Windmill Overview
Windmill is a comprehensive, enterprise-grade workflow engine and developer platform backed by Y Combinator. It supports scripting in 20+ languages including Python, TypeScript, Go, PHP, Rust, Bash, C#, and SQL. Windmill offers a full-featured WebIDE, flow orchestrator and app builder with low-code capabilities. It's designed for large-scale deployments with features like worker groups, Git-based collaboration, SOC 2 Type II compliance, RBAC, SSO, and extensive integrations with databases and cloud platforms.
RapidForge Overview
RapidForge takes a minimalist approach as a single binary web server with zero external dependencies. It focuses on simplicity by supporting Bash and Lua scripts, making it ideal for teams that want to quickly turn scripts into webhooks, cron jobs, and web pages without framework overhead. RapidForge is completely free, self-hosted and particularly suited for air-gapped environments.
Key Differences
| Feature | RapidForge | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Single binary, zero dependencies | Docker/Kubernetes, requires PostgreSQL |
| Languages | Bash, Lua | Python, TypeScript, Go, PHP, Rust, Bash, C#, SQL (20+) |
| Setup Time | Minutes (one command) | Longer setup with more configuration |
| Pricing | Completely free | Free tier + paid enterprise plans |
| Target Users | Small teams, DevOps, sysadmins | Enterprise teams, data engineers |
| Complexity | Lightweight, minimal | Feature-rich, comprehensive |
| Air-gap Support | Native support | Enterprise feature |
| Visual Flow Builder | Basic UI | Advanced low-code flow orchestrator |
| App Builder | Drag-and-drop page editor | Full low-code app builder |
When to Choose RapidForge
- You need a lightweight solution that deploys in one command
- Your automation tasks primarily involve Bash or Lua scripts
- You're working in air-gapped or restricted environments
- You prefer simplicity over extensive features
- You want a completely free, self-hosted solution without enterprise tiers
- You need to quickly expose existing CLI tools as webhooks or scheduled tasks
When to Choose Windmill
- You need support for multiple programming languages (Python, TypeScript, Go, etc.)
- You require enterprise features like RBAC, SSO, and SOC 2 compliance
- You need extensive third-party integrations (100+ APIs)
- You have a large team requiring Git-based collaboration workflows
- You need advanced monitoring and observability features
Conclusion
RapidForge excels at simplicity and rapid deployment turning scripts into production ready endpoints with minimal setup. Windmill offers a more comprehensive platform for enterprise scale operations with extensive language support and collaboration features. Choose RapidForge when you value simplicity and speed; choose Windmill when you need a full featured workflow engine with enterprise capabilities.