Apache Airflow vs Trigger.dev
Comparing two open source alternatives to Zapier and Make. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.
Apache Airflow
Apache-2.0Apache Airflow is a platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor complex workflows. Build pipelines as code and orchestrate your data jobs with rich observability.
Trigger.dev
Apache-2.0Open-source platform for building and deploying reliable background jobs, scheduled tasks, and AI workflows in TypeScript.
Side-by-side comparison
| Apache Airflow | Trigger.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| GitHub Stars | 47,070 | 16,485 |
| Forks | 17,970 | 1,482 |
| Open Issues | 1,838 | 352 |
| Last Commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| First Released | Apr 13, 2015 | Nov 30, 2022 |
| Categories | ||
| Tags |
GitHub stars over time
GitHub stars over time
Similar open source alternatives
Kestra
Event-driven workflow orchestration platform with a YAML-based pipeline DSL, 500+ plugins, and a built-in UI editor.
Zapier
Sim
Sim is an open-source workspace to build, deploy, and orchestrate AI agents and agentic workflows. Visually connect LLMs, tools, and data sources without giving up control.
Lindy AI
Flowise
Open source, drag-and-drop builder for AI agents and LLM workflows. Now archived (EOL Aug 2026) — the Apache 2.0 code lives on for forks and self-hosters.
Make
n8n
Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.
Make
Langflow
Visually build and deploy AI agents and workflows in Python, with built-in API and MCP servers. MIT-licensed and backed by DataStax.
Lindy AI
Dify
Open LLM app platform with visual workflows, RAG pipeline, agents and model management. Deploy self-hosted, in your VPC, or on Dify Cloud.
Lindy AI