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Software · head to head

Windmill vs Automate.io

Windmill logo

Windmill

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Automate.io logo

Automate.io

Software

Connect and automate your cloud applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.; Automate.io no longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down
  • They diverge on capability: Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Automate.io covers Multi-step automations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Windmill and Automate.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Windmill and Automate.io differ
AttributeWindmillAutomate.io
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Platformsweb, api, linux, windows, macWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2014

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

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 Windmill

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

Only in Automate.io

  • Multi-step automations
  • Conditional logic
  • Data mapping
  • Error handling
  • Scheduling
  • Webhooks
  • API integrations
  • 500+ apps

What people use each for

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

Windmill

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

Automate.io

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Automate.io

  • No longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down
  • Existing automations were not portable to Notion, so users had to rebuild elsewhere

Pricing, plan by plan

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)

Automate.io

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 250 tasks/month
    • 2 automations
  • Starter$15/month
    • 5000 tasks/month
    • Unlimited automations
    • Email support
  • Professional$50/month
    • Unlimited tasks
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Automate.io if

  • You need multi-step automations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want conditional logic.
Automate.io review

Questions people ask

Is Windmill or Automate.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Windmill starts at Free and Automate.io at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Windmill or Automate.io?
Windmill starts at Free and Automate.io at Free.
Does Windmill or Automate.io run on more platforms?
Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac. Automate.io runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Windmill for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Windmill best used for?
Windmill is most often used for turning ad-hoc scripts into scheduled jobs and apis, building internal tools from existing python/typescript code, self-hosted automation for engineering teams, orchestrating multi-language workflows. Of those, turning ad-hoc scripts into scheduled jobs and apis and building internal tools from existing python/typescript code are not what Automate.io is typically brought in for.
What can Windmill do that Automate.io cannot?
Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync. Automate.io covers Multi-step automations, Conditional logic, Data mapping, Error handling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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