Trigger.dev vs Windmill
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?
Trigger.dev
Open-source background jobs and workflows for code
VS
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | Trigger.dev | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,937 | ★ 17,474 |
| First released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier | Zapier, Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Trigger.dev if…
- Code-first and developer friendly
- Reliable long-running tasks
- Good observability
Choose Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Frequently asked questions
Is Trigger.dev or Windmill better?
Neither is universally better. Windmill has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Trigger.dev and Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. Trigger.dev is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Trigger.dev and Windmill with Docker?
Trigger.dev: yes. Windmill: yes.