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Automation Integration · head to head

Dagster vs Zabbix

Dagster logo

Dagster

Automation Integration

Data orchestration platform with asset lineage and AI-native observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zabbix logo

Zabbix

Networking

Open source infrastructure and network monitoring with distributed proxies and templating

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dagster learning curve steeper than simpler task schedulers; Zabbix the database is the scaling limit, and high frequency polling grows history tables fast enough that untuned installations hit housekeeping stalls and query timeouts within months.
  • They diverge on capability: Dagster covers Asset-centric orchestration, Zabbix covers Agent and agentless collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dagster and Zabbix actually diverge.

Attributes where Dagster and Zabbix differ
AttributeDagsterZabbix
Pricing modelFree open-source core plus paid cloud platformOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsCloud, Self-hostedLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web
CategoryAutomation IntegrationNetworking

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

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 Dagster

  • Asset-centric orchestration
  • Lineage tracking
  • Data quality monitoring
  • Multi-tool integration
  • Branch deployments
  • Dagster+ AI
  • Hybrid deployment

Only in Zabbix

  • Agent and agentless collection
  • Templates
  • Low-level discovery
  • Distributed proxies
  • Trigger expressions
  • Escalation actions

What people use each for

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

Dagster

  • Orchestrating multi-stage data transformation pipelinesnot Zabbix
  • Tracking data lineage across transformation toolsnot Zabbix
  • Monitoring data quality and asset healthnot Zabbix
  • Coordinating dbt and Snowflake workflowsnot Zabbix

Zabbix

  • A service provider monitoring thousands of customer devices where per-device commercial licensing is the largest line itemnot Dagster
  • Branch or industrial sites with unreliable links that need local collection and bufferingnot Dagster
  • Mixed estates where the same tool must poll SNMP switches, Linux hosts, Windows servers and Java applicationsnot Dagster
  • Replacing an aging Nagios installation while keeping script-based checks that already existnot Dagster

Where each one falls short

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

Dagster

  • Learning curve steeper than simpler task schedulers
  • Asset-centric model requires redesigning existing task-based pipelines
  • Pricing complex with per-credit costs on top of base fee
  • Open-source version requires self-hosting infrastructure
  • Limited to data workflows; not suitable for general automation

Zabbix

  • The database is the scaling limit, and high frequency polling grows history tables fast enough that untuned installations hit housekeeping stalls and query timeouts within months.
  • Initial configuration is heavy; getting useful alerting rather than noise requires understanding trigger expressions, macros and template inheritance, which is a multi-week learning curve for a team new to it.
  • The AGPLv3 change at version 7.0 affects anyone offering Zabbix over a network as part of a commercial service, and that obligation is easy to inherit accidentally during an upgrade.
  • The web interface is functional rather than pleasant, and many sites end up running Grafana alongside it purely for presentation, which is a second system to maintain.
  • Upgrades between major versions touch the database schema and can take hours on large history tables, so the maintenance window is proportional to how much data you kept.

Pricing, plan by plan

Dagster

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Full orchestration engine
    • Community support
  • Solo$10/month
    • 1 user and 1 code location
    • Pay-as-you-go credits at $0.040 per credit
    • 1 deployment
  • Starter$100/month
    • Up to 3 users and 5 code locations
    • Better credit rate at $0.035 per credit
    • 1 deployment
  • Pro$null/custom
    • Unlimited code locations and deployments
    • Custom serverless compute pricing
    • Personalized onboarding

Zabbix

Free
  • ZabbixFree
    • No device, node or metric limits
    • Full feature set with no paid edition of the software
    • AGPLv3 from version 7.0 onward
  • Zabbix Technical Support$undefined/year
    • Tiered subscriptions with defined response times
    • Access to Zabbix engineers for configuration and performance issues
    • Bug fix priority and backports

Which should you pick?

Choose Dagster if

  • You need asset-centric orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want lineage tracking.
Dagster review

Choose Zabbix if

  • You need agent and agentless collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want templates.
Zabbix review

Questions people ask

Is Dagster or Zabbix better?
Neither clearly leads. Dagster starts at Free and Zabbix at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dagster or Zabbix?
Dagster starts at Free and Zabbix at Free.
Does Dagster or Zabbix run on more platforms?
Dagster runs on Cloud, Self-hosted. Zabbix runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
Can I use Dagster for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dagster best used for?
Dagster is most often used for orchestrating multi-stage data transformation pipelines, tracking data lineage across transformation tools, monitoring data quality and asset health, coordinating dbt and snowflake workflows. Of those, orchestrating multi-stage data transformation pipelines and tracking data lineage across transformation tools are not what Zabbix is typically brought in for.
What can Dagster do that Zabbix cannot?
Dagster covers Asset-centric orchestration, Lineage tracking, Data quality monitoring, Multi-tool integration. Zabbix covers Agent and agentless collection, Templates, Low-level discovery, Distributed proxies.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dagster: What does Solo plan at $10/month include?

Solo includes 1 user, 1 code location, 1 deployment, and serverless compute at $0.010/minute, with 30-day free trial.

Source
Zabbix: Is Zabbix genuinely free for commercial use?

The software has no licence fee at any scale. From version 7.0 it is AGPLv3, so offering it as a network service to third parties carries source distribution obligations.

Dagster: How are credits calculated on Dagster+?

Each asset materialization and ops execution costs 1 credit. Solo plan charges $0.040 per credit; Starter reduces to $0.035 per credit.

Source
Zabbix: What is the real cost of running it?

Database administration and the person who tunes it. Budget for PostgreSQL with TimescaleDB and someone who owns the retention policy.

Dagster: Is Dagster open-source available for free?

Yes, Dagster open-source is free and includes the full orchestration engine for self-hosted deployment with community support.

Source
Zabbix: How does it compare to a commercial per-device tool?

It removes the licence line entirely and adds an operations line. Below a few hundred devices the commercial tool is often cheaper in total; above that Zabbix wins clearly.

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