head to head · open source
ansible vs loonflow
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars, 24,474 forks, 837 open issues and last shipped yesterday. loonflow has 2,095 stars, 706 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. ansible leads on adoption by 3,299% (71,204 vs 2,095 stars). ansible is written in Python under GPL-3.0; loonflow is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. ansible has attracted 34% as many forks as stars, loonflow 34%. ansible was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (python), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | loonflow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 2.1K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 24K | ⑂ 706 |
| 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 loonflow if
- You want the loonflow feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and loonflow 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 loonflow
Loonflow 3.0 Intelligent and Visual Process Automation System Dedicated to providing enterprise grade unified workflow solutions English 简体中文 Loonflow 3.0 A Fresh Start Loonflow is an open source process automation platform developed based on Django. After multiple versions of iteration and refactoring, we proudly present Loonflow 3.0 a version that achieves a qualitative leap in visualization, flexibility, and scalability. The core of version 3.0 is "making complex business processes simple and visual, making personalized customization needs within reach." Not only have we rebuilt the process and form…
read the full loonflow overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ansible or loonflow more popular?
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars and loonflow has 2,095. ansible has the larger community by that measure.
Are ansible and loonflow free?
Both are open source. ansible is licensed under GPL-3.0 and loonflow under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ansible and loonflow?
ansible is written in Python and loonflow in TypeScript. 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 loonflow?
Choose ansible if you want the larger community (71,204 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose loonflow if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.