head to head · open source
ansible vs Kestra
ansible has 70,719 GitHub stars, 24,336 forks, 837 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Kestra has 28,148 stars, 2,999 forks, 713 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ansible leads on adoption by 151% (70,719 vs 28,148 stars). ansible is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Kestra is written in Java under Apache-2.0. ansible has attracted 34% as many forks as stars, Kestra 11%. 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 | Kestra | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 28K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 24K | ⑂ 3.0K |
| 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 Kestra if
- You want the Kestra 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 Kestra fits your workflow better
About ansible
Ansible is a radically simple, agentless IT automation platform, written in Python and licensed under GPL 3.0, that handles configuration management, application deployment, cloud provisioning, ad hoc task execution, network automation, and multi node orchestration for operators, developers, and network and cloud teams who manage machines over plain SSH.
read the full ansible overview →
About Kestra
Kestra is an open source, event driven orchestration platform for data, AI, and infrastructure workflows. It operates in the Java based ecosystem and is licensed under Apache 2.0. The project provides a unified interface for both scheduled and real time automation, supporting declarative workflow definitions in YAML while also offering visual and AI assisted authoring.
read the full Kestra overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ansible or Kestra more popular?
ansible has 70,719 GitHub stars and Kestra has 28,148. ansible has the larger community by that measure.
Are ansible and Kestra free?
Both are open source. ansible is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kestra under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ansible and Kestra?
ansible is written in Python and Kestra 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 Kestra?
Choose ansible if you want the larger community (70,719 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Kestra if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.