n8n 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.
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
VS
Trigger.dev
Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
| Feature | n8n | Trigger.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Sustainable Use License | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 205,734 | ★ 16,376 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | Zapier |
What are n8n and Trigger.dev?
n8n
n8n is a workflow automation tool with a visual node editor that connects apps and APIs, with optional code steps. It targets technical users automating processes across services. It is deployed via Docker.
- Visual node-based workflows
- Hundreds of app integrations
- Code nodes for custom logic
- Self-hostable with no execution caps
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
n8n vs Trigger.dev: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — Sustainable Use License for n8n versus Apache-2.0 for Trigger.dev. N8n is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Trigger.dev. N8n is the more established project (first released 2019), while Trigger.dev arrived in 2022. N8n has the considerably larger community, at 205,734 GitHub stars versus 16,376.
Why pick each one
Choose n8n if…
- Powerful and flexible
- Huge integration library
- Code when you need it
Watch out for
- License is fair-code, not OSI
- Complex workflows get unwieldy
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 n8n or Trigger.dev better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are n8n and Trigger.dev free and open-source?
Yes. n8n is licensed under Sustainable Use License and Trigger.dev under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run n8n and Trigger.dev with Docker?
n8n: yes. Trigger.dev: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, n8n or Trigger.dev?
n8n 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.