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Software · head to head

Windmill vs CrewAI

Windmill logo

Windmill

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
C

CrewAI

Software

The Enterprise Agent Build and Runtime for the work your business runs on

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.; CrewAI the free Basic tier caps at 50 workflow executions per month, with all higher usage requiring a custom Enterprise contract, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Windmill and CrewAI actually diverge.

Attributes where Windmill and CrewAI differ
AttributeWindmillCrewAI
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
Platformsweb, api, linux, windows, macWeb

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 CrewAI

Nothing recorded that Windmill does not also cover.

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 CrewAI
  • Building internal tools from existing Python/TypeScript codenot CrewAI
  • Self-hosted automation for engineering teamsnot CrewAI
  • Orchestrating multi-language workflowsnot CrewAI

CrewAI

No use cases recorded yet. See the CrewAI review.

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.

CrewAI

  • The free Basic tier caps at 50 workflow executions per month, with all higher usage requiring a custom Enterprise contract, as of August 2026.

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)

CrewAI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CrewAI review.

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 CrewAI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CrewAI review

Questions people ask

Is Windmill or CrewAI better?
Neither clearly leads. Windmill starts at Free and CrewAI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Windmill or CrewAI?
Windmill starts at Free and CrewAI at Free.
Does Windmill or CrewAI run on more platforms?
Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac. CrewAI runs on Web.
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 CrewAI is typically brought in for.
What can Windmill do that CrewAI cannot?
Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

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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