The Kestra Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Kestra in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Kestra
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source workflow orchestration platform defined in YAML
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among automation tools, read from Kestra’s own pages.
Made by Kestra · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Kestra’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Kestra’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 40 of the 71 other automation tools we grade
Kestra is an orchestration platform where workflows are declared in YAML and run on a schedule, on events or through an API. It is open source under Apache 2.0 and can be self-hosted, with a managed Cloud edition and a paid Enterprise Edition that adds governance features. It lists more than 2,600 plugins and scripts in any language.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Kestra, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You run and upgrade it yourself, and SSO, roles and audit logs are Enterprise only.
- 1
Best for workflows defined in YAML
Kestra is an open-source workflow orchestrator whose flows are written in YAML, free to self-host with no limit on flows or runs.
- 2
There is a free plan
The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Declarative workflows
Workflows, triggers and dependencies are written as YAML, versioned in Git and deployed through CI/CD.
- 5
Code and no-code editors
Flows can be written in code or built in a visual editor.
- 6
Event-driven scheduling
Flows run on schedules, on events or through the API, with retries, backfills and failure handling.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 40 of 71
That is against the other automation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Kestra you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Kestra at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Kestra, since 2021
- Category
- Automation
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for workflows defined in YAML
Kestra is an open-source workflow orchestrator whose flows are written in YAML, free to self-host with no limit on flows or runs. You run and upgrade it yourself, and SSO, roles and audit logs are Enterprise only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The 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 | B | Free to self-host under Apache 2.0, with unlimited flows and executions. You pay for the server. |
| Features | B | Declarative 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 | D | Flows are YAML, and self-hosting means running and upgrading it yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web interface with plugins for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Terraform, dbt, Spark and Redis. No desktop or phone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Kestra is for
- Fits if you are an engineer who wants to own the orchestrator
- Works for data teams already using dbt, Spark or Kafka
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Data and platform engineers who want workflows as code
- Teams that must run on their own infrastructure or air-gapped
- Organizations wanting an open-source start with a paid enterprise route
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
3
plans to choose from
Kestra has a free plan.
Cloud and Enterprise prices are not published.
Open Source
$0
Self-hosted under Apache 2.0. Unlimited flows and executions, queue on PostgreSQL or MySQL.
Cloud
Custom
Managed by Kestra with scaling and enterprise plugins; priced by usage, access by request.
Enterprise Edition
Custom
Annual subscription per instance, with SSO, RBAC, audit logs, worker groups and SLA support.
The free plan
The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions.
Read from kestra.io on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source workflow orchestration platform defined in YAML. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, AI features, workflow automation.
Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- Kafka
- Terraform
- dbt
- Spark
- Redis
Kestra is made by Kestra, and has been around since 2021.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
40/71
Other automation tools it is graded above
Kestra's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 40 of the 71 other automation tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 56 of 71) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 72 automation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Kestra’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 14 of 71
- BFree plan and trialAbove 56 of 71
- BFeaturesAbove 35 of 71
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 71
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 19 of 71
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Kestra you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Kestra is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on, SCIM, audit logs and roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Kestra’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
n8n, Windmill, Camunda and Trigger.dev
The 4 tools Kestra is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
n8n
Free plan · from €20/mo
Workflow automation and AI agents you can self-host.
- Kestra is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Windmill
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source platform for scripts, workflows and internal apps.
- Windmill also covers AI agents and app builder.
- 2.2GPA
Camunda
Free plan
BPMN process orchestration, self-hosted or as a cloud service.
- Kestra is open source, according to its own site.
- Camunda also covers AI agents and dashboards.
- 2.2GPA
Trigger.dev
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source platform for long-running background tasks and AI agents.
- Trigger.dev also covers AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Kestra free?
Kestra has a free plan. The open-source edition is free to self-host, with unlimited flows and executions.
How much does Kestra cost?
Kestra lists 3 plans. Open Source: $0.
What platforms does Kestra work on?
Kestra is available on Web.
Does Kestra have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Kestra is listed for Web.
Does Kestra have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Kestra is listed for Web.
Is Kestra open source?
Yes. Kestra is open source, according to its own site.
Does Kestra have an API?
Yes. Kestra offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Kestra integrate with?
Kestra's listing names PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, Terraform, dbt, Spark and Redis.
Who makes Kestra?
Kestra is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2021.
What are the alternatives to Kestra?
The closest alternatives to Kestra in our directory are n8n, Windmill, Camunda and Trigger.dev.
How does Kestra compare with other automation tools?
Kestra's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 40 of the 71 other automation tools we grade, and level with 14.
Could I make my own version of Kestra?
To replace Kestra you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Kestra’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kestra's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kestra. Prices change, so check kestra.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Kestra, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/kestra
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Kestra: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/kestra
Know someone choosing between automation tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/kestra/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded automation tools after Kestra, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Automation Insider's GuideEvery one of the 72 automation tools we grade, compared
- IFTTT Insider's GuideSimple trigger-and-action automations for apps and smart devices3.0 GPA
- Node-RED Insider's GuideOpen-source, flow-based programming tool for event-driven apps3.0 GPA
- Ui.Vision Insider's GuideOpen-source browser and desktop automation with computer vision3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Kestra’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Kestra is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kestra. Prices and plans change: check kestra.io before you buy.