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Automation Integration · head to head

Talend vs Windmill

Talend logo

Talend

Automation Integration

Cloud data integration platform

From
On request
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

  • Only Windmill has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Talend no published pricing; all customers receive customized quotes based on usage; Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Talend covers ETL pipelines, 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 Talend and Windmill actually diverge.

Attributes where Talend and Windmill differ
AttributeTalendWindmill
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, On-premiseweb, api, linux, windows, mac
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Talend

  • ETL pipelines
  • Data quality
  • Master data management
  • Real-time streaming
  • Cloud synchronization
  • Monitoring
  • Scheduling
  • 1000+ connectors

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.

Talend

  • Enterprises consolidating data integration and pipeline orchestration now under the Qlik Talend Cloud brandnot Windmill

Windmill

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

Where each one falls short

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

Talend

  • No published pricing; all customers receive customized quotes based on usage
  • Billing measured by combination of data volume moved, job executions, and execution duration
  • Pricing details available only through sales contact; no self-serve pricing model

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

Talend

On request
  • Starter$null/usage
    • Basic SaaS connectivity
  • Standard$null/usage
    • Real-time data movement
    • Change Data Capture (CDC)
  • Premium$null/usage
    • Transformation capabilities
    • Automation features
  • Enterprise$null/usage
    • Comprehensive quality features
    • Governance capabilities

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 Talend if

  • You need etl pipelines.
  • You work on Web, On-premise.
  • You also want data quality.
Talend 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 Talend or Windmill better?
Neither clearly leads. Talend starts at On request and Windmill at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Talend or Windmill?
Windmill has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Talend and Free for Windmill.
Does Talend or Windmill run on more platforms?
Talend runs on Web, On-premise. Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
Can I use Windmill for free?
Yes. Windmill has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Talend starts at On request.
What is Talend best used for?
Talend is most often used for enterprises consolidating data integration and pipeline orchestration now under the qlik talend cloud brand. Of those, enterprises consolidating data integration and pipeline orchestration now under the qlik talend cloud brand is not what Windmill is typically brought in for.
What can Talend do that Windmill cannot?
Talend covers ETL pipelines, Data quality, Master data management, Real-time streaming. Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Talend: How is Talend Cloud priced?

Talend Cloud uses a usage-based pricing model where customers subscribe to a chosen edition (Starter, Standard, Premium, or Enterprise) and pay based on capacity used. Billing is calculated as a combination of data volume moved, number of job executions, and execution duration, with no published rates.

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
Talend: What are Talend Cloud editions?

Talend Cloud offers four editions: Starter (basic SaaS connectivity), Standard (real-time data movement and CDC), Premium (transformation and automation), and Enterprise (comprehensive quality and governance). All pricing is custom based on usage.

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
Talend: Does Talend Cloud provide usage monitoring?

Yes. Talend provides a self-serve telemetry dashboard where customers can monitor usage trends and receive alerts as utilization approaches capacity limits, allowing tracking of data volume, job executions, and execution duration.

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
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