Apache Airflow review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source platform for authoring and scheduling workflows in Python
Apache Airflow report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for scheduling Python workflows you host yourself
Airflow schedules and monitors workflows you write in Python, and it costs nothing to download. You install, upgrade, secure and scale it yourself, there's no visual builder and no paid support plan, so it suits people who are comfortable running their own servers.
Who Apache Airflow is for
- Fits if you write Python and already run your own servers
- Works for teams that want workflows defined as code with no licence fee
Who Apache Airflow is not for
- Skip it if you want a drag-and-drop builder, as workflows are Python only
- Not for you if you have nobody to install, upgrade and secure it
- Tight if you need paid support, because the project lists community help only
- Watch out: managed hosting means a separate vendor and a separate bill
Why Apache Airflow gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo licence fee, but it only runs if you host it, so you pay for a server and someone's time. Managed versions such as Astro are billed separately.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright with no caps from the project. The cost is the hosting, not the software.
- CFeaturesScheduling, monitoring and a large set of integrations for clouds. There's no visual builder in the core project, and the site lists no paid support plan.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. Workflows are written in Python and you install and operate it yourself.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb interface, with integrations for Google Cloud, AWS and Azure. No phone apps and no desktop app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Apache Airflow's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Apache Airflow? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/apache-airflow#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/apache-airflow.svg" alt="Apache Airflow: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Apache Airflow stands among automation tools
Apache Airflow's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 90 of the 134 other automation tools we grade, and level with 23.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 124 of 134) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Apache Airflow has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 135 automation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Apache Airflow’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 22 of 134, level with 82
- AFree plan and trialAbove 124 of 134, level with 10
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 134, level with 83
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 134, level with 26
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 134, level with 95
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 80 automation tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Apache Airflow, or make your own?
Keep it
Apache Airflow is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.4 is higher than 90 of the 134 other automation tools we grade.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
What this rests on. Apache Airflow’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Apache Airflow?
Apache Airflow is an open-source platform, created by its community, for programmatically authoring, scheduling and monitoring workflows. Pipelines are defined in Python and run by a scheduler and workers, with a web interface for watching runs and logs. It is free to download and run yourself, with managed versions sold by other companies.
Worth knowing
- You install, upgrade, secure and scale it yourself unless you buy a managed service such as Astronomer's Astro.
- The project's site lists a community, meetups and a Slack for help; it offers no paid support plan.
- Defining workflows requires Python knowledge; there is no visual builder in the core project.
Key features
- Pipelines as Python code
- Workflows are written in Python, so loops and date logic can generate tasks dynamically, with Jinja templating built in for parameters.
- Web interface
- A web application shows the status and logs of running and finished tasks, and lets you schedule and manage workflows.
- Scalable architecture
- A modular design with a message queue lets Airflow spread work over any number of workers.
- Provider integrations
- Ready-made operators cover Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and other third-party services, and you can write your own.
- AI provider
- The Common AI provider reached 1.0 in October 2026, covering agents, sandboxes, human approval and retries for LLM work in pipelines.
Apache Airflow pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache Airflow is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Apache-2.0 licensed software you install and run yourself; hosting and operations costs are yours. |
Read from airflow.apache.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Apache Airflow before you buy.
Works with
Apache Airflow alternatives
- Apache Airflow vs Prefect
Free plan · from $100/mo
- Apache Airflow vs Dagster
Free trial · from $10/mo
- Apache Airflow vs Astronomer
Free trial · from $0.35
- Apache Airflow vs Kestra
Free plan
- Apache Airflow vs Windmill
Free plan · from $10/mo
Common questions
Does Apache Airflow have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Apache Airflow is listed for Web.
Does Apache Airflow have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Apache Airflow is listed for Web.
Is Apache Airflow open source?
Yes. Apache Airflow is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Apache Airflow have an API?
Yes. Apache Airflow offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.