GoodJob
GoodJob is a multithreaded, PostgreSQL-based Active Job backend for Ruby on Rails.
What GoodJob is
GoodJob is a multithreaded, PostgreSQL-based Active Job backend for Ruby on Rails. It handles queues, delayed and recurring jobs, priorities, timeouts, retries, batches, concurrency controls, and throttling. Jobs can run inside the web process or in a separate GoodJob command-line worker. PostgreSQL advisory locks support run-once safety, while LISTEN/NOTIFY helps reduce queuing latency. GoodJob includes a mountable Rails dashboard, but the project advises restricting access because job records may contain sensitive information. The listed requirements are Ruby on Rails 6.1 or later, Ruby 3.0 or later (or JRuby 9.4 or later), and PostgreSQL 10.0 or later. The project targets applications that enqueue one million jobs per day and more. It is self-hosted, open source, and licensed under MIT; the listed plan costs nothing. A known queue caveat is that its advisory-lock query can become non-performant with 100,000 or more executable jobs because it materializes jobs before acquiring a lock. Its README describes a thread-error callback for Rails.error and names Sentry, Bugsnag, Airbrake, and Honeybadger as examples.
Good
- Supports retries, recurring jobs, batches, and throttling.
- Can run jobs in the web process or a worker.
- Includes a mountable Rails dashboard.
- Open source under the MIT license.
Watch out
- Requires Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL.
- Dashboard access should be authorized.
- The advisory-lock query can become non-performant at 100,000 or more executable jobs.
Who it suits
GoodJob suits Rails teams and solo developers who want a self-hosted job backend, including applications with high job volumes, and can meet its Ruby and PostgreSQL requirements.
Verdict
GoodJob offers a broad set of job-management features for Rails applications using PostgreSQL. Review its runtime requirements, dashboard access guidance, and queue caveat before adopting it.
Plans and prices
From GoodJob's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Free | MIT licensed · requires Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL |
The facts
Each one read from GoodJob's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Compatibility
- The README lists Ruby on Rails 6.1+, Ruby 3.0+ or JRuby 9.4+, and PostgreSQL 10.0+ as requirements.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Dashboard
- GoodJob includes a mountable Rails dashboard, and the README says access should be authorized because jobs may contain sensitive information.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Database behavior
- It uses PostgreSQL advisory locks for run-once safety and LISTEN/NOTIFY to reduce queuing latency.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Jobs can run in the web process or through a separate GoodJob command-line worker process.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The README describes using its thread-error callback to report errors through Rails.error and mentions Sentry, Bugsnag, Airbrake, and Honeybadger as examples.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Job features
- It supports queues, delays, priorities, timeouts, retries, cron-like recurring jobs, batches, concurrency controls, and throttling.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository includes an MIT license granting permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies, subject to its conditions.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Queue limitation
- The README says its advisory-lock query can be non-performant with 100,000 or more executable jobs because the query materializes jobs before acquiring a lock.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Scale guidance
- The project says it targets applications that enqueue 1 million jobs per day and more.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- The README advises authorizing dashboard access because job records can contain sensitive information.checked 4 Oct 2026
- What it does
- GoodJob is a multithreaded, PostgreSQL-based Active Job backend for Ruby on Rails.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- The README identifies full-stack teams, economy-minded solo developers, and applications with high job volumes as intended audiences.checked 4 Oct 2026
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