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Automation Integration · head to head

Windmill vs Xano

Windmill logo

Windmill

Automation Integration

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

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: Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.; Xano limited real-time capabilities; websocket support underdeveloped and not suitable for real-time applications
  • They diverge on capability: Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Xano covers API builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Windmill and Xano actually diverge.

Attributes where Windmill and Xano differ
AttributeWindmillXano
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Platformsweb, api, linux, windows, macWeb, 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 Windmill

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

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.

Windmill

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

Xano

  • 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.

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

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)

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 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 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 Windmill or Xano better?
Neither clearly leads. Windmill 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, Windmill or Xano?
Windmill starts at Free and Xano at Free.
Does Windmill or Xano run on more platforms?
Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac. Xano runs on Web, Cloud, BYOC.
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 Xano is typically brought in for.
What can Windmill do that Xano cannot?
Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync. Xano covers API builder, Database management, Data transformation, Real-time 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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