Tag
Durable tools
4 reviewed tools: 4 free or open source.
Order: free and open source first, then hosted products with a real free tier, then paid-led; catalog order inside each group, with quiet or archived repos last. Not a score, and no tool pays for its place.
4 tools
- TemporalMIT self-host workflow engine; Cloud is credits then paid
Free / OSS · Freemium · 23.9k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT self-host durable workflows. Cloud is not a free forever hatch.
CatchNot Inngest/Trigger.dev — different durable-execution shape. Cloud is credits-then-paid ($1k/90d style credits, then paid) — never free forever. Local temporal server start-dev is not production. OSS self-host is the $0 hatch.
- HatchetMIT durable tasks/agents on Postgres; Cloud free tier real
Free / OSS · Freemium · 8.2k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT durable tasks on Postgres. Cloud free tier real; self-host forever.
CatchVs Temporal/Inngest/Trigger.dev: Postgres-backed durable tasks + agent runs — not Temporal’s own cluster story, not Inngest/Trigger event-function DX alone. Cloud paid past free run allotment. Self-host is $0 software.
- eveApache-2.0 filesystem-first framework for durable AI agents — from Vercel
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 5.6k GitHub stars
VerdictApache-2.0 filesystem-first agent framework when you want a Vercel-native, readable agent project — Gateway by default, beta APIs, star heat ahead of maturity.
CatchModel strings default to Vercel AI Gateway IDs; direct OpenAI and Anthropic helpers are built in, but any other provider means installing an AI SDK provider package and editing `agent.ts`. Public beta under Vercel beta terms — expect API churn. ★ is climbing far faster than a repo created in June 2026 with 1,000+ open issues and pull requests would suggest — judge it on substance (Vercel backing, shipping cadence), not the badge. Vs mastra (TypeScript agent framework, provider-neutral) and voltagent (TS framework + observability console): eve is the filesystem-convention, Vercel-native lane.
- RestateBUSL durable execution engine; self-host free, Apache after 4 years
Free / OSS · Source-available · 4.6k GitHub stars
VerdictDurable execution in one binary, free to self-host for your own apps; just do not resell it as a hosted Restate.
CatchLicense first: the server is under the Business Source License 1.1, which is source-available, not OSI open source. You can self-host it for free and use it in production for your own services and workflows, including an internal platform for your company or a public product that wraps it behind your own UI, DSL or API. What you cannot do is run a public managed service where outside developers register their own services and call Restate's APIs directly. Each release turns into Apache-2.0 four years after it ships. The SDKs are MIT. Upgrades need care (1.8 requires every node on 1.7.3 or newer first and a one-time partition migration), and it is a smaller ecosystem than Temporal. Check Restate Cloud pricing on restate.dev.
FAQ
- What is the top free pick among Durable tools?
- Temporal leads the Stack Gems list for Durable tools. Verdict: MIT self-host durable workflows. Cloud is not a free forever hatch.
- How many Durable tools does Stack Gems review?
- 4: 4 free or open source. Each review has a verdict and an honest Catch; no tool pays for its spot.
- Which Durable tools can I self-host for free?
- Temporal, eve and Restate.
- Which Durable tools have the most GitHub stars?
- Temporal (23.9k), Hatchet (8.2k), eve (5.6k), per GitHub on 2026-10-21. Stars measure attention, not fit; read the Catch.
- What is the catch with Temporal?
- Not Inngest/Trigger.dev — different durable-execution shape.