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Apache DolphinScheduler

Distributed workflow scheduler for big-data pipelines, originated at Analysys (易观); Apache TLP.

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Our Verdict

Serious Airflow alternative for big-data shops, held back by smaller English-speaking community.

Pros

  • True distributed scheduler, not just a UI over cron
  • Drag-and-drop DAG editor for non-coders
  • Supports Spark, Flink, Hive, DataX natively
  • Apache TLP with active Chinese contributor base

Cons

  • Docs and community skew heavily to Chinese
  • English support lags behind Airflow ecosystem
  • Fewer third-party operators than Airflow
  • Cloud-native deployment less polished than Dagster
Best for: Big-data teams running Spark/Flink who want visual DAG authoring Not for: Python-first data teams deeply invested in the Airflow ecosystem

When to Use Apache DolphinScheduler

Good fit if you need

  • Orchestrating multi-engine big data DAGs (Spark, Flink, Hive)
  • Scheduling thousands of interdependent ETL tasks visually
  • Replacing Airflow for teams needing Chinese ecosystem support
  • Distributed workflow scheduling across large compute clusters
  • Managing data pipeline retries and SLA monitoring at scale

Lock-in Assessment

Low 5/5
Lock-in Score
5/5

Apache DolphinScheduler Pricing

Pricing Model
free
Free Tier
Yes
Entry Price
Enterprise Available
No
Transparency Score

Beta — estimates may differ from actual pricing

1,000
1001K10K100K1M

Estimated Monthly Cost

$25

Estimated Annual Cost

$300

Estimates are approximate and may not reflect current pricing. Always check the official pricing page.

Community Discussion

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