Automatisch 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.
| Feature | Automatisch | Trigger.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 66 · Good | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,980 | ★ 16,387 |
| First released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier | Zapier |
What are Automatisch and Trigger.dev?
Automatisch
Automatisch is an open-source business automation tool that connects apps and services with visual workflows. It targets privacy-conscious teams wanting an open Zapier alternative. It is deployed via Docker.
- Visual automation flows
- Keeps data on your servers
- Growing connector catalog
- Open-source license
Trigger.dev
Trigger.dev is an open-source platform for writing long-running background jobs and workflows directly in code with no timeouts. It targets developers building reliable async tasks. It is deployed via Docker.
- Background jobs written in code
- No execution timeouts
- Built-in retries and observability
- Scheduling and webhooks
Automatisch vs Trigger.dev: key differences
Automatisch is written in JavaScript, while Trigger.dev is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Automatisch versus Apache-2.0 for Trigger.dev. Automatisch is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Trigger.dev.
Why pick each one
Choose Automatisch if…
- Privacy-friendly
- Simple workflow builder
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller integration set
- Still maturing
Choose Trigger.dev if…
- Code-first and developer friendly
- Reliable long-running tasks
- Good observability
Watch out for
- Aimed at developers only
- Requires Postgres and Redis
Frequently asked questions
Is Automatisch or Trigger.dev better?
Neither is universally better. Trigger.dev has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Automatisch and Trigger.dev free and open-source?
Yes. Automatisch is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Trigger.dev under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automatisch and Trigger.dev with Docker?
Automatisch: yes. Trigger.dev: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automatisch or Trigger.dev?
Automatisch has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Trigger.dev. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.