Gocron vs OliveTin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OliveTin
Web buttons that safely run predefined shell commands
| Feature | Gocron | OliveTin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 22 · At risk | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,264 | ★ 3,810 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | cron, Rundeck | Rundeck |
What are Gocron and OliveTin?
Gocron
Gocron is an open-source, lightweight task scheduling system with a web interface for managing shell and HTTP jobs across hosts. It is self-hosted to schedule, run, and monitor recurring tasks.
- Web-based job management
- Shell and HTTP tasks
- Distributed task nodes
- Execution logs and alerts
OliveTin
OliveTin gives users a simple web interface of buttons that trigger predefined shell commands, making safe, restricted access to scripts easy. It is ideal for letting non-technical users run approved actions.
- Web buttons for commands
- Restricted predefined actions
- Argument validation
- Lightweight binary
Gocron vs OliveTin: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Gocron versus AGPL-3.0 for OliveTin. OliveTin is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Gocron. Gocron is the more established project (first released 2017), while OliveTin arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Gocron if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.3k GitHub stars
Choose OliveTin if…
- Safe access to scripts
- Easy to configure
Watch out for
- Limited to predefined actions
- No complex workflows
Frequently asked questions
Is Gocron or OliveTin better?
Neither is universally better. Gocron has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gocron and OliveTin free and open-source?
Yes. Gocron is licensed under MIT and OliveTin under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gocron and OliveTin with Docker?
Gocron: yes. OliveTin: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gocron or OliveTin?
OliveTin has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Gocron. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.