Apache DolphinScheduler vs Dagster (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache DolphinScheduler grades higher than Dagster: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Apache DolphinScheduler grades higher on the free plan and 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 DolphinScheduler
Open-source workflow scheduler for data pipelines
Dagster
Asset-based data orchestration platform, now part of Prefect
Which one is for you
Pick Apache DolphinScheduler if
- Fits if your team already runs batch and data jobs on its own servers
- Works for engineers who want a scheduler with workflow dependencies and an API
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host software, since there's no hosted edition
- Not for you if you need paid support, as help comes from GitHub issues and mailing lists
- Too light on hand-holding for non-technical people: it's aimed at data and batch work, not no-code app automation
- Watch out: the project's main page is a docs site, so we read little beyond the listing
Pick Dagster if
- Fits if your team writes Python and thinks of pipelines as tables and files
- Works for data teams that want a hosted console but can self-host the core later
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't write Python, as pipelines are code
- Tight if you're not paying: no free hosted plan, only a 30-day trial
- Watch out: credits are charged per asset and per op on top of $10 or $100 a month
- Watch out: the site says Dagster is now part of Prefect, so plans and branding may change
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAApache DolphinSchedulerFair | 2.0GPADagsterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$0 under an Apache 2 licence, but it's software you host yourself, which needs a server. That puts it in the middle. | CSolo is $10 a month and Starter $100, but every asset and op also costs a credit ($0.040 or $0.035), so the bill isn't just the headline. The category's middle is $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree software with no paid tier at all. It costs nothing but the machines you run it on. | C30-day trial with everything on, and the core framework can be self-hosted for nothing. There's no free hosted plan, so after a month you pay or run it yourself. |
| Features | BDrag-and-drop workflows, a Python SDK, an open API, versioning, many task types and multi-tenancy. The core job is covered. | COrchestration, catalog, data quality checks and cost insights. Cost tracking, project-level roles and several alert types are Pro only. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install and operate the platform yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You define pipelines as Python code and run or host a code location, which is a developer's setup, not a click-through one. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb interface, with a Python SDK and open API, and 7 integrations. | BWeb console with integrations for dbt, Snowflake, Databricks, AWS and Airbyte. No desktop or phone apps. |
| Best for | scheduling data workflows you host yourself | Python data pipelines built around assets |
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 DolphinScheduler and Dagster. How we grade
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. Dagster starts at $10 a month and scores 2.0.
Apache DolphinScheduler scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other automation tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apache DolphinScheduler for less, and 10 score higher than Dagster 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
- Apache DolphinScheduler also covers job scheduling.
- Dagster also covers dashboards.
At a glance
| Apache DolphinScheduler | Dagster | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $10 per month plus $0.040 per credit (Solo) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial with access to everything Dagster offers |
| Web | ||
| Made by | The Apache Software Foundation | Prefect Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | dagster.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Dagster
- Usage is billed in credits: one per asset materialized and one per op executed, on top of the monthly fee.
- There is no free hosted plan; the trial lasts 30 days, though the core framework can be self-hosted.
- Cost tracking, role scoping by project and several alert types are limited to the Pro plan.
- The site says Dagster is now part of Prefect, so plans and branding may change.
Key features
Apache DolphinScheduler
- Drag-and-drop workflow editor
- Workflows are created and managed in a web interface by drag and drop, with a tree view that shows how tasks depend on each other.
- Python SDK and open API
- Besides the web interface, workflows can be defined with a Python SDK or managed through the project's open API.
- Multi-master, multi-worker design
- The architecture is decentralized with several masters and workers, and the project says it scales horizontally.
- Versioning and state control
- Workflows and individual workflow instances are versioned, and runs can be paused, stopped, recovered or backfilled from the web interface.
- Built-in task types and data sources
- A range of task types ships with the product, and data sources such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Hive and Trino can be connected.
- Multi-tenancy and permissions
- The project lists multi-tenancy and permission control by project and data source.
Dagster
- Asset-based orchestration
- Pipelines are modeled as assets with dependencies, alongside workflow-based orchestration for work that is not tied to a data asset.
- Data catalog and lineage
- Asset metadata, asset-level lineage and, on Starter and above, catalog search; column lineage is listed on the comparison table.
- Data quality checks
- Asset checks, freshness policies and dbt test integration surface the health of each asset.
- Insights and alerts
- Pipeline metrics with a 30-day lookback and alerts by email, Slack or Teams; cost tracking for BigQuery and Snowflake is a Pro feature.
- Hybrid or Serverless compute
- Run on Dagster Serverless, billed at $0.010 a minute, or on your own infrastructure in Hybrid mode with no compute charge from Dagster.
- Open-source core
- The core orchestration framework is open source on GitHub and can be self-hosted; Dagster+ adds branch deployments, RBAC and cost insights.
Plans
Apache DolphinScheduler
Open source$0
Apache 2 licensed software you host yourself. The project lists no paid plans or hosted service.
Dagster
Solo$10
per month, plus $0.040 per credit
1 user, 1 code location and 1 deployment for personal projects. Serverless compute is $0.010 a minute.
Starter$100
per month, plus $0.035 per credit
Up to 3 users, 5 code locations, 1 deployment and catalog search. Serverless compute is $0.010 a minute.
ProCustom
Unlimited code locations and deployments, cost tracking and insights, uptime SLAs and a private Slack channel. Sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache DolphinScheduler or Dagster?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache DolphinScheduler is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10 a month for Dagster. Apache DolphinScheduler is free, and Dagster starts at $10 per month plus $0.040 per credit (Solo).
Which has a free plan, Apache DolphinScheduler or Dagster?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Apache DolphinScheduler has a free plan. Dagster does not, though it has a free trial.
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.