community (71,204 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose conductor if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.