Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Automa having 21,569 stars and Windmill having 17,550 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Automa has 2,334 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Windmill is growing faster, adding 377 stars in the last 30 days (+2.2%) against adding 88 stars for Automa (+0.4%). Windmill is the smaller project of the two, so it is closing the gap rather than extending a lead.

Windmill shows more recent development activity with its last commit 11 hours ago, while Automa was last updated 6 months ago. This suggests Windmill is being more actively maintained.

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Automa uses Vue while Windmill leverages Bash, Typescript, Python, Golang, C, Rust, Objective-C, SvelteKit.

Both projects started around the same time, with Automa beginning 5 years ago and Windmill 4 years ago.

Both tools serve similar use cases in Workflow Automation. However, they also have distinct specializations: Automa also focuses on Low-Code/No-Code, Browser Automation while Windmill extends into PaaS & Deployment Tools, Workflow Orchestration.

Windmill provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while Automa may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.