Windmill

What it is for

Windmill is an open-source internal-tools desk: write a script, wire it into a flow, or wrap it in an app — then run it on workers you size in compute units. Use it when the job is scripts → endpoints / workflows / UIs you can self-host, not when you need a $20 chat seat.

What makes it unique: the cover is the official windmill-labs/windmill GitHub file list — backend/, cli/, docker/, About “scripts into webhooks, workflows and UIs” — not a pricing card.

Key features

• Scripts — TypeScript / Python / Go / SQL / Bash (and more) export main; Windmill autogenerates a run UI from the arguments (intro; official Script Editor demo). One function. Language names are SKU.
• Flows — a low-code or YAML orchestrator that chains those scripts (same intro “orchestrator”). A graph, not a single script. Approval steps and priority are EE SKU of this.
• Apps — a full-code React/Svelte frontend (or the legacy low-code editor) bound to the same runnables (intro). A UI, not a cron.
• Triggers — webhooks, scheduler, email, Postgres, and (on EE) Kafka / SQS / GCP and friends (pricing table). A start signal, not the code.
• Self-host Community — Docker / k8s / Fargate, unlimited executions, license $0 on the public Community row. Enterprise Edition (seats + compute units, SAML, audit) is the paid SKU of this.

wmill CLI, VS Code sync, and npx/Docker install are install. Builder seats and worker CU are the meter on EE. The webIDE is the editor for Scripts/Flows, not a fifth product.

Who it's for

Best fit: platform teams who will run Community Edition at $0 (≤50 users, 3 workspaces) and only buy EE when they need SAML, audit, or more than 10 SSO users.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) from windmill.dev/pricing. Community is $0. EE is seats + compute units. Cloud exists (no card to start); the printed dollars on that page are the EE calculator.

• Community (self-host) — $0/month. Unlimited executions. 3 workspaces. Max 50 users. 10 SSO users. 4 groups. 10 GiB object storage. 100 email triggers/day. 100 app guests / 30 days. Discord support.
• Enterprise Edition — commercial licence. $20/month per builder (can write scripts/flows/apps). $10/month per non-builder or external JWT user (½ seat). First 100 guests / 30 days free; then 4 guests = 1 seat.
• Compute units — workers are licensed in CU. Example on the public calculator: 2 standard workers (2 GB each) = 2 CU ($100/mo) + 8 native subworkers ($50/mo) + 1 builder ($20) → $170/month. A standard worker is $50/worker/mo on that table.
• Pro / nonprofit EE — the page offers a Pro nonprofit path; confirm eligibility on the same pricing FAQ.
• Cloud — hosted option, no card to start. Do not invent a Cloud seat dollar the table does not print — use the EE calculator or checkout.

Confirm the live calculator. Taxes and currency follow your location.

Limitations / costs

• Community caps SSO at 10 and workspaces at 3. Unlimited users on EE still cost seats.
• Workers are not free on EE. The $20 builder does not include CU.
• A script/flow/app desk, not a Zap canvas. For visual SaaS wiring see n8n. For durable TypeScript tasks see Trigger.dev.

Alternatives

• n8n — a visual workflow canvas when you do not want to write main().
• Trigger.dev — durable TypeScript tasks when you already have an app repo.
• Activepieces — open-source Zap-style pieces when the job is SaaS connectors.

Official tutorial

Official Windmill channel video: Windmill.dev Demo - Script Editor (oEmbed author: Windmill). First of the three official editor demos (Script, then Flow, then App).

Written path: What is Windmill? plus Pricing.

Website

https://www.windmill.dev

Repository

https://github.com/windmill-labs/windmill

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official windmill-labs/windmill GitHub file list (backend/cli/docker). Dollars checked on windmill.dev/pricing (Community $0; EE builder $20, non-builder $10, example $170/mo). Tutorial oEmbed author: Windmill.

Last verified

2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.