head to head · open source
Kestra vs CodeMachine-CLI
Kestra has 28,148 GitHub stars, 2,999 forks, 713 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CodeMachine-CLI has 2,509 stars, 238 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. Kestra leads on adoption by 1,022% (28,148 vs 2,509 stars). Kestra is written in Java under Apache-2.0; CodeMachine-CLI is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Kestra has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, CodeMachine-CLI 9%. Kestra was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (automation), 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
| Kestra | CodeMachine-CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-02-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 238 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Kestra if
- You weight community size — 28K 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 CodeMachine-CLI if
- You want the CodeMachine-CLI 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 CodeMachine-CLI fits your workflow better
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 →
About CodeMachine-CLI
npm i g codemachine CodeMachine is an open source tool that orchestrates AI coding agents into repeatable, long running workflows. ⚡️ Every time you use an AI coding agent, you're running a workflow. Fix a bug? You ask questions, reproduce, analyze, plan, implement, test. Build a feature? You research, design, code, review. The workflow lives in your head. You guide the agent through it, step by step, session by session. But every time you start, you rebuild it from scratch. You re explain the process. You remember to ask the right questions. You manage when to clear context, when to push forward, when to loop ba…
read the full CodeMachine-CLI overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Kestra or CodeMachine-CLI more popular?
Kestra has 28,148 GitHub stars and CodeMachine-CLI has 2,509. Kestra has the larger community by that measure.
Are Kestra and CodeMachine-CLI free?
Both are open source. Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and CodeMachine-CLI under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Kestra and CodeMachine-CLI?
Kestra is written in Java and CodeMachine-CLI 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, Kestra or CodeMachine-CLI?
Choose Kestra if you want the larger community (28,148 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose CodeMachine-CLI if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.