Softwr

Automation Integration · head to head

CrewAI vs Windmill

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Automation Integration

The Enterprise Agent Build and Runtime for the work your business runs on

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windmill logo

Windmill

Automation Integration

Open-source developer platform for building scripts, workflows, and internal apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CrewAI free tier limited to only 50 workflow executions per month; Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrewAI and Windmill actually diverge.

Attributes where CrewAI and Windmill differ
AttributeCrewAIWindmill
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebweb, api, linux, windows, mac

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automation Integration).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CrewAI

Nothing recorded that Windmill does not also cover.

Only in Windmill

  • Script-to-workflow engine
  • Auto-generated UIs
  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Git sync
  • SSO support
  • Audit logs

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CrewAI

  • Enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automaticallynot Windmill
  • Accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systemsnot Windmill
  • Automating quality assurance testing for voice agentsnot Windmill
  • Generating curriculum content and instructor materials instantlynot Windmill

Windmill

  • Turning ad-hoc scripts into scheduled jobs and APIsnot CrewAI
  • Building internal tools from existing Python/TypeScript codenot CrewAI
  • Self-hosted automation for engineering teamsnot CrewAI
  • Orchestrating multi-language workflowsnot CrewAI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CrewAI

  • Free tier limited to only 50 workflow executions per month
  • Enterprise pricing is not published; requires contact for quote
  • No public information about paid tier pricing between free and enterprise

Windmill

  • Free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • Compute unit and seat-based pricing (developer vs. operator seats, worker compute units) adds pricing complexity beyond a flat monthly fee.
  • Email triggers are capped at 100/day on the free tier, limiting event-driven use cases without upgrading.
  • Smaller ecosystem of pre-built integrations compared to more established automation tools like n8n.

Pricing, plan by plan

CrewAI

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 50 workflow executions/month
    • Visual editor and AI copilot
    • GitHub integration
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing upon request
    • Everything in Basic plus advanced features
    • Enterprise connectors

Windmill

Free
  • Free / Open-sourceFree
    • Unlimited executions
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Max 10 users with SSO
  • Enterprise$120/month
    • Unlimited executions and workspaces
    • Uncapped SSO seats
    • 24/7 priority support (3-hour response)

Which should you pick?

Choose CrewAI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CrewAI review

Choose Windmill if

  • You need script-to-workflow engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
  • You also want auto-generated uis.
Windmill review

Questions people ask

Is CrewAI or Windmill better?
Neither clearly leads. CrewAI starts at Free and Windmill at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrewAI or Windmill?
CrewAI starts at Free and Windmill at Free.
Does CrewAI or Windmill run on more platforms?
CrewAI runs on Web. Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
Can I use CrewAI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CrewAI best used for?
CrewAI is most often used for enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automatically, accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systems, automating quality assurance testing for voice agents, generating curriculum content and instructor materials instantly. Of those, enriching sales leads with company revenue and insights automatically and accelerating first contact with leads from multiple systems are not what Windmill is typically brought in for.
What can CrewAI do that Windmill cannot?
Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CrewAI: Is CrewAI free?

CrewAI offers a free Basic tier that includes 50 workflow executions per month, access to the visual editor, AI copilot, and GitHub integration. Enterprise plans with custom pricing are available for larger deployments.

Source
Windmill: What does Windmill cost?

Windmill's Free and Open-source edition is $0/month for self-hosted use with unlimited executions, while Enterprise starts at $120/month with unlimited workspaces and uncapped SSO seats, priced further by developer/operator seats and compute units.

Source
CrewAI: How much does CrewAI Enterprise cost?

CrewAI Enterprise pricing is custom and available upon request. Enterprise includes dedicated VPC deployment, FedRamp High compliance, SSO and RBAC, PII redaction, and dedicated support with 45-day onboarding.

Source
Windmill: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

The free self-hosted plan supports unlimited executions but caps SSO at 10 users, workspaces at 3, groups/permissions at 4, and email triggers at 100 per day.

Source
CrewAI: Can I self-host CrewAI?

Enterprise tier customers can deploy CrewAI on their own VPC or own infrastructure in addition to CrewAI cloud deployment, but specific pricing for self-hosted options is not published.

Source
Windmill: How is usage metered on Windmill Enterprise?

Enterprise usage is metered through seats (developer seats at $20/month, operator seats at $10/month) and compute units, e.g. $100/month for 2 standard-worker compute units.

Source
Windmill: What happens to a self-hosted Windmill deployment if the company shuts down?

The pricing page addresses this directly as an FAQ topic, noting that self-hosted applications built on the open-source edition can continue running independently of Windmill the company.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on CrewAI

More on Windmill

Keep looking

Other head to heads