Apache NiFi vs Knime (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Knime grades higher than Apache NiFi: 3.2 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Knime grades higher on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Knime
Open-source visual workflows for data analysis and automation
Which one is for you
Pick Apache NiFi if
- Fits if you run your own infrastructure and want auditable data routing
- Works for organisations that need software with no licence fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, since the project has none
- Not for you if nobody can run a server
- Tight if you need paid support, as help is community only
- Watch out: upgrades and security are your job
Pick Knime if
- Fits if you're an analyst who wants a free visual tool for cleaning data
- Works for teams automating recurring data jobs
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want hosted execution, billed per started minute on top of €99
- Watch out: the Team plan is priced in euros
- Watch out: executors use 2, 4 or 8 credits a minute depending on size
- Skip it if you need a published Business Hub price, as it's quote only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAApache NiFiFair | 3.2GPAKnimeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo licence fee, but it only runs on a server you provide and operate, so it's a C by our rule for self-host software. | AThe Analytics Platform is free to download and run. The Team plan is €99 a month for 3 seats, with execution at €0.025 per credit per started minute on top. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no caps; the project sells no plans. | AFree open-source desktop program with no cap, plus a 1-month trial of the Team plan with 1,000 credits. |
| Features | CData routing with auditable flows. The project publishes no managed service or support plan. | BVisual workflows for data cleaning and reporting, with Snowflake, Amazon S3, Azure, Google Cloud and Power BI connections. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs setup and ongoing operation on a server. | CNo store rating on record. You build workflows node by node, so there's a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBrowser interface plus Windows, Linux and macOS start-up, with Apache ZooKeeper as the one named integration. | BWindows, macOS, Linux and web, with cloud and Power BI connections. No phone apps. |
| Best for | routing data between systems you host yourself | free visual data cleaning and reporting |
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 NiFi and Knime. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apache NiFi has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Knime starts at about $110.60 a month and scores 2.7.
Knime scores higher, and starts $110.60 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 NiFi for less, and 3 score higher than Knime 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 NiFi is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Knime also covers no-code.
At a glance
| Apache NiFi | Knime | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | €99 per month for 3 seats and 120 execution credits |
| Free plan | None | KNIME Analytics Platform is free and open source for Windows, macOS and Linux; the paid plans add hosted collaboration and execution. |
| Free trial | None listed | 1-month free trial of the Team plan with 1,000 execution credits |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Apache Software Foundation | KNIME |
| Price read from | nifi.apache.org | knime.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apache NiFi
- Apache NiFi is self-hosted only; the project publishes no managed cloud service or support plan.
- It runs on a server and needs setup and operation; the documentation covers Windows, Linux and macOS start-up.
- Support comes through the community: mailing lists, an issue tracker and a wiki.
Knime
- The Team plan is priced in euros; execution is billed on top at €0.025 per credit, per started minute.
- Executors use 2, 4 or 8 credits per minute for the small, medium and large sizes.
- Business Hub has no published price; the pricing page offers a quote form with no per-seat licensing.
Key features
Apache NiFi
- Flow-based design
- Data moves between processors as FlowFiles through connections that hold queues, which can be prioritized and given upper limits that apply back pressure.
- Guaranteed delivery
- The docs describe persistent FlowFile and content repositories on local disk that support guaranteed delivery.
- Data provenance
- The Provenance Repository stores indexed, searchable event data about each piece of data as it moves through a flow.
- Clustering
- Since NiFi 1.0, clusters use a zero-leader design where every node performs the same tasks on different data, coordinated through Apache ZooKeeper.
- Related projects
- The site lists MiNiFi, a Registry for flows and a Flow Design System alongside the main project.
Knime
- Visual workflows
- Analyses are built in a low-code, no-code interface for data prep, analysis, machine learning and LLM work.
- K-AI assistant
- KNIME's AI assistant, K-AI, helps build workflows, generate scripts and create visualizations.
- Scheduled runs
- Team plan workflows can be run ad hoc or on a schedule, from every minute to monthly, in the vendor's hosted cloud.
- Data apps and REST APIs
- Workflows can be deployed as browser-based data apps or REST APIs that others use without installing the desktop software.
- Version control and sharing
- Spaces on KNIME Hub store workflows privately, with a team, or publicly, and track changes.
- Credential handling
- The Team plan page describes central, encrypted handling of credentials for automated runs.
Plans
Apache NiFi
Apache NiFi$0
Free to download and run under the Apache License 2.0. You host it yourself; the project sells no hosted plan.
Knime
Analytics Platform$0
Free open-source desktop software for building workflows; runs on your own machine.
Team plan€99
per month for 3 seats, with 120 execution credits
Private spaces, scheduled runs and data apps. Extra execution is billed at €0.025 per credit.
Business HubCustom
Private environment for larger organizations with governance and the K-AI assistant; sold by quote.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache NiFi or Knime?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache NiFi is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $110.60 a month for Knime. Apache NiFi is free, and Knime starts at €99 per month for 3 seats and 120 execution credits.
Which has a free plan, Apache NiFi or Knime?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache NiFi and Knime 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.