# Apache Airflow vs flowctl

> Two self-hosted [Workflow Automation projects](https://selfhost.directory/workflow-automation), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Apache Airflow | flowctl |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 47/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #20 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 47 301 ✓ | 343 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +344 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 8 ✓ |
| Latest release | providers-ydb/2.6.1 · 13 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.15.0 · 7 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Airflow scores 84/100 against 47/100 for flowctl, so it is the safer default.

flowctl ships more often: 8 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for Apache Airflow.

If you want the quickest setup, flowctl is easier to run; Apache Airflow needs more configuration.

Apache Airflow is growing faster right now (+344 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Apache Airflow](https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-airflow) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-airflow.md)
- [flowctl](https://selfhost.directory/project/flowctl) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/flowctl.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/apache-airflow-vs-flowctl