Trigger.dev vs Temporal

Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.

Trigger.dev

Open-source background jobs and long-running tasks for TypeScript apps.

Temporal

Durable execution platform for reliable, long-running workflows in code.

At a glance

Open SourceFree TierEnterprise
● Established·From $10/mo
Open SourceFree TierEnterprise
● Established·From $0 self-hosted

Overview

One-liner

Open-source background jobs and long-running tasks for TypeScript apps.

One-liner

Durable execution platform for reliable, long-running workflows in code.

Maturity

Established

Maturity

Established

Open source

✓ Yes

Open source

✓ Yes

Pricing

Free tier

✓ Available

Free tier with monthly runs

Free tier

✓ Available

Self-hosted free; Temporal Cloud has usage pricing

Starts at

$10/mo

Starts at

$0 self-hosted

Model

Usage-based

Model

Usage-based

Enterprise

✓ Available

Enterprise

✓ Available

Best for

✓ Best for

TypeScript background jobs/long tasksDurable runs without timeouts
Teams wanting open-source jobsSelf-host the platform

✓ Best for

Long-running, mission-critical workflowsDurable execution with guaranteed recovery
Complex orchestration in codeReliable distributed workflows

Not ideal for

✕ Not for

—

✕ Not for

—

Strengths

↑ Strengths

TypeScript-native long tasks
Open source / self-hostable
Good DX and dashboard

↑ Strengths

Durable, fault-tolerant workflows
Write workflows as code
Battle-tested at scale

Weaknesses

↓ Weaknesses

TS-focused
Younger ecosystem

↓ Weaknesses

Operationally complex
Steeper learning curve
Full Trigger.dev profile →Full Temporal profile →