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Automation Integration · head to head

Salesforce Flows vs Windmill

Salesforce Flows logo

Salesforce Flows

Automation Integration

Automation inside Salesforce

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: Salesforce Flows not suitable for highly complex scenarios with intricate decision-making or bulk data processing; Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder, Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salesforce Flows and Windmill actually diverge.

Attributes where Salesforce Flows and Windmill differ
AttributeSalesforce FlowsWindmill
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsSalesforce Cloud, Web, Mobileweb, api, linux, windows, mac
Founded1999Unknown

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 Salesforce Flows

  • Visual flow builder
  • Approvals
  • Scheduled actions
  • Screen flows
  • Multi-step workflows
  • Conditional logic
  • Error handling
  • Salesforce native

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.

Salesforce Flows

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

Windmill

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

Where each one falls short

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

Salesforce Flows

  • Not suitable for highly complex scenarios with intricate decision-making or bulk data processing
  • No automatic record locking, causing conflicts when multiple users update same records
  • Limited error handling compared to Apex
  • Requires Enterprise edition or higher for full capabilities
  • Auto-launched Flows cannot display screens to users
  • Complex dependency management and configuration challenges when deploying between environments

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

Salesforce Flows

Free
  • Salesforce FreeFree
    • 2 user licenses
    • Basic workflows
    • Limited automation
  • Starter$25/user/month
    • Sales flows
    • Lead routing
    • Email marketing analytics
  • Professional$100/user/month
    • Sales quoting
    • Forecasting
    • AppExchange access
  • Enterprise$165/user/month
    • Full Flow Builder
    • Custom objects
    • Sandboxes

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 Salesforce Flows if

  • You need visual flow builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want approvals.
Salesforce Flows 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 Salesforce Flows or Windmill better?
Neither clearly leads. Salesforce Flows 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, Salesforce Flows or Windmill?
Salesforce Flows starts at Free and Windmill at Free.
Does Salesforce Flows or Windmill run on more platforms?
Salesforce Flows runs on Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile. Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
Can I use Salesforce Flows for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Salesforce Flows best used for?
Salesforce Flows is most often used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration. Of those, workflow automation and data integration are not what Windmill is typically brought in for.
What can Salesforce Flows do that Windmill cannot?
Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder, Approvals, Scheduled actions, Screen flows. Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Salesforce Flows: Which Salesforce editions include Flows?

Salesforce Flow Builder is included in Enterprise Edition ($165/user/month) and above. Professional Edition lacks advanced automation capabilities and Flow Builder access. Starter and lower editions have limited Flow support.

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
Salesforce Flows: What are the main limitations of Salesforce Flows?

Flows are limited by DML operations (max 150 data elements that modify data), SOQL queries (max 100 data elements that retrieve data), and are not designed for bulk processing. Auto-launched Flows do not support screens and have limited error handling compared to Apex.

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
Salesforce Flows: Can Salesforce Flows integrate with external systems?

Yes, through MuleSoft connectors and Salesforce API Catalog. Pre-built connectors exist for systems like Asana, and admins can create custom connectors. Complex integrations may still require Apex or third-party platforms.

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
Salesforce Flows: When was Salesforce Flow redesigned?

Flow Builder was introduced in Spring '19 as a replacement for the previous Flow Designer, providing a more familiar interface similar to other Salesforce Lightning Builder tools.

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
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