Prefect 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?
Prefect
Modern workflow orchestration for data and Python pipelines
VS
Trigger.dev
Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
| Feature | Prefect | Trigger.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,573 | ★ 15,937 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | AWS Step Functions, Azure Data Factory | Zapier |
Why pick each one
Choose Trigger.dev if…
- Code-first and developer friendly
- Reliable long-running tasks
- Good observability
Frequently asked questions
Is Prefect or Trigger.dev better?
Neither is universally better. Prefect has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Prefect and Trigger.dev free and open-source?
Yes. Prefect 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 Prefect and Trigger.dev with Docker?
Prefect: yes. Trigger.dev: yes.