Apache Airflow vs Prefect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache Airflow and Prefect share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan, and Apache Airflow has no paid plan to buy, against $100 a month for Prefect.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Apache Airflow grades higher on the free plan. Prefect grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apache Airflow
Open-source platform for authoring and scheduling workflows in Python
Prefect
Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Apache Airflow if
- Fits if you write Python and already run your own servers
- Works for teams that want workflows defined as code with no licence fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a drag-and-drop builder, as workflows are Python only
- Not for you if you have nobody to install, upgrade and secure it
- Tight if you need paid support, because the project lists community help only
- Watch out: managed hosting means a separate vendor and a separate bill
Pick Prefect if
- Fits if you write Python and want scheduling, retries and run history
- Makes sense if you want an open-source core you can self-host
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't write code, as workflows are Python functions
- Tight if you grow past Hobby: 2 users, 5 deployments and 7 days of run history
- Pricey if you need Team: it starts at 4 users at $100 each, so $400 a month
- Watch out: SSO, SCIM, RBAC and an uptime SLA are Enterprise only
- Watch out: there is no free trial of paid plans, the Hobby plan stands in for it
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAApache AirflowFair | 2.4GPAPrefectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo licence fee, but it only runs if you host it, so you pay for a server and someone's time. Managed versions such as Astro are billed separately. | CThe open-source version is free to host yourself, which needs a server. Paid Cloud starts at $100 a month for 3 users, against a $19.99 middle for automation tools. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no caps from the project. The cost is the hosting, not the software. | BA free Hobby plan: 2 users, 5 deployments, 500 minutes a month of serverless compute and 7 days of run retention. One person can live on that. |
| Features | CScheduling, monitoring and a large set of integrations for clouds. There's no visual builder in the core project, and the site lists no paid support plan. | BFlows, scheduling, remote runs, managed compute, alerting and automations. SSO, SCIM and an SLA are Enterprise only, which the listing treats as plan gating. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. Workflows are written in Python and you install and operate it yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You write Python and set up work pools, or self-host the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb interface, with integrations for Google Cloud, AWS and Azure. No phone apps and no desktop app. | BWeb, an API and integrations with AWS, Databricks, dbt, Docker, Kubernetes, Slack, Snowflake and GitHub. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | scheduling Python workflows you host yourself | Python teams scheduling and tracking workflows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apache Airflow and Prefect. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apache Airflow has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Prefect starts at $100 a month and scores 2.3.
Prefect scores higher, and starts $100 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other automation tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apache Airflow for less, and 18 score higher than Prefect for less.
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
Where they differ
- Prefect also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Apache Airflow | Prefect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users) |
| Free plan | None | Hobby plan: 2 users, up to 5 deployments, 500 minutes a month of Prefect Serverless and 7 days of run retention. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Apache Software Foundation | Prefect Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | airflow.apache.org | prefect.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apache Airflow
- You install, upgrade, secure and scale it yourself unless you buy a managed service such as Astronomer's Astro.
- The project's site lists a community, meetups and a Slack for help; it offers no paid support plan.
- Defining workflows requires Python knowledge; there is no visual builder in the core project.
Prefect
- The Hobby plan stops at 2 users, 5 deployments and 7 days of run retention.
- Team starts at 4 users at $100 per user per month, so the cheapest Team bill is $400 a month.
- SSO, SCIM, object-level RBAC and an uptime SLA are Enterprise-only; Starter and Team have no SLA.
- The pricing page says it offers no free trial of paid plans; the Hobby plan serves that purpose.
Key features
Apache Airflow
- Pipelines as Python code
- Workflows are written in Python, so loops and date logic can generate tasks dynamically, with Jinja templating built in for parameters.
- Web interface
- A web application shows the status and logs of running and finished tasks, and lets you schedule and manage workflows.
- Scalable architecture
- A modular design with a message queue lets Airflow spread work over any number of workers.
- Provider integrations
- Ready-made operators cover Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and other third-party services, and you can write your own.
- AI provider
- The Common AI provider reached 1.0 in October 2026, covering agents, sandboxes, human approval and retries for LLM work in pipelines.
Prefect
- Flows from plain Python
- Adding a decorator to a Python function makes it a flow with retries, state tracking and artifacts, without a separate DAG definition language.
- Scheduling and deployments
- Flows are packaged as deployments that can be scheduled, triggered by webhooks or events, and run remotely on work pools you configure.
- Prefect Serverless
- Managed compute run by Prefect, so flows can run without hosting your own infrastructure. Each paid plan includes a monthly allowance of it.
- Observability and automations
- Run logs, alerting and event-driven automations that send notifications or trigger runs when something in a workflow changes state.
- Open-source core
- The orchestration framework is open source and can be self-hosted; Prefect Cloud is the hosted version with more governance and scale features.
- Security and compliance
- Prefect states SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and GDPR alignment, with hybrid and VPC deployment options on higher plans.
Plans
Apache Airflow
Open source$0
Apache-2.0 licensed software you install and run yourself; hosting and operations costs are yours.
Prefect
Hobby$0
2 users, 5 deployments, 500 min/mo of Prefect Serverless, logging and alerting, 7-day run retention.
Starter$100
per month for up to 3 users, billed monthly
20 deployments, 75 hours/mo of Prefect Serverless, bring your own compute, webhooks and 1,250 API requests/min.
Team$100
per user / month, for 4 to 8 users, billed monthly
100 deployments, 225 hours/mo of Prefect Serverless, service accounts, 24-hour audit log, email support.
EnterpriseCustom
SSO (SAML/OIDC), RBAC and ACLs, SCIM, multiple workspaces, unlimited deployments and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Annual billing; sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Apache Airflow
No public discounts listed.
Prefect
- Startups
Prefect Startup Program
The pricing page says eligible startups get credits toward the Team plan through the Prefect Startup Program; qualification is by application.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache Airflow or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache Airflow is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $100 a month for Prefect. Apache Airflow is free, and Prefect starts at $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users).
Which has a free plan, Apache Airflow or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache Airflow and Prefect have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.