Kestra 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?
Kestra
Declarative orchestration and scheduling platform
VS
Trigger.dev
Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
| Feature | Kestra | Trigger.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 27,575 | ★ 15,937 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | Zapier |
Why pick each one
Choose Kestra if…
- Strong for data orchestration
- Scalable architecture
- Open-source license
Choose Trigger.dev if…
- Code-first and developer friendly
- Reliable long-running tasks
- Good observability
Frequently asked questions
Is Kestra or Trigger.dev better?
Neither is universally better. Kestra has the larger community, while Trigger.dev is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kestra and Trigger.dev free and open-source?
Yes. Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Trigger.dev under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kestra and Trigger.dev with Docker?
Kestra: yes. Trigger.dev: yes.