--- title: "Dagster vs Kestra: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder" description: "Dagster vs Kestra compared for 2026: pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which data orchestration tool is the better fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/dagster-vs-kestra retrieved: 2026-11-10 --- ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=dagster.io&sz=128) vs ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=kestra.io&sz=128) # Dagster vs Kestra: Which is Better in 2026? Data Orchestration [Dagster](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dagster) and [Kestra](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/kestra) are both Data Orchestration tools, made for different people. Dagster is for data engineers who want pipelines described as the tables and models they produce, with lineage built in. Kestra is for teams where analysts and engineers share workflows and want them in readable YAML, with tasks in whatever language fits. Quick verdict There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Dagster if you want lineage and freshness tracked without extra tools. Choose Kestra if you want workflows that people outside the data team can read. ## Dagster vs Kestra: Side by Side | | Dagster | Kestra | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Category | Data Orchestration | Data Orchestration | | What it is | Asset-based data orchestrator | Declarative workflow orchestrator | | Workflows written in | Python | YAML (tasks in any language) | | Licence | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 (Enterprise is commercial) | | Managed option | Dagster+ from $10 a month | Kestra Cloud, price on request | | Free access | Open source; 30-day Dagster+ trial | Free open-source edition | | Pricing | Free · paid from $10/mo | Free · then usage-based | | Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available | | Free tier | ✓ | ✓ | | Rating | 4.6 | 4.4 | | Best for | Data Orchestration: data assets, lineage, Python | Data Orchestration: YAML workflows, language-agnostic, open source | Ratings are App Stack Builder’s editorial score out of 5, not an average of user reviews. ## Pros & Cons ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=dagster.io&sz=128) [Dagster](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dagster) * ✓Lineage and freshness from the asset model * ✓Pleasant local development * ✓Cheap managed entry point * ✓Apache 2.0 core * ✗Credit billing needs watching * ✗Asset model is a shift from task DAGs * ✗Smaller hiring pool than Airflow ![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=kestra.io&sz=128) [Kestra](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/kestra) * ✓YAML workflows non-Python users can read * ✓Language-agnostic tasks * ✓Unlimited executions in the free edition * ✗No published Cloud or Enterprise price * ✗Younger ecosystem * ✗YAML gets long for complex logic ## Key Features Compared ### Dagster * ✓Open source under Apache 2.0 * ✓Dagster+ Solo: $10 a month, 1 user, 1 code location, $0.040 per credit * ✓Dagster+ Starter: $100 a month, up to 3 users, 5 code locations, $0.035 per credit * ✓Pro: custom, unlimited code locations and deployments * ✓Serverless compute $0.010 a minute on Solo and Starter; 30-day trial ### Kestra * ✓Open source under Apache 2.0 with unlimited flows and executions * ✓Workflows declared in YAML with a UI editor; tasks run Python, SQL, shell and more * ✓Kestra Cloud: usage-based, no published price * ✓Enterprise Edition: yearly, priced per instance, enabled with a licence key * ✓Enterprise support from 24-hour to 1-hour P0 response ### Choose Dagster if… * ✓You want lineage and freshness tracked without extra tools. * ✓You care about testing pipelines locally before deploying. * ✓You want a cheap managed plan for a solo data engineer. [Dagster review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/dagster) ### Choose Kestra if… * ✓You want workflows that people outside the data team can read. * ✓Your tasks are a mix of languages and scripts. * ✓You want unlimited executions on the free edition. [Kestra review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/kestra) ## Frequently Asked Questions Is Dagster better than Kestra?⌄ There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Dagster if you want lineage and freshness tracked without extra tools. Choose Kestra if you want workflows that people outside the data team can read. What is the difference between Dagster and Kestra?⌄ What it is. Dagster: Asset-based data orchestrator. Kestra: Declarative workflow orchestrator. Workflows written in. Dagster: Python. Kestra: YAML (tasks in any language). Licence. Dagster: Apache 2.0\. Kestra: Apache 2.0 (Enterprise is commercial). Managed option. Dagster: Dagster+ from $10 a month. Kestra: Kestra Cloud, price on request. Free access. Dagster: Open source; 30-day Dagster+ trial. Kestra: Free open-source edition. Dagster vs Kestra: which is cheaper?⌄ Dagster pricing: Free · paid from $10/mo. Kestra pricing: Free · then usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change. Which is rated higher, Dagster or Kestra?⌄ On our editorial score, Dagster is 4.6 out of 5 and Kestra is 4.4 out of 5, so Dagster is slightly ahead. This is our own score, not an average of user reviews. When should I skip both Dagster and Kestra?⌄ Skip Dagster if you need the widest operator library and hiring pool. Apache Airflow has it. Skip Kestra if you want a published price for a managed plan. Dagster+ and Prefect Cloud list theirs. Sources · tool facts checked November 2026 1. 1.[Dagster pricingdagster.io ](https://dagster.io/pricing) 2. 2.[Dagster on GitHubgithub.com ](https://github.com/dagster-io/dagster) 3. 3.[Kestra pricingkestra.io ](https://kestra.io/pricing) See more options in our guide to the [best data orchestration tools for startups](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/data-orchestration). ## Still not sure which to pick? Get a free, AI-powered tech stack, including the best data orchestration pick for your budget and team, in 60 seconds. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/build-stack)