Airflow vs Kestra:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kestra had more branded searches than Airflow among data orchestration platforms worldwide. Kestra had about 27,100 branded searches, while Airflow had 1,590. Kestra made up 25.8% of all data orchestration platform searches we track, and Airflow accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about data orchestration platforms, Airflow appeared in all five answers and Kestra in four. Airflow was mentioned before Kestra in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Kestra, about 17 searches for every 1 for Airflow
Who does AI mention more?
Airflow, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Airflow, named ahead of Kestra in every answer
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Top data orchestration platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Airflow appeared in all five answers. Kestra was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Airflow was listed before Kestra in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Dagster5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
dbt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Prefect5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Airflow5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Kestra4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Astronomer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Mage2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about data orchestration platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which data orchestration platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best data orchestration platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best data orchestration platform for data pipelines?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“data orchestration platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best data orchestration tool”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Airflow or Kestra more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Airflow and Kestra by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven data orchestration platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Kestra, Airflow. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mage | Kestra | Dagster | dbt | Prefect | Airflow | Astronomer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 7.2% | 36% | 36% | 13.2% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 0.64% |
| Nov 2025 | 8.6% | 35.3% | 35.3% | 12.9% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 0.62% |
| Dec 2025 | 8.6% | 35.4% | 35.4% | 12.9% | 3.8% | 3.3% | 0.62% |
| Jan 2026 | 8.5% | 34.9% | 34.9% | 12.7% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 0.75% |
| Feb 2026 | 8.6% | 35.2% | 35.2% | 12.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.62% |
| Mar 2026 | 14.6% | 32.8% | 32.8% | 12% | 2.9% | 4.4% | 0.58% |
| Apr 2026 | 16.2% | 36.3% | 29.7% | 10.8% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 0.64% |
| May 2026 | 22.6% | 33.8% | 27.7% | 10.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.49% |
| Jun 2026 | 26% | 31.7% | 26% | 11.6% | 2.2% | 2% | 0.46% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.3% | 28.1% | 23% | 10.3% | 2% | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.3% | 25.4% | 16.9% | 7.6% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.45% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.2% | 25.8% | 17.2% | 6.3% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.46% |
How has the Airflow and Kestra comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kestra was ahead of Airflow in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Airflow’s share of searches among data orchestration platforms worldwide moved from 3.1% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.3K to 1.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kestra’s share of searches among data orchestration platforms worldwide moved from 36% to 25.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for data orchestration platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Airflow fell from 5th to 6th among data orchestration platforms worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Airflow’s and Kestra’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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