Skyvern vs Trigger.dev
Short answer
Skyvern: Browser automation agent that uses LLMs and computer vision to fill forms and run workflows on websites. Trigger.dev: Platform for background jobs, scheduled tasks and long-running AI agent workflows written in TypeScript. Both are in our Workflow automation with AI category.
Choose Skyvern if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
Choose Trigger.dev if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Network copyleft (AGPL)).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Skyvern vs Trigger.dev side by side
| Skyvern | Trigger.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Workflow automation with AI | Workflow automation with AI |
| What it is | Browser automation agent that uses LLMs and computer vision to fill forms and run workflows on websites. | Platform for background jobs, scheduled tasks and long-running AI agent workflows written in TypeScript. |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (anti-bot features only in the managed cloud) | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Network copyleft (AGPL) | Permissive |
| License conditions | Free for internal and commercial use. If you modify Skyvern and let users interact with it over a network, you must offer them the modified source under AGPL-3.0. Anti-bot measures are not in the open-source repository. | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 23.3k | 16.7k |
| Last commit | Nov 4, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.0.56 | v4.8.3 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 3 vCPU · 6 GB RAM |
| Recommended hardware | 4 GB RAM | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €19.99/mo | from €35.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose | Docker Compose |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Not documented | Not documented |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Not documented |
| Details | Full Skyvern guide → | Full Trigger.dev guide → |
Key differences
- License: Skyvern: AGPL-3.0 (anti-bot features only in the managed cloud) (Network copyleft (AGPL)). Trigger.dev: Apache-2.0 (Permissive).
- Official hardware: Skyvern: recommended 4 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). Trigger.dev: minimum 3 vCPU · 6 GB RAM.
- Est. server cost: Skyvern: from €19.99/mo. Trigger.dev: from €35.99/mo.
- GitHub stars: Skyvern: 23.3k. Trigger.dev: 16.7k.
- Last commit: Skyvern: Nov 4, 2026. Trigger.dev: Oct 31, 2026.
- Latest release: Skyvern: v1.0.56 (Oct 14, 2026). Trigger.dev: v4.8.3 (Oct 30, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Workflow automation with AI; GPU: not required or not stated; Deploy: Docker Compose · multi-container stack; Status: Active.
Skyvern vs Trigger.dev: FAQ
Skyvern or Trigger.dev: which should a small business choose?
Choose Skyvern if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo). Choose Trigger.dev if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Network copyleft (AGPL)).
Which is cheaper to self-host, Skyvern or Trigger.dev?
Skyvern: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
How much hardware do Skyvern and Trigger.dev need?
Skyvern: recommended 4 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). Trigger.dev: minimum 3 vCPU · 6 GB RAM.
What is the license difference between Skyvern and Trigger.dev?
Skyvern: AGPL-3.0 (anti-bot features only in the managed cloud) (Network copyleft (AGPL)). Free for internal and commercial use. If you modify Skyvern and let users interact with it over a network, you must offer them the modified source under AGPL-3.0. Anti-bot measures are not in the open-source repository. Trigger.dev: Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Skyvern or Trigger.dev more actively maintained?
Skyvern: Active, last commit Nov 4, 2026. Trigger.dev: Active, last commit Oct 31, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Nov 4, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Skyvern or Trigger.dev?
Skyvern installs via Docker Compose (multi-container stack); Trigger.dev via Docker Compose (multi-container stack). Skyvern lists 4 known gotchas and Trigger.dev lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- Skyvern self-hosting guide · Trigger.dev self-hosting guide
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Sources
- Skyvern GitHub repository: github.com/Skyvern-AI/skyvern
- Skyvern documentation: www.skyvern.com/docs/
- Skyvern license: github.com/Skyvern-AI/skyvern/blob/main/LICENSE
- Skyvern hardware requirements: www.skyvern.com/docs/reference/configuration
- Skyvern deploy instructions: www.skyvern.com/docs/developers/self-hosted/overview
- Trigger.dev GitHub repository: github.com/triggerdotdev/trigger.dev
- Trigger.dev documentation: trigger.dev/docs/self-hosting/overview
- Trigger.dev license: github.com/triggerdotdev/trigger.dev/blob/main/LICENSE
- Trigger.dev hardware requirements, Trigger.dev deploy instructions: trigger.dev/docs/self-hosting/docker
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-11-01): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.