Astronomer (Astro)
Managed Apache Airflow platform for running and monitoring data pipelines without operating Airflow yourself.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web, Self-hosted
Is Astronomer (Astro) free?
No, it's a paid product
- Starting price:
- Deployments from $0.35/hr (Developer)
Checked on Astronomer (Astro)'s site Nov 8, 2026
4 alternatives with a free option Full Astronomer (Astro) pricing and plansSwitch from Astronomer (Astro) to
All 6
Apache AirflowOpen source
PrefectStarter plan: $100/month
Argo WorkflowsOpen source
- Verified facts
- 7 of 7
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Astronomer (Astro)
Astronomer sells Astro, a hosted platform for Apache Airflow, the open-source scheduler many data teams use to run pipelines written as Python DAGs. Instead of maintaining Airflow's scheduler, workers and Kubernetes setup, you deploy your DAGs to Astro and it handles scaling, upgrades and high availability. Astronomer has rebuilt parts of the runtime for higher task throughput, and adds an observability layer with lineage and data quality checks, plus Otto, an AI agent that writes DAGs and investigates failed runs. Developers get a local CLI and the open-source Cosmos project for running dbt inside Airflow. Pricing is usage-based: each deployment is billed by the hour and workers scale to zero when idle, with paid tiers adding support hours, SSO and audit logs. A trial is available, and Astro Private Cloud runs the same service inside your own environment. It is aimed at teams already committed to Airflow who no longer want to run it themselves.
Best for: Teams running Apache Airflow who want it managed, scaled and supported by Airflow specialists.
Astronomer (Astro) pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Astronomer (Astro)'s own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Deployments from $0.35/hr (Developer) | Nov 8, 2026 | astronomer.io |
| Team plan | Deployments from $0.42/hr | Nov 8, 2026 | astronomer.io |
| Dedicated clusters | From $2.40/hr | Nov 8, 2026 | astronomer.io |
Pros and cons
What works
- Runs standard Airflow DAGs, so existing pipelines move over with little change
- Workers scale to zero when idle
- Private cloud option for regulated environments
- Buyable through AWS, Azure and GCP marketplaces
Why people leave
- Deployments bill by the hour even when no tasks run
- Only orchestrates Airflow, so it doesn't help if you prefer another framework
- SSO enforcement and longer audit logs need the Business tier or higher
Astronomer (Astro) vs Apache Airflow, Prefect and Argo Workflows
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Astronomer (Astro) | Apache Airflow | Prefect | Argo Workflows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Open source | Open source | Open source |
| Verified price | Deployments from $0.35/hr (Developer) | — | $100/month | — |
| Free plan | No | Free app | Hobby, free forever | Free app |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Self-hosted | Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Web, Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
Top Astronomer (Astro) alternatives
See all 6- 1Apache Airflow68.8
The free open-source project Astro runs, if you're willing to host and upgrade it yourself.
- 2Prefect64.8
Pythonic workflows without DAG boilerplate, with a free cloud tier and an open-source server.
- 3Argo Workflows61.8
Open-source and Kubernetes-native: each step runs as a container, so it suits teams who already run their own clusters instead of Airflow.
- 4
Dagster61.8Asset-based orchestration with strong lineage and testing, available open source or as a managed cloud.
- 5
Google Cloud Composer (Managed Airflow)59.4Google's managed Airflow: keep your DAGs and run them inside Google Cloud, billed with the rest of your GCP usage.
Why people left Astronomer (Astro)
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Astronomer (Astro): common questions
What is Astronomer (Astro)?
Astronomer (Astro): Managed Apache Airflow platform for running and monitoring data pipelines without operating Airflow yourself. Best for teams running Apache Airflow who want it managed, scaled and supported by Airflow specialists. Available for Web, and you can host it yourself.
Is Astronomer (Astro) free?
No, Astronomer (Astro) is a paid product. Starting price: Deployments from $0.35/hr (Developer) (checked on Astronomer (Astro)'s own site).
How much does Astronomer (Astro) cost?
Astronomer (Astro) is a paid product. Starting price: Deployments from $0.35/hr (Developer); Team plan: Deployments from $0.42/hr; Dedicated clusters: From $2.40/hr. Checked on Astronomer (Astro)'s own site, November 2026.
Is Astronomer (Astro) open source?
No, Astronomer (Astro) is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Apache Airflow, Prefect and Argo Workflows.
What platforms does Astronomer (Astro) run on?
Astronomer (Astro) is available for Web and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Astronomer (Astro)?
The highest-ranked Astronomer (Astro) alternatives right now are Apache Airflow, Prefect and Argo Workflows. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Astronomer (Astro) vs Apache Airflow: what's the difference?
Astronomer (Astro) is a paid product; Apache Airflow is free and open source. Apache Airflow is open source and Astronomer (Astro) is not. Only Apache Airflow runs on Linux.