head to head · open source
conductor vs openworkflow
conductor has 32,401 GitHub stars, 1,051 forks, 253 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openworkflow has 1,346 stars, 73 forks, 12 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. conductor leads on adoption by 2,307% (32,401 vs 1,346 stars). conductor is written in Java under Apache-2.0; openworkflow is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. conductor has attracted 3% as many forks as stars, openworkflow 5%. conductor was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (durable-execution, workflow-engine), 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| conductor | openworkflow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 73 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick conductor if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- 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 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 →
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 →
More in Infrastructure & Operations
Related comparisons
More Orchestration & Scheduling projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Orchestration & Scheduling field.
Frequently asked questions
Is conductor or openworkflow more popular?
conductor has 32,401 GitHub stars and openworkflow has 1,346. conductor has the larger community by that measure.
Are conductor and openworkflow free?
Both are open source. conductor is licensed under Apache-2.0 and openworkflow under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between conductor and openworkflow?
conductor is written in Java 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, conductor or openworkflow?
Choose conductor if you want the larger community (32,401 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.