Automa vs Trigger.dev
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Automa
Browser automation via drag-and-drop visual workflows
VS
Trigger.dev
Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
| Feature | Automa | Trigger.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,543 | ★ 15,937 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, UiPath | Zapier |
Why pick each one
Choose Automa if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 21.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Choose Trigger.dev if…
- Code-first and developer friendly
- Reliable long-running tasks
- Good observability
Frequently asked questions
Is Automa or Trigger.dev better?
Automa is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Trigger.dev if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Automa and Trigger.dev free and open-source?
Yes. Automa is licensed under MIT and Trigger.dev under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automa and Trigger.dev with Docker?
Automa: check the project docs for container support. Trigger.dev: yes.