Short answer

Trigger.dev is a strong fit for TypeScript teams that want long-running background tasks on managed compute, with process-level checkpointing. Orch8 fits polyglot or self-hosted teams that want JSON-defined workflows, Postgres-only infrastructure, or mobile execution.

Side by side

Dimension	Orch8	Trigger.dev
License	BUSL-1.1, source-available. Production use is allowed except offering it as a competing hosted or embedded product. Each version becomes Apache-2.0 four years after publication.	Apache-2.0 (triggerdotdev/trigger.dev)
Self-hosting	One Rust server binary plus PostgreSQL (SQLite for development, embedded, and mobile use)	Webapp container (dashboard, Postgres, Redis) plus worker container (supervisor and runners). Warm starts, autoscaling, and checkpoints are cloud-only
Authoring	Versioned JSON sequences; code-first builders in the TypeScript, Python, and Go SDKs	Tasks in code with the TypeScript SDK
Languages	Any language, over REST long-polling (a gRPC worker session is also available)	TypeScript
Recovery model	State snapshots and checkpoints. A restart continues from the last committed boundary. Orchestration is JSON data, so there is no workflow code to replay deterministically.	Whole-process checkpoint and restore (CRIU) while waiting; idempotency keys cache subtask results on retry
Cron / schedules	Yes: cron and relative schedules, timezones, business calendars, jitter, send windows	Yes, scheduled tasks
On-device mobile	Yes. The same engine runs natively on iOS and Android through UniFFI with local SQLite, offline-first	Not documented
Managed cloud	Orch8 Cloud: Starter $49/month, Pro $199/month, execution allowances per plan	Billed per compute-second plus per-run fee; free tier with $5 credit, Hobby $10/month

"Not documented" means we found no support in the official documentation on the date checked, not that it is impossible.

Compute platform versus orchestration engine

Trigger.dev runs your TypeScript tasks on its own compute. While a task waits, it checkpoints the whole process and restores it later, so you do not pay for idle waits on the cloud. That is a genuinely different and convenient model for long-running TypeScript code.

Orch8 does not run your code. Workers in any language claim steps from the engine over HTTP, and the engine persists which boundaries are committed. You operate the compute; Orch8 owns the state, timers, and retries.

Self-hosting trade-offs

Trigger.dev is Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted, but its docs note that warm starts, autoscaling, and checkpoints are available only on the cloud. Orch8's snapshot and checkpoint recovery is part of the source-available engine binary you self-host; it does not depend on a hosted runtime.

When to choose Trigger.dev instead

Your team is TypeScript-first and wants tasks to run on managed compute without operating workers.
You want a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
You want process-level checkpoint/restore so that waits cost no compute on their cloud.

When Orch8 fits better

Workers are in Python, Go, Rust, or anything else that speaks HTTP.
You self-host and want checkpoint-based recovery without a hosted runtime.
Workflows must continue offline on iOS or Android.

Migrating from Trigger.dev

The engine migration guide does not have a Trigger.dev section yet. Use its common path: map each task to a step handler, move control flow and schedules into a sequence, reuse idempotency keys during dual run, then preflight and canary.

Orch8 does not emulate another runtime. Migration means translating to a versioned sequence plus external workers, replaying without side effects, then running a canary.

Read the migration guide ↗

Sources

Last checked September 2026. Competitor facts come from official documentation, pricing pages, and repository license files. Prices and features change, so verify against the linked page before deciding. Corrections: hello@orch8.io.

Disclosure: Orch8 publishes this comparison and is one of the products discussed. There are no affiliate links on this page.

Orch8 vs Trigger.dev