Airflow vs Astronomer: What are the differences?
Introduction
Airflow and Astronomer are both popular tools used for orchestrating and managing workflows. While they share similarities in their core functionality, there are several key differences that set them apart. This Markdown code provides a brief comparison between Airflow and Astronomer.
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Built-in Features: Airflow is an open-source tool that offers a wide range of built-in features such as task dependencies, scheduling, and monitoring. On the other hand, Astronomer is a platform that utilizes Airflow as its core engine, but also provides additional features like managed deployment, enterprise-grade security, and integration with cloud providers.
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Hosting Options: Airflow can be hosted on any infrastructure, allowing users to choose their preferred hosting environment. Astronomer, on the other hand, provides a managed platform-as-a-service (PaaS) option. This means that Astronomer takes care of the infrastructure and hosting, making it more convenient for users who prefer a fully managed solution.
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Ease of Deployment: Airflow requires a manual installation and setup process, which may involve configuring dependencies and managing server infrastructure. Astronomer simplifies the deployment process by providing a user-friendly interface and automated infrastructure provisioning, allowing users to easily set up and deploy Airflow workflows without the need for complex configuration.
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Enterprise Support: Astronomer offers enterprise-level support, which includes dedicated customer support, service-level agreements (SLAs), and the ability to handle larger-scale deployments. Airflow, being an open-source tool, does not provide the same level of official support as Astronomer. However, there is an active community that can provide support and assistance.
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Integration with Diverse Range of Tools: Airflow supports a wide range of integrations with other tools and technologies, including databases, cloud providers, messaging systems, and more. Astronomer inherits this compatibility and extends it further by offering integrations with popular cloud providers and data sources. This allows users to seamlessly incorporate their existing tools and services into their workflows.
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Pricing Model: Airflow is an open-source tool and does not require any licensing fees. Astronomer, on the other hand, follows a subscription-based pricing model, where users pay for the managed platform and additional enterprise features. The pricing structure may vary based on factors such as usage, scale, and additional requirements.
In summary, Airflow is a powerful open-source tool with a strong community support, while Astronomer provides a managed platform-as-a-service solution with additional enterprise features and support. Both tools offer extensive capabilities for workflow orchestration, but vary in terms of deployment options, ease of setup, support, integration options, and pricing models.