Kestra vs Prefect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kestra and Prefect share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and 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.
Prefect
Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.4GPAKestraFair | 2.4GPAPrefectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe open-source edition is $0 but needs your own servers, which is a C. Cloud and Enterprise prices are not published. | 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 to self-host under Apache 2.0, with unlimited flows and executions. You pay for the server. | 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 | 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. | 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 | DFlows are YAML, and self-hosting means running and upgrading 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 plugins for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Terraform, dbt, Spark and Redis. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, an API and integrations with AWS, Databricks, dbt, Docker, Kubernetes, Slack, Snowflake and GitHub. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | workflows defined in YAML | 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: Kestra and Prefect. How we grade
Where they differ
- Prefect also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Kestra | Prefect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users) |
| Free plan | The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions. | 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 | Kestra | Prefect Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | kestra.io | prefect.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
Kestra
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, Kestra or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kestra publishes no starting price, and Prefect starts at $100 per month, billed monthly (Starter, 3 users).
Which has a free plan, Kestra or Prefect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kestra 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.