| Website | windmill.dev |
| Category | Workflow Automation / Internal Tools |
| License | AGPLv3 (open source) |
| Pricing | Free (self-hosted), Cloud from $10/user/mo |
Overview
Windmill is an open-source workflow engine and internal tool builder. Write scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash. Schedule, chain, and expose as UIs. Retool + Temporal hybrid.
Pros
- Write in real languages (Python, TS, Go)
- Auto-generated UIs from scripts
- Workflow builder with branching
- Built-in scheduling
- Self-hosted option
- Approval flows and webhooks
Cons
- AGPLv3 limits commercial embedding
- Less mature than Retool for UIs
- Workflow builder can be complex
- Smaller community
- Self-hosting needs PostgreSQL
Verdict
Windmill bridges the gap between workflow automation (like Temporal) and internal tool builders (like Retool). Write a Python script, and Windmill gives you a scheduled workflow with auto-generated UI, approval flows, and error handling. For teams that think in scripts rather than drag-and-drop, Windmill is the right abstraction.