Dagu is a lightweight workflow orchestration engine for Linux that lets you define Directed Acyclic Graphs in YAML and run them from a single self-contained binary.
It is designed for local-first operation and can handle everything from scheduled jobs and existing script orchestration to distributed coordinator/worker execution across multiple machines over gRPC. Dagu stores its state in local files by default and does not require an external database, message broker, or language-specific runtime.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Defines workflows as YAML DAGs for declarative job orchestration.
- Runs as a single binary with no external dependencies.
- Supports local execution, cron scheduling, retry policies, timeout controls, and overlap handling.
- Includes a web interface showing execution history, logs, and real-time status.
- Offers standalone, coordinator/worker, and headless deployment modes.
- Provides built-in executors for shell commands, Docker, Kubernetes, SSH, HTTP, SQL, S3, jq, email, archives, routing, agents, and sub-workflows.
- Can orchestrate existing shell scripts, Python scripts, HTTP calls, and other executables without modifying them.
- Uses file-based storage for logs, state, and queue data by default.
Website: github.com/dagu-org/dagu
Support:
Developer: dagucloud
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Dagu is written in Go. Learn Go with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Alternatives to cron | |
|---|---|
| cronie | Modern day version of cron and associated tools |
| fcron | Designed for systems which are not continuously running or regularly |
| systemd | Suite of basic building blocks for a Linux system |
| mcron | 100% compatible replacement for Vixie cron |
| anacron | Designed for systems which are not continuously running |
| Jobber | Run commands to a schedule |
| bcron | Designed with secure operations in mind |
| Cronicle | Multi-server task scheduler and runner |
| Supercronic | Crontab-compatible job runner designed for container environments |
| runcron | Minimal cron alternative for automated and container-friendly environments |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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