Best Mage Alternatives in 2026
The top Mage alternatives are Apache Airflow, BMC Control-M and Apache Hop: 15 DataOps platforms our editors would look at instead of Mage, in our ranking order.
Mage: Mage combines tested, monitored pipelines with cloud, hybrid, and self-hosted deployment. Where it falls short: starter is limited to one developer seat and one environment.
Switching from Mage? For most dataops platforms buyers the best Mage alternative is Apache Airflow, built for teams wanting proven Python workflow orchestration. On a budget, Dagster starts at $10/mo, against $29/mo for Mage.
Why People Look for a Mage Alternative
- Starter is limited to one developer seat and one environment
- Team includes one environment, even with up to 10 developer seats
- Support channels are community and documentation
- Paid from $29/mo — Dagster is $10/mo
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallApache Airflow9.3
Teams wanting proven Python workflow orchestration
Visit Apache Airflow - Lowest priceDagster8.5
Paid plans from $10/mo
Visit Dagster - Best free optionApache Airflow9.3
Has a free plan
Visit Apache Airflow
All 15 Mage Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forTeams wanting proven Python workflow orchestration
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.3
A Python-first orchestrator for teams running scheduled and event-driven workflows.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Apache Airflow -
Best forEnterprises orchestrating hybrid data and application jobs
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.3
Coordinates application and data workflows across cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and mainframe environments.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit BMC Control-M -
Best forTeams building visual ETL and data pipelines
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.3
A broad, free visual ETL platform for teams building repeatable pipelines.
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Apache Hop -
Best forTeams managing secure, observable dataflows
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.3
A self-hosted, visual dataflow system with provenance and delivery controls.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Apache NiFi -
Best forTeams seeking managed connectors and flexible pipelines
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.3
A broad data operations platform with a free project and enterprise deployment options.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Keboola -
Best forTeams wanting visual workflows and approval gates
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.3
Visual and YAML workflow orchestration with broad triggers, plugin integrations, and approval gates.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Kestra -
Best forPython teams needing observable hybrid orchestration
- Better than Mage:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.3
Python-defined workflows with observability, retries, and hybrid execution.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Prefect -
Best forData teams focused on assets, lineage, and quality
- Better than Mage:
- Paid from: $10/mo vs $29/mo
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.3
A flexible orchestration platform for teams managing data assets and production pipelines.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Dagster -
Best forEnterprises automating SAP and Oracle workloads
Enterprise orchestration for hybrid SAP, Oracle, and data workloads.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Redwood -
Best forEnterprises coordinating hybrid IT workloads
Enterprise workload automation spanning workflows, infrastructure, and data pipelines.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Stonebranch -
Best forEnterprises coordinating cross-platform scheduled jobs
Centralizes scheduled and event-driven workflows across enterprise platforms.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forTeams running containerized Python workflows
A self-hosted Python orchestrator with scheduling, recovery, and execution visibility.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Flyte -
Best forML teams tracking experiments and workflow artifacts
Metaflow connects Python workflow authoring with experiment tracking and cloud execution.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Metaflow -
Best forPython teams coordinating straightforward batch tasks
A free, Python-first batch orchestrator with retries and scheduling, but no event triggers.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Luigi -
Best forTeams adding SQL-based data quality testing
A focused, self-hosted platform for profiling databases and running SQL quality tests.
- Data quality checks
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit DataKitchen
Mage Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Mage?
Apache Airflow: #1 in our DataOps Platforms ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A Python-first orchestrator for teams running scheduled and event-driven workflows.
Is there a free alternative to Mage?
Yes. Apache Airflow, Apache Hop, Apache NiFi, Keboola and Kestra have a free plan or a free tier (11 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Mage?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Dagster starts lowest, at $10/mo.
Why do people look for Mage alternatives?
Starter is limited to one developer seat and one environment; Team includes one environment, even with up to 10 developer seats; Support channels are community and documentation.
How do I switch from Mage?
Export your data from Mage (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Mage.
How to Switch from Mage
- Export your data from Mage (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Mage.
Mage vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Mage | Yes | $29/mo | 8.3 |
| 1 | Apache Airflow | Yes | Free | 9.3 |
| 2 | BMC Control-M | No | $2,400/mo | 9.1 |
| 3 | Apache Hop | Yes | Free | 9.0 |
| 4 | Apache NiFi | Free | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Keboola | Yes | $0.14/unit usage-based | 8.8 |
| 6 | Kestra | Yes | Free | 8.7 |
| 7 | Prefect | Yes | $100/mo | 8.6 |
| 8 | Dagster | Yes | $10/mo | 8.5 |
| 9 | RunMyJobs by Redwood | No | 8.2 | |
| 10 | Stonebranch Universal Automation Center | 8.1 | ||
| 11 | Tidal Workload Automation | No | 8.0 | |
| 12 | Flyte | Yes | Free | 7.9 |
| 13 | Metaflow | Yes | Free | 7.8 |
| 14 | Luigi | Yes | Free | 7.4 |
| 15 | DataKitchen TestGen | Yes | $100/user/mo | 6.9 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update