Apache DolphinScheduler logo
vs
Dagster logo

Apache DolphinScheduler vs Dagster

A side-by-side comparison of Apache DolphinScheduler and Dagster across 26 workflow orchestration capabilities. Apache DolphinScheduler fully supports 14 of them and Dagster fully supports 12; of the 12 mandatory features, Apache DolphinScheduler covers 9 and Dagster covers 10.

Apache DolphinScheduler

Apache DolphinScheduler is a distributed, extensible data orchestration platform with a visual DAG editor for building, scheduling and monitoring batch and data workflows.

Features fully supported14 / 26
Mandatory features: 9 / 12View profile

Dagster

Dagster is an open-source data orchestration platform that helps you build, deploy, and observe data pipelines and data assets.

Features fully supported12 / 26
Mandatory features: 10 / 12View profile

Feature comparison

11 of 26 capabilities differ between Apache DolphinScheduler and Dagster.

Change tools
CapabilityApache DolphinSchedulerDagster
DAG-based workflow definition
Define dependencies and execution order
Mandatory
YesYes
Code-first workflows
Versionable, testable workflows
Mandatory
YesYes
Declarative workflow model
Predictability, reproducibility
Mandatory
PartialYes
Task dependency resolution
Correct execution order
Mandatory
YesYes
Persistent workflow state
Crash recovery, observability
Mandatory
YesYes
Task retries
Handle transient failures
Mandatory
YesYes
Retry policies (backoff, limits)
Avoid cascading failures
Recommended
PartialYes
Scheduling (cron / time-based)
Automated recurring workflows
Depends
YesPartial
Event-driven execution
React to external systems
Depends
PartialPartial
Backfills / replays
Reprocess historical data
Depends
YesPartial
Idempotency support
Safe retries & replays
Mandatory
PartialPartial
Exactly-once semantics
Correctness for business workflows
Optional
NoYes
Long-running workflows (days/months)
Business processes, approvals
Depends
PartialPartial
Human-in-the-loop steps
Approvals, manual actions
Optional
NoNo
Dynamic workflows at runtime
Conditional execution
Depends
PartialPartial
Workflow versioning
Safe evolution over time
Recommended
YesPartial
Distributed execution
Scalability
Mandatory
YesYes
High availability scheduler
Production reliability
Recommended
YesPartial
Fault-tolerant execution
Crash safety
Mandatory
YesPartial
Observability (logs, states, UI)
Debugging & ops
Mandatory
YesYes
Workflow-level visibility
Understand end-to-end runs
Mandatory
YesYes
Task isolation
Failure containment
Mandatory
PartialYes
Native Kubernetes support
Modern infra compatibility
Depends
YesPartial
Multi-language SDKs
Polyglot systems
Optional
PartialNo
Deterministic replay
Safe recovery & correctness
Optional
NoNo
Pluggable execution backends
Flexibility
Recommended
PartialPartial

* To be considered a complete workflow orchestration tool, a tool must implement the features marked as mandatory according to our assessment.

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Learn more

Read the full profiles, including pros and cons, installation and alternatives.

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