Kestra leads in popularity with 27,469 stars vs 17,298 stars for Windmill. The 59% higher star count indicates stronger community adoption. In terms of developer contributions, Kestra has 2,766 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Both projects show recent activity, with Kestra last updated 21 hours ago and Windmill 15 hours ago.

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

Kestra has been in development longer, starting 7 years ago, compared to Windmill which began 4 years ago. This 2.7-year head start suggests Kestra may have more mature features and established processes.

Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0, while Windmill's license terms are not publicly specified.

Both tools serve similar use cases in Workflow Orchestration. However, they also have distinct specializations: Kestra also focuses on ETL & Data Integration while Windmill extends into PaaS & Deployment Tools, Workflow Automation.

Both Kestra and Windmill offer self-hosting capabilities, giving you full control over your data and infrastructure.