head to head · open source
compose vs openworkflow
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars, 5,899 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openworkflow has 1,346 stars, 73 forks, 12 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. compose leads on adoption by 2,766% (38,573 vs 1,346 stars). compose is written in Go under Apache-2.0; openworkflow is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. compose has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, openworkflow 5%. compose 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
| compose | openworkflow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.9K | ⑂ 73 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick compose if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick openworkflow if
- You want the openworkflow feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and openworkflow fits your workflow better
About compose
Table of Contents Docker Compose Where to get Docker Compose + Windows and macOS + Linux Quick Start Contributing Legacy Docker Compose Docker Compose is a tool for running multi container applications on Docker defined using the Compose file format. A Compose file is used to define how one or more containers that make up your application are configured. Once you have a Compose file, you can create and start your application with a single command: docker compose up . Note : About Docker Swarm Docker Swarm used to rely on the legacy compose file format but did not adopt the compose specification so is missing…
read the full compose overview →
About openworkflow
OpenWorkflow OpenWorkflow is a TypeScript framework for building durable, resumable workflows that can pause for seconds or months, survive crashes and deploys, and resume exactly where they left off all without extra servers to manage. Quick Start The CLI will guide you through setup and generate everything you need to get started. Documentation Documentation Quick Start Guide Core Concepts Advanced Patterns Production Checklist OpenTelemetry Architecture Read ARCHITECTURE.md for a deep dive into how OpenWorkflow works under the hood. Examples Check out examples/ for working examples. Contributing We welcome…
read the full openworkflow overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is compose or openworkflow more popular?
compose has 38,573 GitHub stars and openworkflow has 1,346. compose has the larger community by that measure.
Are compose and openworkflow free?
Both are open source. compose is licensed under Apache-2.0 and openworkflow under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between compose and openworkflow?
compose is written in Go and openworkflow 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, compose or openworkflow?
Choose compose if you want the larger community (38,573 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose openworkflow if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.