# Apache Airflow review (2026): is it any good? > Open-source platform for authoring and scheduling workflows in Python Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Automation - **Made by:** Apache Software Foundation - **Website:** https://airflow.apache.org - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a drag-and-drop builder, as workflows are Python only. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Apache Airflow is free to use. - **Pricing model:** 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 https://airflow.apache.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Apache Airflow before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Python-literate data teams that want full control of their orchestrator - Organizations that need free software with a large provider ecosystem - Teams happy to run it themselves or buy a managed Airflow service ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.4 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: C.** No 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. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright with no caps from the project. The cost is the hosting, not the software. - **Features: C.** Scheduling, 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. - **Ease of use: D.** No store rating on record. Workflows are written in Python and you install and operate it yourself. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Web interface, with integrations for Google Cloud, AWS and Azure. No phone apps and no desktop app. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/automation ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure **Tags:** Workflow automation, Open source, Self-hostable, Public API ## Alternatives - [Prefect](https://toolgpa.com/tools/prefect): Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-prefect) - [Dagster](https://toolgpa.com/tools/dagster): Asset-based data orchestration platform, now part of Prefect. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-dagster) - [Astronomer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/astronomer): Managed Apache Airflow platform (Astro) with usage-based pricing. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-astronomer) - [Kestra](https://toolgpa.com/tools/kestra): Open-source workflow orchestration platform defined in YAML. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-kestra) - [Windmill](https://toolgpa.com/tools/windmill): Open-source platform for scripts, workflows and internal apps. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-windmill) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://airflow.apache.org - https://airflow.apache.org/docs/apache-airflow/stable/start.html - https://github.com/apache/airflow Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/apache-airflow Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).