Prefect vs Airflow

Why Prefect Might Be a Better Choice Over Airflow for Python Developers on Windows

If you're a Python developer and use a Windows server, I believe Prefect is a more convenient choice than Airflow for your ETL processes. Here's why:

1. Pythonic API
   Prefect is designed with Python in mind, and its API is more user-friendly compared to Airflow. When defining flows and tasks, you simply write functions. In contrast, with Airflow, you need to use the Taskflow API, but you’ll also have to redefine tasks.
   
   

2. Local Development
   Prefect offers faster local development and testing due to its simpler setup compared to Airflow. You can test your code easily without needing to set up a schedule. In Airflow, testing requires a few more steps, especially on Windows, which can make development slower. Prefect is more streamlined for Windows users.
   
   

3. Windows Compatibility
   Prefect has fewer compatibility issues on Windows than Airflow. Airflow requires Docker or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run properly, making the setup process more complicated.
   
   

4. Dynamic Workflows
   Prefect makes it easy to modify ETL workflows on the fly. Airflow’s Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) aren’t as dynamic, which can make changes more cumbersome.
   
   

5. Ease of Setup
   Prefect is easier to set up, allowing you to start writing your ETL processes quickly. In contrast, Airflow takes more time to set up, particularly when dealing with dependencies and orchestrating DAGs.
   
   

6. State Management
   Prefect has built-in state management, which makes handling retries, failures, and task state transitions much easier than in Airflow.
   
   

In conclusion, if you need to schedule ETL pipelines in a Windows environment, I would recommend Prefect over Airflow due to its simplicity and better compatibility.