Camunda vs Kestra (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kestra grades higher than Camunda: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kestra grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Camunda
BPMN process orchestration, self-hosted or as a cloud service
Which one is for you
Pick Camunda if
- Fits if your team writes process logic and wants BPMN in a standard format
- Works for developers who start on the free local edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a published price, as production plans are sold through sales
- Not for you if you need the free edition in production, as it is for non-production use
- Watch out: after 30 days the SaaS account can model but not run processes
- Too heavy for a quick no-code job, as it expects engineers
Pick Kestra if
- Fits if you are an engineer who wants to own the orchestrator
- Works for data teams already using dbt, Spark or Kafka
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not write YAML or run servers
- Tight if you need SSO, roles, audit logs or multi-tenancy, as those are Enterprise
- Watch out: no Cloud or Enterprise price is published
- Watch out: you run and upgrade the platform yourself
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACamundaFair | 2.4GPAKestraFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo production prices are published, and both production options go through sales. It sits in the middle. | CThe open-source edition is $0 but needs your own servers, which is a C. Cloud and Enterprise prices are not published. |
| Free plan and trial | CSelf-Managed is free for local and non-production use only. The SaaS trial lasts 30 days, then a free account can model but not run processes. | BFree to self-host under Apache 2.0, with unlimited flows and executions. You pay for the server. |
| Features | BBPMN and DMN modeling, a process engine, connectors, Operate and Tasklist, reporting and document processing. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | BDeclarative workflows, code and no-code editors, event-driven scheduling and over 2,600 plugins. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | DProcess models need BPMN skills, and the free edition means hosting it yourself. | DFlows are YAML, and self-hosting means running and upgrading it yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb tools with connectors to SAP, ServiceNow and Microsoft Teams. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb interface with plugins for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Terraform, dbt, Spark and Redis. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | BPMN process orchestration for engineers | workflows defined in YAML |
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: Camunda and Kestra. How we grade
Where they differ
- Kestra is open source, according to its own site.
- Camunda also covers AI agents and dashboards.
At a glance
| Camunda | Kestra | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | Self-Managed is free for local development and non-production use; production needs an Enterprise license. | The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Camunda SaaS with full process execution, then a free account limited to modeling. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Camunda | Kestra |
| Price read from | camunda.com | kestra.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Camunda
- No production prices are published; both production options are sold through sales.
- The free Self-Managed edition is for development and non-production use only.
- After the 30-day SaaS trial, a free account keeps modeling but cannot execute processes.
- SaaS Console and Modeler are hosted in the EU, and clusters can be created in other regions.
Kestra
- No Cloud or Enterprise price is published; Cloud is by access request and Enterprise by contact with sales.
- SSO, role-based access, audit logs and multi-tenancy are Enterprise Edition features.
- Workflows are defined in YAML, so it assumes engineering skills.
- Self-hosting means running and upgrading the platform yourself.
Key features
Camunda
- BPMN and DMN modeling
- Process models in BPMN and decision models in DMN, built in a Desktop Modeler or a collaborative Web Modeler with version history and Git Sync.
- Process engine and connectors
- The Zeebe engine runs BPMN processes and the decision engine runs DMN, with connectors and an integration framework and SDK.
- Operate and Tasklist
- Operate inspects running processes and decisions, and Tasklist handles human tasks with form integration.
- Optimize reporting
- Custom process reports, dashboards and KPI-based monitoring and alerts are listed under Optimize.
- Intelligent document processing
- IDP and RPA, plus SAP and ServiceNow integrations, appear in the feature comparison; IDP is listed for the hosted SaaS edition.
Kestra
- Declarative workflows
- Workflows, triggers and dependencies are written as YAML, versioned in Git and deployed through CI/CD.
- Code and no-code editors
- Flows can be written in code or built in a visual editor.
- Event-driven scheduling
- Flows run on schedules, on events or through the API, with retries, backfills and failure handling.
- 2,600+ plugins
- Plugins and scripts orchestrate SQL, Python, shell, APIs, Terraform, dbt and Spark in one workflow.
- AI features
- An MCP server for AI agents is in open source; an agentic AI copilot on any LLM is an Enterprise feature.
- Enterprise governance
- Enterprise adds SSO, LDAP and SCIM, role-based access, audit logs, multi-tenancy and secrets management.
Plans
Camunda
Development (Self-Managed)$0
Build and test on your own machine, with no license, for non-production use only. You host it yourself.
Production (Self-Managed)Custom
Enterprise license to run in production on your own infrastructure, with 24x7 support and SLAs. Sold through sales.
Camunda SaaSCustom
Fully hosted by Camunda with the full orchestration platform and 24x7 support. Bought through sales or started with a trial.
Kestra
Open Source$0
Self-hosted under Apache 2.0. Unlimited flows and executions, queue on PostgreSQL or MySQL.
CloudCustom
Managed by Kestra with scaling and enterprise plugins; priced by usage, access by request.
Enterprise EditionCustom
Annual subscription per instance, with SSO, RBAC, audit logs, worker groups and SLA support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Camunda or Kestra?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Camunda publishes no starting price, and Kestra publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Camunda or Kestra?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Camunda and Kestra 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.