head to head · open source
Kestra vs openworkflow
Kestra has 28,146 GitHub stars, 2,997 forks, 713 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openworkflow has 1,323 stars, 66 forks, 12 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Kestra leads on adoption by 2,027% (28,146 vs 1,323 stars). Kestra is written in Java under Apache-2.0; openworkflow is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Kestra has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, openworkflow 5%. Kestra 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Kestra | openworkflow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 66 |
| 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 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 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 openworkflow
OpenWorkflow is an open source TypeScript framework for building durable, resumable workflows on Node.js and Bun, aimed at developers who need long running background work to survive crashes and deploys without operating extra servers.
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 Kestra or openworkflow more popular?
Kestra has 28,146 GitHub stars and openworkflow has 1,323. Kestra has the larger community by that measure.
Are Kestra and openworkflow free?
Both are open source. Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and openworkflow under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Kestra and openworkflow?
Kestra 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, Kestra or openworkflow?
Choose Kestra if you want the larger community (28,146 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.