Trigger.dev

Building reliable background jobs and workflows has never been easier with Trigger.dev. This powerful open source platform changes how developers handle complex, time-consuming tasks by removing the frustration of timeouts and infrastructure management. Trigger.dev lets you write normal code that runs for as long as needed, whether it's processing videos, generating AI content, or handling complex workflows.

Founded in 2022 during Y Combinator's W23 batch, Trigger.dev has quickly become a go-to solution for developers who need reliable background processing. Unlike traditional serverless functions that hit timeout limits, Trigger.dev runs your code on dedicated infrastructure that scales automatically. With built-in monitoring, automatic retries, and real-time updates, it's like having a powerful assistant that never gets tired and always finishes the job.

Trigger.dev is an open source background jobs framework that allows developers to create reliable, long-running tasks directly in their codebase. Think of it as a better way to handle any job that takes more than a few seconds to complete, without worrying about timeouts or server management.

The platform excels at tasks like AI content generation, video processing, data analysis, email campaigns, and complex workflows that traditional serverless functions struggle with. What makes Trigger.dev special is its simplicity - you write regular JavaScript or TypeScript code, deploy it through their CLI, and it runs on their managed infrastructure with no timeout limits.

With automatic retries, real-time monitoring, and seamless integration with your existing codebase, Trigger.dev handles the complex parts of background job management while you focus on building great features. It supports multiple environments and can be self-hosted or used as a cloud service.

Getting started with Trigger.dev is straightforward and takes just a few minutes. First, create a free account at trigger.dev and install their CLI tool using npm. The platform integrates directly into your existing codebase, so there's no need to learn new syntax or rewrite your applications.

Here's the basic workflow:

• Install the Trigger.dev SDK in your project

• Create tasks in a /trigger folder using their simple task function

• Use their CLI to develop and test locally with hot reloading

• Deploy to their cloud infrastructure with a single command

• Monitor your tasks through their web dashboard

Best practices for success:

• Start with simple tasks to understand the workflow

• Use their environment system (Dev, Staging, Production) for safe testing

• Take advantage of their automatic retry mechanisms for reliability

• Monitor your tasks using their detailed logging and trace views

• Integrate with your frontend using their React hooks for real-time updates

The platform remembers your task history, provides detailed error reporting, and scales automatically as your needs grow.

Trigger.dev offers comprehensive features that make background job management effortless and reliable. The platform eliminates timeouts completely, allowing tasks to run for hours or even days without interruption. Built-in automatic retries ensure your jobs complete successfully even when external services fail temporarily.

Core capabilities include:

• No timeouts - Run tasks for as long as needed without arbitrary limits

• Automatic scaling - Infrastructure adapts to your workload automatically

• Real-time monitoring - Live trace views and detailed logging for every task

• Multiple environments - Separate Dev, Staging, and Production environments

• Preview branches - Test changes in isolated environments before deployment

• React integration - Real-time frontend updates using their React hooks

• Flexible scheduling - Support for cron jobs and delayed task execution

• Batch processing - Handle multiple tasks simultaneously with built-in queuing

• Custom machines - Choose from different compute sizes based on your needs

The platform also provides advanced features like concurrency control, schema validation, webhook handling, and comprehensive API access. Everything integrates seamlessly with popular frameworks and tools developers already use.

Trigger.dev offers transparent pricing with a generous free tier and scalable paid plans. The Free plan includes 10 concurrent runs, unlimited tasks, and basic features for small projects and testing.

Pricing breakdown:

• Free - $0/month with 10 concurrent runs and community support

• Hobby - $10/month with 25 concurrent runs and extended features

• Pro - $50/month with 100+ concurrent runs and dedicated support

• Enterprise - Custom pricing with advanced security and compliance features

Usage-based costs apply for compute time, starting from $0.0000169 per second for micro machines up to $0.0006800 per second for large machines. Each task run costs an additional $0.000025 invocation fee. The platform only charges when your code is actually executing, making it cost-effective for variable workloads.

For growing teams, additional concurrent runs cost $50/month per 50 runs, and extra team members cost $20/month per seat beyond the plan limits.