--- title: "dolphinscheduler vs kestra" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/apache-dolphinscheduler-vs-kestra-io-kestra" tools: ["apache-dolphinscheduler", "kestra-io-kestra"] --- # dolphinscheduler vs kestra *GraphCanon updated Aug 19, 2026* ## Verdict Pick dolphinscheduler if apache DolphinScheduler is a modern data orchestration platform designed for efficient task dependency handling in data pipelines and provides low-code workflow creation; pick kestra if developed in Java, Kestra offers robust orchestration and scheduling services for mission-critical applications with support for infrastructure as code, event-driven architectures, and tight CI/CD integration. [dolphinscheduler](https://dolphinscheduler.apache.org/) reports 14k GitHub stars, 5.1k forks, and 137 open issues, last pushed Aug 7, 2026. [kestra](https://go.kestra.io/home) has 28k stars, 2.9k forks, and 549 open issues, last pushed Aug 19, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [dolphinscheduler's repository](https://github.com/apache/dolphinscheduler) and [kestra's repository](https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra). | | [dolphinscheduler](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler.md) | [kestra](/tools/kestra-io-kestra.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A modern data orchestration platform for agile workflow creation with low-code | Event Driven Orchestration & Scheduling Platform for Mission Critical Applications | | Stars | 14,412 | 27,853 | | Forks | 5,079 | 2,922 | | Open issues | 137 | 549 | | Language | Java | Java | | Adopt for | Apache DolphinScheduler is a modern data orchestration platform designed for efficient task dependency handling in data pipelines and provides low-code workflow creation. | Developed in Java, Kestra offers robust orchestration and scheduling services for mission-critical applications with support for infrastructure as code, event-driven architectures, and tight CI/CD integration. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [dolphinscheduler](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler.md) | [kestra](/tools/kestra-io-kestra.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 2d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 137 | 549 | | Stars delta | Unknown | +455 (30d) | | Open issues delta | Unknown | -5 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kestra-io-kestra/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: dolphinscheduler - **Adopt for:** Apache DolphinScheduler is a modern data orchestration platform designed for efficient task dependency handling in data pipelines and provides low-code workflow creation. ## Decision facts: kestra - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires Docker to deploy using the provided Terraform module on Google Cloud.; Strongly recommended for use in Java-based environments due to its native support. - **Adopt for:** Developed in Java, Kestra offers robust orchestration and scheduling services for mission-critical applications with support for infrastructure as code, event-driven architectures, and tight CI/CD integration. ## Choose when ### Choose dolphinscheduler if… - Tags unique to dolphinscheduler: airflow, azkaban, cloud-native, data-pipelines. - You require extensive support for complex task dependencies within your data pipelines, as Dolphinscheduler is built to handle these scenarios out of the box. - Leaner open-issue backlog (137). ### Choose kestra if… - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires Docker to deploy using the provided Terraform module on Google Cloud.; Strongly recommended for use in Java-based environments due to its native support.. - Tags unique to kestra: ai-agents, automation, control-plane, data-engineering. - kestra ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you are working on mission-critical applications and need a platform that supports both infrastructure as code (IaC) and event-driven architecture. ## When NOT to use dolphinscheduler - If your organization has stringent licensing constraints that restrict the use of Apache-2.0 licensed software - Your workflows are relatively simple and do not require advanced features such as versioning for both workflows and instances, multi-tenancy support or backfill capability. - You prefer a tool that is primarily script-driven over one with extensive SDKs and APIs; Dolphinscheduler emphasizes its Web UI for ease of use along with Python SDKs and Open APIs. ## When NOT to use kestra - In environments where infrastructure as code (IaC) or event-driven architecture do not align with the project requirements, as these represent core functionalities of Kestra. - For teams deeply invested in languages other than Java or looking to avoid it due to existing tech stacks and expertise. - If a lightweight solution is required, given that Kestra's robust infrastructure support and event-driven capabilities might introduce unnecessary complexity. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between dolphinscheduler and kestra? dolphinscheduler: A modern data orchestration platform for agile workflow creation with low-code. kestra: Event Driven Orchestration & Scheduling Platform for Mission Critical Applications. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose dolphinscheduler over kestra? Choose dolphinscheduler over kestra when Tags unique to dolphinscheduler: airflow, azkaban, cloud-native, data-pipelines; You require extensive support for complex task dependencies within your data pipelines, as Dolphinscheduler is built to handle these scenarios out of the box; Leaner open-issue backlog (137). ### When should I choose kestra over dolphinscheduler? Choose kestra over dolphinscheduler when Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires Docker to deploy using the provided Terraform module on Google Cloud.; Strongly recommended for use in Java-based environments due to its native support.; Tags unique to kestra: ai-agents, automation, control-plane, data-engineering; kestra ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you are working on mission-critical applications and need a platform that supports both infrastructure as code (IaC) and event-driven architecture. ### When should I avoid dolphinscheduler? If your organization has stringent licensing constraints that restrict the use of Apache-2.0 licensed software Your workflows are relatively simple and do not require advanced features such as versioning for both workflows and instances, multi-tenancy support or backfill capability. You prefer a tool that is primarily script-driven over one with extensive SDKs and APIs; Dolphinscheduler emphasizes its Web UI for ease of use along with Python SDKs and Open APIs. ### When should I avoid kestra? In environments where infrastructure as code (IaC) or event-driven architecture do not align with the project requirements, as these represent core functionalities of Kestra. For teams deeply invested in languages other than Java or looking to avoid it due to existing tech stacks and expertise. If a lightweight solution is required, given that Kestra's robust infrastructure support and event-driven capabilities might introduce unnecessary complexity. ### Is dolphinscheduler or kestra more popular on GitHub? kestra has more GitHub stars (27,853 vs 14,412). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are dolphinscheduler and kestra open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (dolphinscheduler: Apache-2.0, kestra: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to dolphinscheduler or kestra? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [dolphinscheduler alternatives](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler/alternatives) and [kestra alternatives](/tools/kestra-io-kestra/alternatives) ([dolphinscheduler markdown twin](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler/alternatives.md), [kestra markdown twin](/tools/kestra-io-kestra/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-dolphinscheduler-vs-kestra-io-kestra.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, dolphinscheduler or kestra? dolphinscheduler: Very active. kestra: 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 dolphinscheduler and kestra? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [dolphinscheduler trust report](/tools/apache-dolphinscheduler/trust); [kestra trust report](/tools/kestra-io-kestra/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=apache-dolphinscheduler`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=apache-dolphinscheduler) - 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/_