Trigger.dev

✓ Verified FOSSApache-2.0

Top open-source alternative to Zapier

Trigger.dev lets TypeScript developers write reliable, long-running background workflows, scheduled tasks, and API automations directly in their codebase with automatic retries, queues, and observability.

Tech StackTypeScript, Node.js, Remix, PostgreSQL, Redis

Self-Host DifficultyMedium

License ModelApache-2.0

GitHub Repositorytriggerdotdev/trigger.dev

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $10 - $15/mo (e.g. Hetzner CPX21 or Linode)

Min RAM:2 GB

Rec RAM:4 GB

Compute:2 vCPU

Disk Space:25 GB SSD

Trigger.dev vs Zapier Comparison Matrix

Evaluation Criteria	Trigger.dev (Open Source)	Zapier (Proprietary)
Subscription Model	100% Free Self-Hosted (Unlimited Users)	Zapier Per-Seat / Usage Billing
Data Sovereignty	100% On-Premise / Your Own VPS	Stored on Zapier Proprietary Cloud
Source Code Audit	Open-Source (Apache-2.0)	Closed-Source Proprietary Blackbox

INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $65/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from Zapier to Self-Hosted Trigger.dev

Detailed Stack Calculator →

Active Team Members / Seats: 25 Users

5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)

Zapier (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax

$19,500per year ($1,625/mo)

3-Year Spend:$58,500

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

Trigger.dev (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee

$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)

3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$58,140Net savings across 36 months (99% reduction)

Annual Free Cash:+$19,380/yr

Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES // SIDE-BY-SIDE AUDIT

Compare Trigger.dev Head-to-Head

Custom Comparison Engine →

★ PRIMARY REPLACEMENTFOSS vs SaaS

Trigger.devvs

Zapier

Comprehensive benchmark comparing Trigger.dev against proprietary Zapier licensing and features.

View Full Battle Report→

WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

n8nvs

Activepieces

Advanced Node Flow Engine vs Lightweight TypeScript Integration Builder

Inspect Comparison→

WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

n8nvs

Zapier

Unlimited VPS Executions vs Steep Per-Task Pricing Tiers

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WorkflowPEER BENCHMARK

Kestravs

n8n

Declarative Code-as-Config YAML Workflows vs Interactive Visual Node Canvas

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Core Capabilities & Features

✓No Serverless Timeout Limits

✓Automatic Exponential Backoff Retries

✓Real-Time Run Trace & Log Inspector

✓Code-First TypeScript SDK

Self-Host Trigger.dev with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

Select Open-Source Project:

Trigger.devApache-2.0

Open-source background jobs and long-running AI/API workflow engine

Difficulty: Medium16,528 ⭐

Configure Parameters

Host Port (PORT)

Public Base URL (APP_URL)

Application Secret Key (SECRET_KEY)

docker-compose.trigger-dev.yml

version: "3.8"
services:
  trigger-dev:
    image: ghcr.io/triggerdotdev/trigger.dev:v3
    container_name: trigger-dev
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-3030}:3030"
    environment:
      APP_URL: "${APP_URL:-http://localhost:3030}"
      SECRET_KEY: "${SECRET_KEY:-ossmatrix_prod_secret_2026}"
    volumes:
      - trigger_dev_data:/data

volumes:
  trigger_dev_data:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting Trigger.dev

How do I self-host Trigger.dev using Docker Compose?

You can deploy Trigger.dev (triggerdotdev/trigger.dev) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does Trigger.dev compare to Zapier?

Trigger.dev is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Zapier built with TypeScript, Node.js, Remix, PostgreSQL, Redis. Unlike Zapier ($29.99 - $100+ / month), Trigger.dev has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for Trigger.dev?

For production self-hosting (Medium difficulty tier), we recommend at least 4 GB RAM (minimum 2 GB), 2 vCPU, and 25 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $10 - $15/mo (e.g. Hetzner CPX21 or Linode).

Is Trigger.dev free for commercial business use under the Apache-2.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, Trigger.dev can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

Embed Official Trigger.dev Badge in GitHub README

Served locally from OSSMatrix with Cloudflare global edge caching. Real-time verified alternative status, zero third-party dependencies, sub-5ms load time.

Live Preview:

Markdown Embed (GitHub / GitLab)

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HTML Embed (Docs / Landing Pages)

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