Trigger.dev

Overview

Trigger.dev is an open-source workflow platform for TypeScript teams building background tasks and AI agents. It is best for work that needs durable execution, failure recovery, or human review; teams seeking a simple queue for short jobs may not need its broader workflow tooling. The combination of agent controls, run visibility, and self-hosting makes it a substantial option, though every plan shares a 1,500 API requests-per-minute limit.

Key features

Durable execution and agent workflows

Tasks run on managed servers without timeouts and can continue as long as needed. Automatic retries, checkpointing, queues, concurrency controls, task versioning, and durable cron schedules help jobs recover and proceed reliably. This breadth suits long-running processes, but the shared API request ceiling matters for high-throughput workloads; paid plans can request higher limits.

For AI work, Trigger.dev supports durable chat agents, tool calling, streamed responses, and human approval gates that pause and resume execution. That is useful when an agent's work needs oversight before it continues, rather than just a one-off model call.

Observability, runtimes, and deployment

Run pages provide real-time traces, logs, and debugging information. LLM observability records model, provider, token, cost, and latency details, helping teams understand both task execution and model usage. Tasks can also use Python scripts and libraries, while build extensions add dependencies, system packages, browser tooling, and FFmpeg. The TypeScript-centered platform therefore accommodates Python work and specialized build needs, though its main workflow model is still built around TypeScript.

GitHub and Vercel integrations are listed, alongside compatibility with Next.js, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Netlify, Cloudflare, and SvelteKit. Trigger.dev can run on its managed servers or be self-hosted on your own infrastructure. The maker states that data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with HTTPS/TLS, and accounts support multi-factor authentication. It states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance and meets HIPAA Business Associate requirements; processing PHI on Trigger.dev Cloud requires a signed paid BAA add-on.

Pricing

Trigger.dev uses a freemium model, with plans that scale chiefly through credits, concurrency, team capacity, environments, and retained observability data. All plans are limited to 1,500 API requests per minute, with higher limits requestable on paid plans.

• Free — free: Includes $5 / month free credits, 20 concurrent runs, unlimited tasks, 5 team members, Dev and Prod environments, preview branches, custom dashboards, 10 schedules, 1 day log retention, a 1 day query period, community support, and 1 alert destination. It is a useful way to begin, but the 20-run concurrency and one-day retention leave less room for busy or history-dependent production work.
• Hobby — $10 a month: Includes $10 / month credits, 50 concurrent runs, unlimited tasks, 5 team members, Dev, Preview and Prod environments, 5 preview branches, 1 custom dashboard, 100 schedules, 7 day log retention, a 7 days query period, community support, and 3 alert destinations. This is the more practical entry plan for an individual or small team needing more headroom and a week of run history; team size and support remain at the Free level.
• Pro — $50 a month: Includes $50 / month credits, 200+ concurrent runs, unlimited tasks, 25+ team members, Dev, Preview and Prod environments, 20+ preview branches, and 5+ custom dashboards. Additional concurrency costs $10/month per 50, additional team members $20/month per seat, and additional preview branches $10/month per branch. Dedicated Slack support makes this a better fit for teams that need more capacity and direct support, but expanding beyond the included thresholds adds recurring cost.
• Enterprise — custom pricing: Includes all Pro plan features, custom discounts, custom log retention, priority support, role-based access control, a SOC 2 report, a penetration test report, single sign-on, and a HIPAA BAA add-on. It is aimed at organizations requiring these controls and support terms; processing PHI on Trigger.dev Cloud requires a signed paid BAA add-on.

Unlimited tasks appear across the Free, Hobby, and Pro plans, but credits and concurrent-run capacity differ. Free and Hobby provide community support; Pro provides dedicated Slack support, while Enterprise provides priority support.

Platforms

Trigger.dev supports API and web access, self-hosting, and CLI deployment. Runtime languages include TypeScript/JavaScript, Python, Node.js, and Bun, and preview deployments are supported.

Who it's for

Choose Trigger.dev if you are building TypeScript-led workflows or AI agents that must keep running, recover from failure, expose detailed execution and model telemetry, or wait for human approval. Python support, build extensions, and self-hosting add flexibility for teams with varied runtimes or infrastructure needs. Look elsewhere if you need a lightweight job queue without workflow features, or if the shared request limit does not suit your expected throughput.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Tasks can run without timeouts, with retries, checkpointing, and scheduling for durable background work.
• Pro: Agent approval gates and streamed responses support workflows where model actions need human oversight.
• Pro: Run and LLM observability expose execution and model-usage details, including latency and cost.
• Pro: Self-hosting and Python support broaden deployment and runtime options beyond TypeScript alone.
• Con: Every plan has a 1,500 API requests-per-minute limit, which may constrain high-throughput use unless a paid-plan increase is requested.
• Con: Free retention lasts only one day, and Hobby keeps community support and a five-member team cap.
• Con: Pro expansion beyond included concurrency, seat, and preview-branch thresholds brings additional monthly charges.

Alternatives

Task Queue Software is a useful category to browse if you are comparing job-queue approaches. For workflow-focused comparisons, see Process Orchestration Software and Workflow Orchestration Software.

• Inngest is another freemium API and self-hosted option; its Free plan includes 5 seats, 50k executions, 500k events ingested, and 24 hour trace history.
• pg-boss is a free, MIT-licensed option that runs in your own database and has no per-job charges, a fit when database-backed jobs matter more than Trigger.dev's workflow and agent features.
• Celery is a free open-source distributed task queue installable via PyPI or from source.
• Taskiq is a free option for Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows environments.
• Sidekiq offers a free OSS plan for hobbyists as well as a paid Enterprise plan starting at $269 a month.
• Faktory offers a free AGPL option with no dedicated support, alongside paid enterprise packs.
• River has a free open-source plan with reliable background jobs and a web UI, but no workflows, concurrency limits, or support.
• Hangfire offers a free Open plan for commercial use, with Hangfire Core under LGPL 3.0 and SQL Server 2008 R2+ and in-memory storage.

Verdict

Trigger.dev is a strong choice for teams building long-running TypeScript workflows and AI agents that need recovery, oversight, and detailed observability, with self-hosting and Python support as useful added flexibility. The main reason to choose it is the breadth of durable execution and agent tooling in one platform; the main reason to look elsewhere is the 1,500 API requests-per-minute ceiling or a need for a simpler queue without this wider workflow scope.