Apache DolphinScheduler vs Prefect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache DolphinScheduler and Prefect share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan, and Apache DolphinScheduler has no paid plan to buy, against $100 a month for Prefect.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Prefect
Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud
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 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 DolphinSchedulerFair | 2.4GPAPrefectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | BFree software with no paid tier at all. It costs nothing but the machines you run it on. | 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 | BDrag-and-drop workflows, a Python SDK, an open API, versioning, many task types and multi-tenancy. The core job is covered. | 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. You install and operate the platform 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 a Python SDK and open API, and 7 integrations. | BWeb, an API and integrations with AWS, Databricks, dbt, Docker, Kubernetes, Slack, Snowflake and GitHub. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | scheduling data 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 DolphinScheduler and Prefect. 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. Prefect starts at $100 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Apache DolphinScheduler starts $100 a month lower. Of the other automation tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apache DolphinScheduler 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
- Apache DolphinScheduler also covers job scheduling.
- Prefect also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Apache DolphinScheduler | 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 | The Apache Software Foundation | Prefect Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | prefect.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.
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 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.
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 DolphinScheduler
Open source$0
Apache 2 licensed software you host yourself. The project lists no paid plans or hosted service.
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 DolphinScheduler
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 DolphinScheduler or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache DolphinScheduler is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $100 a month for Prefect. Apache DolphinScheduler is free, and Prefect starts at $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users).
Which has a free plan, Apache DolphinScheduler or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache DolphinScheduler 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.