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Head-to-head · DataOps Platforms

Prefect vs Dagster

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Prefect #7 in DataOps Platforms 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Prefect
Dagster #8 in DataOps Platforms 8.5/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Dagster

Prefect leads on 0 checks, Dagster on 1, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePrefect · 8.6/10
  • Lowest starting priceDagster · $10/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Dagster

Prefect scores higher on our rubric for dataops platforms: 8.6 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #8.

Dagster is cheaper to start at $10/mo against $100/mo.

Prefect is the better fit for python teams needing observable hybrid orchestration. Dagster is the better fit for data teams focused on assets, lineage, and quality.

  • Prefect fits best

    Python teams needing observable hybrid orchestration

  • Dagster fits best

    Data teams focused on assets, lineage, and quality

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Prefect 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Dagster 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.5
Ranking #7 in DataOps Platforms #8 in DataOps Platforms
Best for Python teams needing observable hybrid orchestration Data teams focused on assets, lineage, and quality
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $100/mo $10/mo (best)
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs, Live chat
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA SOC 2, GDPR
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Prefect 0/4 · Dagster 0/4
Workflow scheduling Not checked yet Not checked yet
Pipeline monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
Data quality checks Not checked yet Not checked yet
Version control Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment options Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported integrations Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Track flow-run states, logs, schedules, and events in one platform.
  • Configure retries and delays, event automations, and webhook triggers.
  • Run workflows in Prefect Cloud, customer infrastructure, or hybrid setups.
  • Tracks asset dependencies and lineage with freshness and quality checks
  • Supports schedules, event-driven sensors, retries, partitions, and backfills
  • Integrates with dbt, Snowflake, Fivetran, Spark, and Databricks
Cons
  • Workflow definitions are Python-based, not built with a visual workflow editor.
  • Hobby lacks the webhooks and bring-your-own-compute highlights of Starter.
  • Team pricing is $100 per user per month, rather than a flat monthly fee.
  • Solo is limited to 1 user, 1 code location, and 1 deployment
  • Starter costs $100/month and supports up to 3 users
  • Pro requires a sales conversation, and usage-based charges can apply
Our verdict

Prefect is a Python-based orchestration platform for data, machine-learning, durable-execution, and agent workflows. Teams define flows and tasks in Python, then deploy to Prefect Cloud, their own infrastructure, or hybrid environments.…

Read the review →

Dagster is a data orchestration framework and platform for data engineering teams building analytics, machine learning, AI, ingestion, and transformation workflows. Its asset-based model connects dependencies, lineage, metadata, execution,…

Read the review →
  1. PrefectDataOps Platforms 8.6Free plan
  2. DagsterDataOps Platforms 8.5Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Prefect — where it wins

    • Track flow-run states, logs, schedules, and events in one platform.
    • Configure retries and delays, event automations, and webhook triggers.
    • Run workflows in Prefect Cloud, customer infrastructure, or hybrid setups.

    Where it doesn't

    • Workflow definitions are Python-based, not built with a visual workflow editor.
    • Hobby lacks the webhooks and bring-your-own-compute highlights of Starter.
    • Team pricing is $100 per user per month, rather than a flat monthly fee.

  • Dagster — where it wins

    • Tracks asset dependencies and lineage with freshness and quality checks
    • Supports schedules, event-driven sensors, retries, partitions, and backfills
    • Integrates with dbt, Snowflake, Fivetran, Spark, and Databricks

    Where it doesn't

    • Solo is limited to 1 user, 1 code location, and 1 deployment
    • Starter costs $100/month and supports up to 3 users
    • Pro requires a sales conversation, and usage-based charges can apply
  • Prefect8.6/10 · Free plan

    Python-defined workflows with observability, retries, and hybrid execution.

    Visit PrefectFull verdict →
  • Dagster8.5/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    A flexible orchestration platform for teams managing data assets and production pipelines.

    Visit DagsterFull verdict →

More comparisons

All DataOps platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update