AWS Step Functions alternatives where workflows are code, not ASL JSON.
Step Functions defines workflows in Amazon States Language, a JSON state machine format, and bills Standard Workflows for every state transition, retries included. It runs only inside AWS, and schedules need a separate EventBridge rule.
Unmeshed counts one flat unit per workflow execution, however many steps run inside it. You define workflows in JSON, YAML, or code, with workers in Java, Go, TypeScript, or Python, and run them in the cloud or on your own servers.
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Overview
About Unmeshed
Unmeshed is a workflow orchestration platform built by the team behind Netflix Conductor. You define workflows in JSON or YAML, with code-based workers in Java, Go, TypeScript, or Python. Agents run as steps next to plain code, API calls, and human approvals, and the engine keeps state, retries failed steps, and records every run.
About AWS Step Functions
AWS Step Functions is a serverless workflow service from Amazon Web Services. You define state machines in Amazon States Language or in the Workflow Studio visual editor, and connect them to more than 220 AWS services and over 10,000 APIs. Standard Workflows bill per state transition, and Express Workflows bill on requests and duration.
Comparison
| Unmeshed | AWS Step Functions | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ||
| Built for | Workflows, APIs, batch jobs, and AI agents on any infrastructure | Serverless workflows across AWS services |
| Workflow definitions | JSON, YAML, or code | Amazon States Language JSON, or Workflow Studio |
| Visual designer | Included | Included |
| Native AWS service integrations | Included | |
| Runs outside AWS | Included | Not included |
| Resiliency and operations | ||
| Durable state that survives failures | Included | Included |
| Built-in retries and error handling | Included | Included |
| Human-in-the-loop approvals | Included | Included |
| Built-in cron scheduling | Included | |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Flat, one unit per workflow execution | Per state transition, or requests plus duration for Express |
| Retries add to the bill | Not included | Included |
| Free tier | 2,000 workflow executions a month | 4,000 state transitions a month |
| Upgrade without a sales call | Included | Included |
| Security, compliance, and governance | ||
| Role-based access control | Included | Included |
| Audit logs | Included | Included |
| HIPAA eligible, SOC compliant | Included | |
| Self-hosted / on-premises deployment | Included | Not included |
Stop counting state transitions.
Build workflows in code and pay one flat unit per execution, on a free tier you sign up for yourself.
Pricing
AWS Step Functions pricing counts every transition. Ours counts the workflow.
Step Functions Standard Workflows charge $0.000025 per state transition in US East, and each retry counts as another transition. Express Workflows charge $1.00 per million requests, plus duration billed by memory in 64 MB chunks.
Unmeshed lists three plans with prices on the page and counts one flat unit, a workflow execution, no matter how many steps or retries run inside it. You can move from free to paid yourself.
Free forever
For solo builders exploring workflow orchestration.
$0/month
No credit card required
Get Started Free- 2,000 workflow executions a month
- Unlimited steps per workflow
- Community support
Premium
For individuals and small teams ready to orchestrate at scale.
$20/month
Billed monthly. Annual billing available, saves 2 months
Get Started- 10,000 workflow executions a month
- Batch job scheduling
- Email support
Enterprise
For organizations with scale, compliance, and infrastructure requirements.
Custom pricing
Tailored to your scale and compliance requirements
Contact Sales- Unlimited executions, workflows, and seats
- SSO/SAML and role-based access control
- Dedicated support with SLAs
AWS Step Functions pricing, for reference
See AWS's pricing pageStandard Workflows
4,000 free state transitions a month, then $0.000025 per transition in US East (N. Virginia). Retries are billed as extra transitions. As AWS's own example, a 4-state workflow run 100,000 times is 396,000 billable transitions, or $9.90 a month
Express Workflows
$1.00 per million requests plus $0.06 per GB-hour for the first 1,000 GB-hours
Lambda, data transfer, and other services you call are billed separately. At small scale Step Functions can cost less than a paid Unmeshed plan, and the gap flips as workflows get longer or retry more. Pricing details change often; treat this as a quick reference and confirm current numbers on AWS's site before publishing.
Agentic AI
Orchestrate agents next to everything else
AWS Step Functions
Step Functions supports agentic workflows, with human-in-the-loop controls and calls to public and private endpoints. It is a strong choice if your agents already live on AWS.
Unmeshed
Unmeshed runs agents as steps inside the same durable workflow as your APIs, batch jobs, decisions, and approvals, and works with MCP tools natively. The workflow runs in the cloud or on your own servers, so your agent stack is not tied to one cloud.
Cost and infrastructure
Step Functions runs in AWS. Unmeshed runs where you do.
AWS Step Functions
Step Functions is a managed AWS service, which means no servers to run, and that is a real advantage for AWS-only teams. It also means the orchestration service itself only runs inside AWS.
Unmeshed
Unmeshed self-hosts the whole platform on your own VM or Kubernetes cluster, or you can use Unmeshed Cloud, and you choose without a sales call first. It runs alongside your AWS services, so you can keep calling Lambda, SQS, and the rest.
Feature comparison
Step Functions makes you plan for this. Unmeshed already did.
The stuff you won't have to build yourself.
Pricing predictability
One unit per workflow, not one per step.
Unmeshed
Workflow executions are counted flat, no matter how many steps, branches, or retries a workflow uses.
AWS Step Functions
Standard Workflows bill every state transition, and each retry counts as an additional transition.
Cloud portability
Your cloud, or none.
Unmeshed
Self-host on your own VM or Kubernetes cluster, or use Unmeshed Cloud, and keep calling your AWS services.
AWS Step Functions
A managed service that runs only inside AWS.
Workflow definitions
Define it in code, not only in ASL.
Unmeshed
Workflows are defined in JSON, YAML, or code, with workers in Java, Go, TypeScript, or Python that you test and version like any other code.
AWS Step Functions
Workflows are Amazon States Language JSON or built in Workflow Studio, with task logic in Lambda or other services.
Scheduling and operations
Cron is built in.
Unmeshed
Standard 5-field cron scheduling down to one-minute intervals, plus event triggers, and run history in the same view.
AWS Step Functions
Scheduled runs are typically set up through Amazon EventBridge rules, with monitoring in CloudWatch.
Code sample
Plain functions. Real code.
Workers are plain functions. Register them, start a process, and the platform handles state and retries, so each step is code you can test and review.
Retries, state, and scheduling come built in, so there's no extra worker setup to hand roll.
from unmeshed.sdk.configs.client_config import ClientConfig
from unmeshed.sdk.unmeshed_client import UnmeshedClient
from unmeshed.sdk.decorators.worker_function import worker_function
client_config = ClientConfig()
client_config.set_client_id("your-client-id")
client_config.set_auth_token("your-auth-token")
client = UnmeshedClient(client_config)
@worker_function(name="charge-order", namespace="default", max_in_progress=100)
def charge_order(input: OrderInput) -> ChargeResult:
# your business logic — the engine handles
# state, retries, and observability
return charge_card(input)
client.start()Frequently asked questions
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