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Automation Integration · head to head

Orkes vs Xano

Orkes logo

Orkes

Automation Integration

Commercial Conductor, now the maintainer of the workflow engine Netflix archived

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xano logo

Xano

Automation Integration

The low-code backend platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Orkes netflix archived the Conductor repository in December 2023 and Orkes took over maintenance, so the large-company backing that justified many original adoptions no longer exists.; Xano limited real-time capabilities; websocket support underdeveloped and not suitable for real-time applications
  • They diverge on capability: Orkes covers JSON workflow definitions, Xano covers API builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Orkes and Xano actually diverge.

Attributes where Orkes and Xano differ
AttributeOrkesXano
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, CloudWeb, Cloud, BYOC
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Orkes

  • JSON workflow definitions
  • Polyglot workers
  • Visual workflow builder
  • AI and LLM tasks
  • Human tasks
  • Event handlers
  • RBAC and secrets
  • Hosted or self-hosted

Only in Xano

  • API builder
  • Database management
  • Data transformation
  • Real-time sync
  • Webhooks
  • Authentication
  • Scheduling
  • REST API

What people use each for

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

Orkes

  • A microservices estate that needs orchestration across services written in different languages without a shared SDKnot Xano
  • A team already running Conductor OSS that wants a supported distribution now that Netflix has stopped maintaining itnot Xano
  • An AI platform composing agent steps, model calls and vector lookups as versioned workflow definitionsnot Xano
  • A business process needing human approval steps interleaved with automated service callsnot Xano

Xano

  • Workflow Automationnot Orkes
  • Data Integrationnot Orkes
  • Process Automationnot Orkes
  • App Integrationnot Orkes
  • API Connectivitynot Orkes

Where each one falls short

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

Orkes

  • Netflix archived the Conductor repository in December 2023 and Orkes took over maintenance, so the large-company backing that justified many original adoptions no longer exists.
  • Enterprise pricing is entirely unpublished, and the only free option is explicitly a prototyping sandbox whose limits can change at any time, so there is no supported low-cost entry point.
  • Self-hosting Conductor OSS in production means operating the engine plus its persistence and indexing dependencies, typically Postgres or Cassandra with Elasticsearch, which is a substantial platform commitment.
  • JSON workflow definitions are language agnostic but verbose and awkward to test, and teams accustomed to defining workflows in code find them a step backwards in developer experience.
  • Orkes is a small company whose commercial future is tied to a single open source project it also maintains, which concentrates both vendor and project risk in the same place.

Xano

  • Limited real-time capabilities; websocket support underdeveloped and not suitable for real-time applications
  • Performance concerns at scale; users report crashes, dropped queries, and no RAM visibility on any plan
  • Interface designed for mouse input only, does not work well with touch-screen tablets
  • Limited version control, data backup and restore features, and data management logging capabilities
  • Requires pairing with a frontend builder, adding cost, complexity, and integration overhead

Pricing, plan by plan

Orkes

Free
  • Developer EditionFree
    • All Conductor OSS features plus enterprise capabilities
    • Sandbox for prototyping only
    • Rate limits and resources may change without notice
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Availability SLA up to 99.99%
    • Orkes-hosted or customer-hosted deployment
    • Dedicated technical account manager

Xano

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited requests
    • Basic features
  • Professional$99/month
    • 100K requests
    • Advanced features
  • Business$299/month
    • 500K requests
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Orkes if

  • You need json workflow definitions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want polyglot workers.
Orkes review

Choose Xano if

  • You need api builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, BYOC.
  • You also want database management.
Xano review

Questions people ask

Is Orkes or Xano better?
Neither clearly leads. Orkes starts at Free and Xano at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Orkes or Xano?
Orkes starts at Free and Xano at Free.
Does Orkes or Xano run on more platforms?
Orkes runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. Xano runs on Web, Cloud, BYOC.
Can I use Orkes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Orkes best used for?
Orkes is most often used for a microservices estate that needs orchestration across services written in different languages without a shared sdk, a team already running conductor oss that wants a supported distribution now that netflix has stopped maintaining it, an ai platform composing agent steps, model calls and vector lookups as versioned workflow definitions, a business process needing human approval steps interleaved with automated service calls. Of those, a microservices estate that needs orchestration across services written in different languages without a shared sdk and a team already running conductor oss that wants a supported distribution now that netflix has stopped maintaining it are not what Xano is typically brought in for.
What can Orkes do that Xano cannot?
Orkes covers JSON workflow definitions, Polyglot workers, Visual workflow builder, AI and LLM tasks. Xano covers API builder, Database management, Data transformation, Real-time sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Orkes: Does Netflix still maintain Conductor?

No. Netflix archived its repository in December 2023. The open source project continues at conductor-oss under Apache 2.0, maintained by Orkes.

Xano: Does Xano offer a free plan?

Yes. Xano offers a free plan with unlimited APIs and a rate limit. The free plan includes watermarked stored images. Paid plans start at $85 per month.

Source
Orkes: Is there a free production tier?

No. The Developer Edition is a sandbox that the vendor states is unsuitable for production. Self-hosting Conductor OSS is the free production route.

Xano: What databases does Xano use?

Xano provides managed PostgreSQL database with no migrations or DevOps overhead required. It includes automatic backups, scaling, and full ACID transaction support.

Source
Orkes: What does Enterprise cost?

Nothing is published; it is quoted by deployment and support requirements.

Xano: Does Xano require coding knowledge?

Xano is a no-code platform but requires foundational understanding of backend concepts like database structure, APIs, authentication, and logic flow. The learning curve is steep, requiring weeks or months to become proficient.

Source
Orkes: How does it compare with Temporal?

Conductor uses declarative JSON workflow definitions and external workers; Temporal defines workflows in code. Temporal has the larger community.

Xano: What integrations does Xano support?

Xano integrates with Snowflake, Datadog, AWS, GCP, Azure, Stripe, Segment, and works with frontend platforms like Bubble, Webflow, FlutterFlow, and Lovable.

Source
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