Alternatives · Automation

Apache DolphinScheduler alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Apache DolphinScheduler alternative is Apache Airflow (2.4 GPA). It's also the best free one.

Apache DolphinScheduler compared with 6 alternatives: Apache Airflow, Dagster, Prefect, Kestra, Argo Workflows and 1 more.

Apache DolphinScheduler is free to use. 5 of the 6 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

Tool	Price	Free plan	Runs on
Apache DolphinSchedulerThis tool	Free	Free	Web
Apache Airflow	Free	Free	Web
Dagster	Free trial · from $10/mo	Trial only	Web
Prefect	Free plan · from $100/mo	Yes	Web
Kestra	Free plan	Yes	Web
Argo Workflows	Free	Free	Web
Rundeck	Free plan	Yes	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux

Price against what you get

Apache DolphinScheduler has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

The best score at each price
Has a free plan
No free plan

The full chart of automation tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Apache DolphinScheduler

Apache Airflow
Open-source platform for authoring and scheduling workflows in Python
- Apache Airflow is free.
- Apache Airflow does not cover job scheduling, which Apache DolphinScheduler does.
Suits: Python-literate data teams that want full control of their orchestrator
Apache Airflow vs Apache DolphinScheduler Apache Airflow pricing and details
Dagster
Asset-based data orchestration platform, now part of Prefect
- Dagster starts at $10 per month plus $0.040 per credit (Solo).
- Dagster has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Apache DolphinScheduler.
- Dagster also covers dashboards.
- Dagster does not cover job scheduling, which Apache DolphinScheduler does.
Suits: Data engineering teams that think in tables and models rather than tasks
Dagster vs Apache DolphinScheduler Dagster pricing and details
Prefect
Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud
- Prefect starts at $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users).
- Prefect also covers AI agents.
- Prefect does not cover job scheduling, which Apache DolphinScheduler does.
Suits: Python data and ML teams moving scripts into scheduled, monitored workflows
Prefect vs Apache DolphinScheduler Prefect pricing and details
Kestra
Open-source workflow orchestration platform defined in YAML
- Kestra does not cover job scheduling, which Apache DolphinScheduler does.
Suits: Data and platform engineers who want workflows as code
Kestra vs Apache DolphinScheduler Kestra pricing and details
Argo Workflows
Open-source container-native workflow engine for Kubernetes
- Argo Workflows is free.
Suits: Platform and data teams that already run Kubernetes
Argo Workflows vs Apache DolphinScheduler Argo Workflows pricing and details
Rundeck
Runbook automation and job scheduling for IT operations
- Rundeck also lists Windows, Linux and macOS apps.
Suits: Operations and DevOps teams standardizing runbooks and self-service tasks
Rundeck vs Apache DolphinScheduler Rundeck pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Apache DolphinScheduler

It is self-hosted software with no hosted edition listed on the project pages, so your team installs and runs it.
The project page is a documentation site; support comes through GitHub issues and mailing lists, not a paid plan.
It is aimed at data and batch workflows, not at no-code app-to-app automation for non-technical users.

Apache DolphinScheduler pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Apache DolphinScheduler?

The alternatives to Apache DolphinScheduler in this directory are Apache Airflow, Dagster, Prefect, Kestra, Argo Workflows and Rundeck. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Apache DolphinScheduler.

Is there a free alternative to Apache DolphinScheduler?

Yes. Apache Airflow and Argo Workflows are free to use. Prefect, Kestra and Rundeck have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Apache DolphinScheduler alternatives work on Windows?

The Apache DolphinScheduler listing does not include a Windows app. Rundeck lists one.

Which Apache DolphinScheduler alternatives work on macOS?

The Apache DolphinScheduler listing does not include a macOS app. Rundeck lists one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

How this page was made

Where any alternative here is in our top three automation tools, the best for most people is the highest placed of them: the top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades. Otherwise the page names the highest-graded alternative in the same category as Apache DolphinScheduler, the one its listing names first winning a tie. The best free one is the highest-graded alternative that is free or has a free plan (a free trial does not count), with its catch quoted from its listing where the listing states a short one. The GPA is the average of our five grades for each tool.
The alternatives are the tools Apache DolphinScheduler’s listing names as its closest substitutes, and the tools whose listings name Apache DolphinScheduler.
Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing, which names the pages they were read from.
The differences are worked out from those listings.
The chart sets each tool’s starting price against our own grades for features, ease of use and platforms.

Read the method All automation tools

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