Windmill

✓ Verified FOSSAGPL-3.0

Top open-source alternative to Zapier

Windmill is a blazingly fast open-source workflow engine and Retool/Zapier alternative. Write Python, TypeScript, Go, or Bash scripts and chain them into DAG pipelines, cron schedules, webhooks, and auto-generated admin UIs.

Tech StackRust, TypeScript, Svelte, PostgreSQL

Self-Host DifficultyEasy

License ModelAGPL-3.0

GitHub Repositorywindmill-labs/windmill

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean)

Min RAM:1 GB

Rec RAM:2 GB

Compute:1 vCPU

Disk Space:10 GB SSD

Windmill vs Zapier Comparison Matrix

Evaluation Criteria	Windmill (Open Source)	Zapier (Proprietary)
Subscription Model	100% Free Self-Hosted (Unlimited Users)	Zapier Per-Seat / Usage Billing
Data Sovereignty	100% On-Premise / Your Own VPS	Stored on Zapier Proprietary Cloud
Source Code Audit	Open-Source (AGPL-3.0)	Closed-Source Proprietary Blackbox

INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $65/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from Zapier to Self-Hosted Windmill

Detailed Stack Calculator →

Active Team Members / Seats: 25 Users

5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)

Zapier (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax

$19,500per year ($1,625/mo)

3-Year Spend:$58,500

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

Windmill (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee

$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)

3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$58,140Net savings across 36 months (99% reduction)

Annual Free Cash:+$19,380/yr

Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES // SIDE-BY-SIDE AUDIT

Compare Windmill Head-to-Head

Custom Comparison Engine →

★ PRIMARY REPLACEMENTFOSS vs SaaS

Windmillvs

Zapier

Comprehensive benchmark comparing Windmill against proprietary Zapier licensing and features.

View Full Battle Report→

WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

n8nvs

Activepieces

Advanced Node Flow Engine vs Lightweight TypeScript Integration Builder

Inspect Comparison→

WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

n8nvs

Zapier

Unlimited VPS Executions vs Steep Per-Task Pricing Tiers

Inspect Comparison→

WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

Kestravs

n8n

Declarative Code-as-Config YAML Workflows vs Interactive Visual Node Canvas

Inspect Comparison→

Core Capabilities & Features

✓Sub-20ms Rust Worker Execution

✓Multi-Language (TS, Python, Go, SQL, Bash)

✓Auto-Generated Internal App UIs

✓Git Sync & Secret Vault Built-In

Self-Host Windmill with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

Select Open-Source Project:

WindmillAGPL-3.0

Developer platform to turn scripts into workflows and internal UIs

Difficulty: Easy18,168 ⭐

Configure Parameters

Host Port (PORT)

Public Base URL (APP_URL)

Application Secret Key (SECRET_KEY)

docker-compose.windmill.yml

version: "3.8"
services:
  windmill:
    image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:main
    container_name: windmill
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-8000}:8000"
    environment:
      APP_URL: "${APP_URL:-http://localhost:8000}"
      SECRET_KEY: "${SECRET_KEY:-ossmatrix_prod_secret_2026}"
    volumes:
      - windmill_data:/data

volumes:
  windmill_data:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting Windmill

How do I self-host Windmill using Docker Compose?

You can deploy Windmill (windmill-labs/windmill) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does Windmill compare to Zapier?

Windmill is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Zapier built with Rust, TypeScript, Svelte, PostgreSQL. Unlike Zapier ($29.99 - $100+ / month), Windmill has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for Windmill?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Is Windmill free for commercial business use under the AGPL-3.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the AGPL-3.0 license, Windmill can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

Embed Official Windmill Badge in GitHub README

Served locally from OSSMatrix with Cloudflare global edge caching. Real-time verified alternative status, zero third-party dependencies, sub-5ms load time.

Live Preview:

Markdown Embed (GitHub / GitLab)

[![OSSMatrix Alternative](https://ossmatrix.com/api/badge/windmill)](https://ossmatrix.com/project/windmill)

HTML Embed (Docs / Landing Pages)

<a href="https://ossmatrix.com/project/windmill" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://ossmatrix.com/api/badge/windmill" alt="Windmill on OSSMatrix" /></a>

SIMILAR REPOSITORIES // PEER COMPARISON