Dagu

A single-binary workflow engine that runs YAML-defined DAGs of shell commands, containers and SSH jobs, with a web UI and no external database.

4.5k stars, 390 forks Go On GitHub since April 2022

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Dagu?

Dagu turns existing scripts and runbooks into scheduled workflows. You describe a directed acyclic graph in YAML, with steps that run shell commands, Docker containers, Kubernetes jobs or remote commands over SSH, and Dagu handles cron schedules, retries, human approval steps and run history. It ships as one binary with a built-in web UI, needs no database or message broker, and runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, including air-gapped hosts. It also includes an MCP server for AI assistants.

Good fit if

  • You want something between cron and Airflow, with almost no operations overhead.
  • You run jobs on-premises or offline, close to the data and credentials.
  • Your workflows are mostly shell scripts you do not want to rewrite.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need Python-defined data pipelines with a large operator ecosystem: Apache Airflow.
  • You only want a web page with buttons for a few commands: OliveTin.

Before you adopt it

Dagu is GPL-3.0, with no paid features inside the repository; Dagu Console is an optional hosted monitoring service. The repository has a Helm chart and a one-service compose file. A single developer writes most of the code.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Dagu health: is it still maintained?

77 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    705 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    8 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 60% of them.
    13 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v2.24.0, on 27 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Dagu license: is it open source?

Dagu uses GPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. April 2022First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-3.0.

How to run Dagu yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
deploy/docker/compose.minimal.yaml: 1 service
Setup effort
1 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: dagu.sh or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Dagu

  • WindmillCode-first platform for workflows, apps and AI agents, on the fastest self-hostable orchestrator… 78 health · Apache-2.0 · 18.3k stars
  • Apache AirflowApache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows 87 health · Apache-2.0 · 47.3k stars
  • HatchetAn orchestration engine for background tasks, AI agents, and durable workflows 83 health · MIT · 8.2k stars
  • ActivepiecesAI Agents & MCPs & AI Workflow Automation • (~400 MCP servers for AI agents) • AI Automation / AI Agent with… 81 health · MIT · 25.3k stars
  • KestraOrchestrate everything, everywhere. The open-source control plane for workflows across data, infrastructure,… 85 health · Apache-2.0 · 30.1k stars

All 33 projects in Workflow automation

Questions about Dagu

Is Dagu open source?

Yes. Dagu is published under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Dagu still maintained?

Its health score is 77 of 100 (actively developed). It had 705 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 27 October 2026.

How do I run Dagu?

You can run it with Docker, on Kubernetes with the Helm chart in the repository, as an app for Windows, macOS, Linux, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Dagu?

Close alternatives in the Workflow automation category include Windmill, Apache Airflow, Hatchet.