Comparison
airflow vs compose
Verdict
Pick airflow when airflow is primarily Python; compose is Go; pick compose when compose is primarily Go; airflow is Python.
Markdown twin · airflow alternatives · compose alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | airflow | compose |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | Published findings As of today · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- airflow
- Apache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows
- compose
- Define and run multi-container applications with Docker
Stars
- airflow
- 46k
- compose
- 38k
Forks
- airflow
- 17k
- compose
- 5.9k
Open issues
- airflow
- 1.7k
- compose
- 118
Language
- airflow
- Python
- compose
- Go
Adopt for
- airflow
- -
- compose
- -
Persona
- airflow
- -
- compose
- -
Runtime
- airflow
- -
- compose
- -
License
- airflow
- Apache-2.0
- compose
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- airflow
- Jul 15, 2026
- compose
- Jul 15, 2026
Categories
- airflow
- AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval
- compose
- AI Agents
Trust and health
Open issues (now)
- airflow
- 1.7k
- compose
- 118
OSV dependency advisories
- airflow
- No lockfile (source not queried)
- compose
- Published findings
Full report
- airflow
- Trust report
- compose
- Trust report
Choose airflow if…
- airflow is primarily Python; compose is Go.
- Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, automation.
- Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval.
When NOT to use airflow
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough.
Choose compose if…
- compose is primarily Go; airflow is Python.
- Tags unique to compose: docker, docker-compose, go, golang.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (118).
When NOT to use compose
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (apache/airflow) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (docker/compose) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (docker/compose) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (docker/compose) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: airflow 46k · compose 38k (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between airflow and compose?
- airflow: Apache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows. compose: Define and run multi-container applications with Docker. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose airflow over compose?
- Choose airflow over compose when airflow is primarily Python; compose is Go; Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, automation; Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval.
- When should I choose compose over airflow?
- Choose compose over airflow when compose is primarily Go; airflow is Python; Tags unique to compose: docker, docker-compose, go, golang; Leaner open-issue backlog (118).
- When should I avoid airflow?
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough.
- When should I avoid compose?
- AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Is airflow or compose more popular on GitHub?
- airflow has more GitHub stars (46,124 vs 37,836). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are airflow and compose open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airflow: Apache-2.0, compose: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to airflow or compose?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at airflow alternatives and compose alternatives (airflow markdown twin, compose markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, airflow or compose?
- airflow: Very active. compose: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for airflow and compose?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: airflow trust report; compose trust report.