Novu vs Procrastinate
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?
Novu
Open-source notification infrastructure for developers
VS
Procrastinate
PostgreSQL-backed task queue for Python automation
| Feature | Novu | Procrastinate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,466 | ★ 1,360 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Courier, Knock | Celery |
Why pick each one
Choose Novu if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
Choose Procrastinate if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Novu or Procrastinate better?
Neither is universally better. Novu has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Novu and Procrastinate free and open-source?
Yes. Novu is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Procrastinate under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Novu and Procrastinate with Docker?
Novu: yes. Procrastinate: check the project docs for container support.