Kestra

An event-driven orchestration platform where workflows are written in YAML, from the UI or code, for data pipelines, infrastructure jobs and AI tasks.

30.1k stars, 3.5k forks Java On GitHub since August 2019

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is Kestra?

Kestra describes each workflow as a YAML file of tasks and triggers, which you can write in an editor, build in a no-code view or have its AI copilot draft; all three edit the same file. Workflows run on schedules or on events such as a new file or a message, and a plugin library connects databases, clouds, scripts in any language and AI models. Flows can be kept in Git like any other code.

Good fit if

  • You orchestrate data and infrastructure jobs and want readable YAML instead of Python code.
  • You mix languages: Python, SQL, shell or Node scripts can run as tasks.
  • You want a quick start: the bundled setup is Kestra plus PostgreSQL, and a Helm chart is included.

Look elsewhere if

Before you adopt it

Kestra is Apache-2.0, with no paid parts in this repository; the company sells a separate Enterprise Edition with features such as access control for larger teams. Activity is high and spread across dozens of contributors.

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

Kestra health: is it still maintained?

85 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    1,937 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 30 October 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    43 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 20% of them.
    20 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v2.0.7, on 20 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
    OpenSSF Scorecard 6.3 of 10.
    6 / 10

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

Kestra license: is it open source?

Kestra uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. August 2019First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayApache-2.0.

How to run Kestra yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker-compose.yml: 2 services (postgres)
Setup effort
2 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
11 languages

Install instructions: go.kestra.io or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Kestra

  • Apache AirflowApache Airflow - A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows 87 health · Apache-2.0 · 47.3k stars
  • DagsterAn orchestration platform for the development, production, and observation of data assets. 68 health · Apache-2.0 · 16.4k stars
  • PrefectPrefect is a workflow orchestration framework for building resilient data pipelines in Python. 80 health · Apache-2.0 · 24.1k stars
  • Trigger.devTrigger.dev – build and deploy durable AI agents and workflows 84 health · Apache-2.0 · 16.7k stars
  • DifyBuild Agentic workflows, RAG pipelines, with rich AI model and tool support on one collaborative workspace.… 84 health · Apache-2.0 with additional conditions · 160k stars

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Questions about Kestra

Is Kestra open source?

Yes. Kestra is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Kestra still maintained?

Its health score is 85 of 100 (actively developed). It had 1,937 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 30 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 20 October 2026.

How do I run Kestra?

You can run it with Docker, on Kubernetes with the Helm chart in the repository. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Kestra?

Close alternatives in the Workflow automation category include Apache Airflow, Dagster, Prefect.