--- title: "airflow vs astron-rpa" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/apache-airflow-vs-iflytek-astron-rpa" tools: ["apache-airflow", "iflytek-astron-rpa"] --- # airflow vs astron-rpa *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick airflow if apache Airflow is a Python-based orchestrator for scheduling and monitoring workflows, suitable for tasks that require flexible DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) definitions; pick astron-rpa if astron-rpa integrates AI agents for robust automation in various environments using Java, with a focus on data privacy and security compliance. [airflow](https://airflow.apache.org/) reports 47k GitHub stars, 18k forks, and 2.1k open issues, last pushed Sep 14, 2026. [astron-rpa](http://www.iflyrpa.com) has 5.5k stars, 598 forks, and 58 open issues, last pushed Sep 16, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [airflow's repository](https://github.com/apache/airflow) and [astron-rpa's repository](https://github.com/iflytek/astron-rpa). | | [airflow](/tools/apache-airflow.md) | [astron-rpa](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows | Agent-ready RPA suite with automation tools for various environments | | Stars | 46,844 | 5,542 | | Forks | 17,829 | 598 | | Open issues | 2,144 | 58 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Apache Airflow is a Python-based orchestrator for scheduling and monitoring workflows, suitable for tasks that require flexible DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) definitions. | astron-rpa integrates AI agents for robust automation in various environments using Java, with a focus on data privacy and security compliance. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [airflow](/tools/apache-airflow.md) | [astron-rpa](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 0d | 4d | | Open issues (now) | 2.1k | 58 | | Stars delta | +419 (30d) | -268 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +262 (30d) | +15 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/apache-airflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [airflow](/tools/apache-airflow.md) - Python runtime; [astron-rpa](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: airflow - **Adopt for:** Apache Airflow is a Python-based orchestrator for scheduling and monitoring workflows, suitable for tasks that require flexible DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) definitions. ## Decision facts: astron-rpa - **Adopt for:** astron-rpa integrates AI agents for robust automation in various environments using Java, with a focus on data privacy and security compliance. ## Choose when ### Choose airflow if… - Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, dag, data-engineering. - airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - If you need to model complex workflow dependency graphs with Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). ### Choose astron-rpa if… - Tags unique to astron-rpa: agent, ai, astron, data-privacy. - Also covers AI Agents. - For enterprises that prioritize security compliance and need self-hosted solutions to maintain control over their data. ## When NOT to use airflow - Avoid if you require Windows as the primary execution environment without using WSL2. - If your project strictly adheres to MariaDB for database management, Airflow is not recommended because it is neither tested nor supported by the tool. ## When NOT to use astron-rpa - If your team or organization is not comfortable working within the restrictions of Java, preferring multi-platform support or another programming language. - For projects where immediate access to third-party APIs is crucial and self-hosted solutions may add unnecessary layers of complexity in integration. - When strict operational requirements demand real-time task visibility that astron-rpa's architecture does not natively support without significant customization. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between airflow and astron-rpa? airflow: A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows. astron-rpa: Agent-ready RPA suite with automation tools for various environments. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose airflow over astron-rpa? Choose airflow over astron-rpa when Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, dag, data-engineering; airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; If you need to model complex workflow dependency graphs with Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). ### When should I choose astron-rpa over airflow? Choose astron-rpa over airflow when Tags unique to astron-rpa: agent, ai, astron, data-privacy; Also covers AI Agents; For enterprises that prioritize security compliance and need self-hosted solutions to maintain control over their data. ### When should I avoid airflow? Avoid if you require Windows as the primary execution environment without using WSL2. If your project strictly adheres to MariaDB for database management, Airflow is not recommended because it is neither tested nor supported by the tool. ### When should I avoid astron-rpa? If your team or organization is not comfortable working within the restrictions of Java, preferring multi-platform support or another programming language. For projects where immediate access to third-party APIs is crucial and self-hosted solutions may add unnecessary layers of complexity in integration. When strict operational requirements demand real-time task visibility that astron-rpa's architecture does not natively support without significant customization. ### Is airflow or astron-rpa more popular on GitHub? airflow has more GitHub stars (46,844 vs 5,542). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are airflow and astron-rpa open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airflow: Apache-2.0, astron-rpa: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to airflow or astron-rpa? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [airflow alternatives](/tools/apache-airflow/alternatives) and [astron-rpa alternatives](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa/alternatives) ([airflow markdown twin](/tools/apache-airflow/alternatives.md), [astron-rpa markdown twin](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/apache-airflow-vs-iflytek-astron-rpa.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, airflow or astron-rpa? airflow: Very active. astron-rpa: 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 astron-rpa? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [airflow trust report](/tools/apache-airflow/trust); [astron-rpa trust report](/tools/iflytek-astron-rpa/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=apache-airflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=apache-airflow) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_