SHSelfHostIndex

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.

Not the right match-up?
N8 n8n Workflow automation with a node-based editor VS TR Trigger.dev Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
Featuren8nTrigger.dev
CategoryAutomation & WorkflowsAutomation & Workflows
LicenseSustainable Use LicenseApache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker
GitHub stars★ 199,764★ 15,937
First released20192022
ReplacesZapier, MakeZapier

Why pick each one

Choose n8n if…

  • Powerful and flexible
  • Huge integration library
  • Code when you need it
n8n details

Choose Trigger.dev if…

  • Code-first and developer friendly
  • Reliable long-running tasks
  • Good observability
Trigger.dev details

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.

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