Comparison
airflow vs crane
Verdict
Pick airflow when airflow is primarily Python; crane is Go; pick crane when crane is primarily Go; airflow is Python.
Markdown twin · airflow alternatives · crane alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | airflow | crane |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Dormant (1086d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) 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
- crane
- Crane - Lift containers with ease
Stars
- airflow
- 46k
- crane
- 987
Forks
- airflow
- 17k
- crane
- 61
Open issues
- airflow
- 1.7k
- crane
- 14
Language
- airflow
- Python
- crane
- Go
Adopt for
- airflow
- -
- crane
- -
Persona
- airflow
- -
- crane
- -
Runtime
- airflow
- -
- crane
- -
License
- airflow
- Apache-2.0
- crane
- MIT
Last pushed
- airflow
- Jul 15, 2026
- crane
- Jul 25, 2023
Categories
- airflow
- AI Agents, Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval
- crane
- AI Agents
Trust and health
Maintenance
- airflow
- Very active (96%)
- crane
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- airflow
- 0d
- crane
- 1086d
Open issues (now)
- airflow
- 1.7k
- crane
- 14
Owner type
- airflow
- Organization
- crane
- User
Full report
- airflow
- Trust report
- crane
- Trust report
Choose airflow if…
- airflow is primarily Python; crane is Go.
- License: airflow is Apache-2.0, crane is MIT.
- Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, automation.
- Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval.
- airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
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 crane if…
- crane is primarily Go; airflow is Python.
- License: crane is MIT, airflow is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration, unison.
When NOT to use crane
- Last GitHub push was 1086 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 25, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on crane.
- 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 (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (michaelsauter/crane) · observed Jul 25, 2023
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: airflow 46k · crane 987 (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between airflow and crane?
- airflow: Apache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows. crane: Crane - Lift containers with ease. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose airflow over crane?
- Choose airflow over crane when airflow is primarily Python; crane is Go; License: airflow is Apache-2.0, crane is MIT; Tags unique to airflow: airflow, apache, apache-airflow, automation; Also covers Computer Vision, Data & Retrieval; airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When should I choose crane over airflow?
- Choose crane over airflow when crane is primarily Go; airflow is Python; License: crane is MIT, airflow is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to crane: docker, go, orchestration, unison.
- 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 crane?
- Last GitHub push was 1086 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jul 25, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on crane. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism.
- Is airflow or crane more popular on GitHub?
- airflow has more GitHub stars (46,124 vs 987). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are airflow and crane open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (airflow: Apache-2.0, crane: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to airflow or crane?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at airflow alternatives and crane alternatives (airflow markdown twin, crane 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 crane?
- airflow: Very active. crane: Dormant. 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 crane?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: airflow trust report; crane trust report.