Inngest
by Inngest Inc.
Durable workflow and background job platform for TypeScript and Python services. Inngest is a durable workflow and background job platform from Inngest Inc., a San Francisco developer infrastructure company founded in 2021.
Performance Scores
2 rankings evaluated
Score range: 7.8 – 8.1
-
#7Best Durable Workflow Engines for Production in 2026
Score: 8.1 · Best for: TypeScript/Python teams that want durable workflows with developer-first ergonomics
-
#8Best Open-Source Workflow Engines for Engineers in 2026
Score: 7.8 · Best for: TypeScript/Python teams that want OSS-friendly durable workflows with a managed cloud option
Key Facts
company
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 | May 2026 | Inngest About page |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California | May 2026 | Inngest About page |
| Employees | 11-50 | May 2026 | Inngest LinkedIn |
pricing
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter pricing | $20/month Basic (200K step runs) | May 2026 | Inngest pricing |
| Free tier | 50,000 step runs/month, 7-day history | May 2026 | Inngest pricing |
features
| Attribute | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDKs | TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go (community) | May 2026 | Inngest SDK docs |
| Deployment | Managed cloud and Apache 2.0 self-hosted | May 2026 | Inngest GitHub |
| Primary use case | Durable workflows, background jobs, scheduled tasks, fan-out | May 2026 | Inngest docs |
Strengths
- ●Function-as-step model with automatic retries
- ●TypeScript and Python SDKs first-class
- ●Generous free tier (50K steps/month)
- ●Strong local development workflow
- ●Open-source dev server (Apache 2.0)
- ●Function-as-step model with retries and concurrency
- ●TypeScript and Python first-class
Limitations
- ●Smaller scale ceiling than Temporal at the highest end
- ●Self-host less battle-tested than open-source Temporal
- ●Step pricing requires monitoring at scale
- ●OSS scope is narrower than self-hostable Temporal
- ●Production cloud tier has step-based pricing
- ●Smaller community than Temporal or Airflow
Based on evaluations in 2 rankings: Best Durable Workflow Engines for Production in 2026, Best Open-Source Workflow Engines for Engineers in 2026
About Inngest
Inngest is a durable workflow and background job platform from Inngest Inc., a San Francisco developer infrastructure company founded in 2021. It targets TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python teams with step-based workflows, retries, and sleeps up to 14 days. Free tier with 50,000 monthly step runs, paid plans from $20/month, Apache 2.0 self-hosted option.
Inngest is a durable workflow and event-driven background job platform built by Inngest Inc., a San Francisco developer infrastructure company founded in 2021. The product is aimed at TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python teams who want reliable background jobs, scheduled tasks, fan-out workflows, and step functions without operating queue infrastructure such as SQS, Redis, or Temporal directly.
Functions are written as ordinary code and registered with Inngest through SDKs for Node.js, Bun, Deno, and Python. Each function is broken into discrete steps using the SDK's step API, and Inngest persists state across each step so retries, sleeps up to 14 days, and human-in-the-loop pauses survive deployments and crashes. Triggers include events sent through the Inngest API, scheduled cron expressions, and webhook integrations.
Inngest pricing as of May 2026 starts with a free tier (50,000 step runs per month, 7-day history). The Basic tier is $20/month (200,000 steps, 30-day history), Pro is $50/month (500,000 steps, 90-day history), and the Advanced tier is custom-priced for high-volume workloads. The platform is also available as an open-source self-hosted option under the Apache 2.0 license, which removes the run quota at the cost of self-operating Postgres and the Inngest dev server.
Inngest integrates natively with Vercel, Next.js, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda, Netlify, Fly.io, Supabase, and most TypeScript serverless platforms. It is positioned for product engineering teams that want durable execution as a service rather than a self-hosted Temporal cluster.
Integrations (8)
Other Workflow Automation Tools
Activepieces
No-code workflow automation with self-hosting and AI-powered features
Workflow AutomationAutomatisch
Open-source Zapier alternative
Workflow AutomationBardeen
AI-powered browser automation via Chrome extension
Workflow AutomationCalendly
Scheduling automation platform for booking meetings without email back-and-forth, with CRM integrations and routing forms for lead qualification.
Workflow AutomationSee How It Ranks
Best Durable Workflow Engines for Production in 2026
A ranked list of the best durable workflow engines for production deployments in 2026. Durable workflow engines persist execution state to a database so that long-running workflows survive process restarts, deployments, and infrastructure failures. The ranking covers Temporal, Prefect, Apache Airflow, Camunda, Windmill, and n8n. Tools were evaluated on production reliability, developer experience, scalability, open-source health, and documentation quality. The shortlist intentionally mixes code-first engines (Temporal, Prefect, Airflow) with hybrid visual platforms (Camunda, Windmill, n8n) to reflect how production teams actually choose workflow engines in 2026.
Best No-Code Automation Platforms in 2026
A ranked list of no-code automation platforms in 2026. The ranking covers visual workflow builders that allow non-engineering teams to connect SaaS apps, route data, and add conditional logic without writing code. Entries cover proprietary cloud platforms (Zapier, Make, Pipedream, IFTTT) and open-source visual builders (n8n, Activepieces). Scoring reflects integration breadth, pricing accessibility, visual editor ease, reliability and error handling, and self-hosting availability.
Questions About Inngest
What is the difference between Inngest and traditional cron for job scheduling?
Inngest is a durable event-driven job platform with retries, observability, and step functions, while traditional cron is a time-based scheduler with no built-in retry, queueing, or observability. Inngest is closer to a job queue than to cron, and is most useful for application background work that needs reliability guarantees.
Can you self-host Trigger.dev in 2026?
Yes. Trigger.dev is open-source under the Apache 2.0 license and supports self-hosting via Docker Compose or Kubernetes. Self-hosting gives you full control over your job runs and data, but you take on operating Postgres, Redis, the worker queue, and the dashboard yourself.
What's the difference between Inngest and Temporal?
Inngest is a developer-first durable functions platform with TypeScript and Python SDKs, 50,000 step runs/month free, and Hobby pricing from $20/month. Temporal is the heavyweight durable workflow engine with seven-language SDKs, Cassandra-backed scale, and Cloud pricing from roughly $200/month at low volume.
What's the difference between Trigger.dev and Inngest?
Trigger.dev is a fully Apache 2.0 durable runner with task-based authoring, machine-size selection, and first-class self-host. Inngest is a developer-first event-driven step platform with an open-source dev server, a managed cloud, 50,000 step runs/month free, and $20/month Hobby pricing.
Learn More
Inngest vs Temporal 2026: Durable Functions vs Durable Workflows
Inngest (2021, San Francisco) is a developer-first durable functions platform with TypeScript and Python SDKs, 50,000 step runs/month free, and Hobby pricing from $20/month. Temporal (2019) is the heavyweight durable workflow engine with seven-language SDK coverage, Cassandra-backed scale, and Cloud pricing from roughly $200/month at low volume or $2.5-4.5K/month self-host. This 2026 comparison covers programming model, pricing, scale ceiling, and operational footprint.
Trigger.dev vs Inngest 2026: OSS Durable Runners Compared
Trigger.dev (2022, London) is a fully Apache 2.0 durable runner with task-based authoring, machine-size selection, and first-class self-host. Inngest (2021, San Francisco) is a developer-first event-driven step platform with an open-source dev server and a managed cloud (50K step runs/month free, $20/month Hobby). This 2026 comparison covers license, programming model, pricing, observability, and self-host options.