Trigger.dev solves a fundamental problem in modern TypeScript applications: running reliable background tasks without managing infrastructure. Unlike AWS Lambda or Vercel serverless functions that impose strict timeouts, Trigger.dev lets tasks run indefinitely with built-in checkpointing. When a task waits for an external callback or timer, the process is suspended and resumed later — you only pay for active compute time. The platform supports human-in-the-loop workflows, making it ideal for AI agents that need approval steps.
The developer experience is remarkably smooth: write tasks as standard async TypeScript functions in a /trigger folder, deploy via CLI, and monitor everything through a visual dashboard with full trace views. Trigger.dev integrates with any Node.js SDK and supports custom runtimes including Python scripts, FFmpeg, and headless browsers. The v4 release added MCP server support, making it a natural fit for building AI agent infrastructure with tool calling and orchestration.
Pricing starts with a free tier including $5 monthly usage and 10 concurrent runs. The Hobby plan at $10/month adds staging environments, while the Pro plan at $50/month unlocks 100+ concurrent runs and dedicated Slack support. Self-hosting is fully supported via official Helm charts for Kubernetes. With 13,000+ GitHub stars, Apache 2.0 license, and backing from Y Combinator, Trigger.dev has become the go-to TypeScript background jobs platform — teams like flick.social reported going from 87% to 100% task success rates after migrating from Temporal.