Kestra vs StackStorm (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kestra and StackStorm 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 platforms 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.
StackStorm
Open-source event-driven automation for DevOps and SRE teams
Free
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 StackStorm if
- Fits if your IT team wants rules that react to events and run fixes automatically
- Works for engineers comfortable writing Python sensors and actions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host software, since no hosted service is listed
- Not for you if you need vendor support, as help comes from community Slack, forums and GitHub
- Too light on hand-holding for non-technical teams: custom pieces are Python plugins or scripts
- Watch out: install docs cover Ubuntu and RHEL-compatible Linux, Docker and Kubernetes, not Windows or Mac
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAKestraFair | 2.4GPAStackStormFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$0 for open-source software, but you run it on your own machines. That puts it in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to self-host under Apache 2.0, with unlimited flows and executions. You pay for the server. | BNo paid plan; it costs only the servers you host it on. |
| 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. | BSensors, rules, workflows, packs, an audit trail, ChatOps and an API. The core job is covered. |
| Ease of use | DFlows are YAML, and self-hosting means running and upgrading it yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You install it on Linux, Docker or Kubernetes and write Python. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb interface with plugins for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Terraform, dbt, Spark and Redis. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb UI and Linux, with 7 integrations and an API. |
| Best for | workflows defined in YAML | event-driven automation for IT operations |
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 StackStorm. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostablePublic APIWorkflow automation
At a glance
| Kestra | StackStorm | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kestra | StackStorm, a Series of LF Projects, LLC |
| Price read from | kestra.io | stackstorm.com |
| 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.
StackStorm
- It is self-hosted: the install docs cover Ubuntu and RHEL-compatible Linux, Docker and Kubernetes, and no hosted service is listed.
- The project lists no paid plan or vendor support; help comes from the community Slack, forums and GitHub.
- Custom sensors and actions are written as Python plugins or scripts, so it suits technical teams.
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.
StackStorm
- Sensors and triggers
- Sensors are Python plugins that watch for events in outside systems and emit triggers, such as timers, webhooks or a monitoring alert.
- Rules
- Rules map triggers to actions or workflows, with matching criteria and a mapping from the trigger payload to the action's inputs.
- Actions and workflows
- Actions are outbound integrations such as SSH or REST calls, and workflows string several actions together with order, conditions and data passing.
- Packs and Exchange
- Packs group integrations and automations for sharing, and many are published on StackStorm Exchange.
- Audit trail
- Manual and automated action executions are recorded with their triggering context and results, and audit logs can feed tools such as Splunk and syslog.
- ChatOps, web UI and API
- The docs describe ChatOps support, a web UI, a CLI client, a REST API and Python client bindings.
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.
StackStorm
Open source$0
Free software you install and run yourself. The project's pages list no paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kestra or StackStorm?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kestra publishes no starting price, and StackStorm is free.
Which has a free plan, Kestra or StackStorm?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kestra and StackStorm have a free plan.
Which platforms do Kestra and StackStorm run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only StackStorm lists a Linux app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.