Comparison

Apache Airflow vs dbt Core

On the evidence we track, Apache Airflow leads this comparison with a composite score of 73/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Apache Airflow full profile →dbt Core full profile →

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★Apache Airflow73

dbt Core65

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	Apache AirflowLeader	dbt Core
Vioscale score	73 / 100medium · 66%updating	65 / 100high · 77%updating
Pricing
Free tierpricing.free_tier	✓	✓
Modelpricing.model	open_source	open_source
Price levelpricing.price_level	free	free
Transparentpricing.transparent	✓	✓
Integrations
Countintegrations.count	100	6
Security
Gdprsecurity.gdpr	-	✓
Iso27001security.iso27001	-	✓
Scorecardsecurity.scorecard	7.3	6
Vulnerabilitiessecurity.vulnerabilities	Count: 1 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=apache-airflow-providers-common-sql&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH	Count: 4 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=dbt-core&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH
Reliability
Status pagereliability.status_page	-	✓
Adoption
Dependent reposadoption.dependent_repos	189	553
Github starsadoption.github_stars	46,610	13,694
Package downloads weeklyadoption.package_downloads_weekly	3,883,451	21,005,917
Activity
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	100	100
Release
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	13	2
Historyrelease.history	20 items	20 items
License
Spdxlicense.spdx	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0
Language
Primarylanguage.primary	Python	Rust
Market
Availabilitymarket.availability	-	Available worldwide · Popular in US

Score

Vioscale score

Apache Airflow73 / 100medium · 66%updating

dbt Core65 / 100high · 77%updating

Pricing

Free tier

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Model

Apache Airflowopen_source

dbt Coreopen_source

Price level

Apache Airflowfree

dbt Corefree

Transparent

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Integrations

Count

Apache Airflow100

dbt Core6

Security

Gdpr

Apache Airflow–

dbt Core✓

Iso27001

Apache Airflow–

dbt Core✓

Scorecard

Apache Airflow7.3

dbt Core6

Vulnerabilities

Apache AirflowCount: 1 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=apache-airflow-providers-common-sql&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH

dbt CoreCount: 4 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=dbt-core&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: HIGH

Reliability

Status page

Apache Airflow–

dbt Core✓

Adoption

Dependent repos

Apache Airflow189

dbt Core553

Github stars

Apache Airflow46,610

dbt Core13,694

Package downloads weekly

Apache Airflow3,883,451

dbt Core21,005,917

Activity

Commits last 30d

Apache Airflow100

dbt Core100

Release

Cadence days

Apache Airflow13

dbt Core2

History

Apache Airflow20 items

dbt Core20 items

License

Spdx

Apache AirflowApache-2.0

dbt CoreApache-2.0

Language

Primary

Apache AirflowPython

dbt CoreRust

Market

Availability

Apache Airflow–

dbt CoreAvailable worldwide · Popular in US

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for data engineering tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capability comparison for Data Engineering Tools
Capability	Apache Airflow	dbt Core
Core
Tool role	Orchestrator	Transformation
Processing paradigm	Batch	Batch
Connectivity
Connector count	100+	6+ named integrations with broader ecosystem
CDC / log-based replication	-	-
Transformation
In-warehouse transformation (push-down)	-	-
dbt-native orchestration	✓	✓
Deployment
Self-hosted / open-source available	✓	✓
Managed cloud available	✓	✓
Governance
Data lineage / asset catalog	✓	✓
Authoring
Python-first authoring	✓	-
Execution
Incremental / partition-aware runs	✓	-
Quality
Built-in data quality / tests	-	✓
Scale
Horizontal scale (distributed executor)	✓	-

Core

Tool role

Apache AirflowOrchestrator

dbt CoreTransformation

Processing paradigm

Apache AirflowBatch

dbt CoreBatch

Connectivity

Connector count

Apache Airflow100+

dbt Core6+ named integrations with broader ecosystem

CDC / log-based replication

Apache Airflow-

dbt Core-

Transformation

In-warehouse transformation (push-down)

Apache Airflow-

dbt Core-

dbt-native orchestration

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Deployment

Self-hosted / open-source available

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Managed cloud available

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Governance

Data lineage / asset catalog

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Authoring

Python-first authoring

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core-

Execution

Incremental / partition-aware runs

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core-

Quality

Built-in data quality / tests

Apache Airflow-

dbt Core✓

Scale

Horizontal scale (distributed executor)

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Apache Airflow

Leader

A community-built orchestration system that enables users to define data pipelines and tasks in Python, execute them on distributed workers, and monitor progress through a web-based interface. It supports dynamic pipeline generation, extensive third-party integrations, and operates best for batch-oriented workflows.

Independently observed

dbt Core

dbt is a framework that enables data teams to transform data using SQL-based development practices similar to software engineering, with built-in testing, version control, and deployment capabilities. It provides lineage tracking, documentation, and can run locally or in the cloud.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Apache Airflow

Leader

Open sourceFree tier

Free, open-source project. Managed cloud versions available through third parties.

as of 2026-08-14verify ↗

dbt Core

from $100/moHybridFree tier14-day trial

Free Developer tier, $100/seat/month for Starter, custom pricing for Enterprise

DeveloperFree
- Browser-based IDE
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Job scheduling
- Keep on the latest dbt release
Starter$100/seat/month
- All Developer features
- dbt Catalog basic
- dbt Semantic Layer basic
- dbt Copilot code generation
- API access
EnterpriseContact sales
- All Starter features
- dbt Catalog advanced
- dbt Semantic Layer advanced
- dbt Copilot
- dbt Canvas
- +2 more
Enterprise+Contact sales
- All Enterprise features
- PrivateLink
- IP Restrictions
- Rollback
- Hybrid projects

as of 2026-08-05verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platform and deployment support comparison
Supports	Apache Airflow	dbt Core
WebPlatforms	✓	✓
macOSPlatforms	✗	✓
WindowsPlatforms	✗	✓
LinuxPlatforms	✓	✓
CLIPlatforms	✓	✓
Cloud / SaaSDeployment	✓	✓
Self-hostedDeployment	✓	✓
On-premiseDeployment	✓	✗
HybridDeployment	✓	✗

Platforms

Web

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

macOS

Apache Airflow✗

dbt Core✓

Windows

Apache Airflow✗

dbt Core✓

Linux

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

CLI

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Deployment

Cloud / SaaS

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

Self-hosted

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✓

On-premise

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✗

Hybrid

Apache Airflow✓

dbt Core✗

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

In common (4)

Databricks
Snowflake
Tableau
OpenAI

Apache Airflow

Leader

50 total - 46 not shared

Amazon Web Services
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Platform
dbt Cloud
Slack
Salesforce
PostgreSQL
MySQL
MongoDB
Redis
Kubernetes
Docker
Apache Spark
Apache Kafka
Apache Cassandra
Apache Flink
Apache Druid
Elasticsearch
Datadog
Jenkins
GitHub
Anthropic
Cohere
Pinecone
+22 more

Independently observed

dbt Core

6 total - 2 not shared

Fivetran
Azure AI

Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.