Union.ai vs Astronomer

A comparison of the orchestration platforms based on their ability to deliver AI orchestration at scale.

User interface displaying a Python task named my_root with input parameters and output, run log showing task steps and statuses, and task details including run ID, status, duration, start and end times.
Dashboard showing PRD DAG status with pipeline names, owners, runs, schedules, last and next runs, and recent task statuses.

Who should use each tool?

Union.ai

Engineers building AI, ML, or agentic workflows looking to accelerate speed from experiment to production.

Astronomer

Professionals seeking static data orchestration and ETL assistance.

Feature Comparison

Union.ai
Astronomer
Task fanout
1M tasks
Limited to DAG size & executor
Concurrency
5k tasks
Executor- and infra-dependent
Multi-cloud, multi-cluster
Built-in
Possible, but complex
Run throughput
1k runs/sec
Limited by Airflow’s scheduler
Reusable containers
Built in
Cost allocation dashboard
Built in
Infra maintenance
Built in
Built in
Local development
Write locally, execute remotely
Astro CLI for local testing
Data lineage
Full lineage tracking with Artifacts
Basic lineage via external tools
Debugging & error handling
Advanced debugging, automatic retries
Basic Airflow logging and retries
Workflow caching
Full workflow and task-level caching
No built-in caching
Real-time inference
SSO
Role-based access control
Managed secrets
Built-in secrets management
K8s secrets or external integrations

Union.ai

Next-generation AI orchestration platform built on Flyte. Durable, scalable, and developer-friendly with native Kubernetes support.

Astronomer

Traditional Airflow hosting service with limited modern features. Legacy architecture that struggles with scale and complexity.

Why Union.ai outperforms Astronomer

Union.ai wins because its AI orchestration is more performant and cost-efficient. It’s purpose-built for complex, dynamic AI and ML workflows. Unlike Astronomer, Union.ai delivers faster experimentation, reproducibility, and integration with modern AI stacks.

Performance & Scale

10x faster workflow execution

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Seamless systems scaling

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Ultra-low latency

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Reusable containers to eliminate cold starts

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Petabyte-scale data processing

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Cost Efficiency

Cost allocation dashboard

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Lower infra maintenance costs

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

No idle resource waste

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Automatic cost optimization

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Transparent pricing model

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Developer Experience

Debugging experience

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Automatic retries and failure recovery

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Easy deployment

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Easy integration with other tools

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Run locally

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Future-Proof

Built for modern AI, ML, and agentic workloads

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Kubernetes-native architecture

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Continuous innovation and updates

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Strong community and enterprise support

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Seamless integration with modern tools

Workflows can make on-the-fly decisions at runtime with real-time logic, conditions, and retries.

Ready to learn more about Union.ai?

Take a few minutes to learn how Union.ai can accelerate your AI workflows.