Skip to main content
CompareTiers
Compare Now
Dev Tools

Buildkite vs Trigger.dev: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Buildkite and Trigger.dev. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Trigger.dev starts at $10/mo, making it $20/mo cheaper than Buildkite ($30/mo). Buildkite offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
Try Buildkite freeTry Trigger.dev free

Buildkite vs Trigger.dev: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureBuildkiteTrigger.dev
Starting Price$30/mo$10/mo
Number of Plans34
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelper-seatusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Trigger.dev is the more affordable option, starting at $10/mo compared to Buildkite's $30/mo. Both are Dev Tools with 7 combined pricing plans and 60 features compared.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget. Buildkite uses per-seat pricing while Trigger.dev uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Dev Tools needs.

Pricing Plans
Buildkite
Buildkite
Try it free
Trigger.dev
Trigger.dev
Try it free
Tier 1
Personal
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 3 concurrent jobs (hosted+self-hosted) per org/mo
  • 50k test executions/mo
  • 1GB storage & bandwidth (combined)/mo
  • 500 minutes/month
Start with Personal
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 20 concurrent runs
  • Unlimited tasks
  • 5 team members
  • Dev and Prod environments
  • Preview branches
  • Custom dashboards
  • 10 schedules
  • 1 day log retention
  • 1 day query period
  • Community support
  • 1 alert destination
  • 10 concurrent Realtime connections
Start with Free
Tier 2
ProPopular
$30/month
$30 / year
Includes
  • 10 concurrent self-hosted agents per org/mo
  • Unlimited test executions
  • 250 managed tests per org/mo
  • 20GB storage & bandwidth (combined) per org/mo
  • 2,000 minutes/month
  • SSO
  • Priority email support
Start with Pro
Hobby
$10/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 50 concurrent runs
  • Unlimited tasks
  • 5 team members
  • Dev, Preview and Prod environments
  • 5 preview branches
  • 1 custom dashboard
  • 100 schedules
  • 7 day log retention
  • 7 days query period
  • Community support
  • 3 alert destinations
  • 50 concurrent Realtime connections
Start with Hobby
Tier 3
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Build the perfect plan for your business
  • Unlimited pipelines
  • Volume discounts
  • Advanced governance & control
  • Custom SCIM, SAML, ADFS
  • User & API activity audit logs
  • Build exports
Start with Enterprise
Pro
$50/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 200+ concurrent runs Then $10/month per 50
  • Unlimited tasks
  • 25+ team members Then $20/month per seat
  • Dev, Preview and Prod environments
  • 20+ preview branches Then $10/month per branch
  • 5+ custom dashboards Then $10/month per dashboard
  • 1000+ schedules Then $10/month per 1,000
  • 30 day log retention
  • 30 days query period
  • Dedicated Slack support
  • 100+ alert destinations
  • 500+ concurrent Realtime connections Then $10/month per 1,000
Start with Pro
Tier 4
—
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • All Pro plan features +
  • Custom log retention
  • Priority support
  • Role-based access control
  • SOC 2 report
  • SSO
Start with Enterprise

Swipe to compare plans →

Buildkite

CI/CD platform running builds on your own infrastructure

View all Buildkite plans

Trigger.dev

Background jobs and workflow engine for serverless applications

View all Trigger.dev plans
Our Pick

Trigger.dev

Trigger.dev offers a free plan, starts at $20/mo lower ($10/mo vs $30/mo), offers 4 tiers vs 3.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Trigger.dev

Try Trigger.dev free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Buildkite if:

  • •You prefer Buildkite's free tier features—3 concurrent jobs (hosted+self-hosted) per org/mo, 50k test executions/mo
  • •You prefer Buildkite's per-seat model with its 3-tier structure
  • •Buildkite keeps its feature set lean, which means faster onboarding and less complexity

Choose Trigger.dev if:

  • •You want lower per-user costs—Trigger.dev starts at $10/mo, saving $20/mo compared to Buildkite at $30/mo
  • •You prefer Trigger.dev's free tier features—20 concurrent runs, Unlimited tasks
  • •You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • •You want more features built-in—Trigger.dev offers 24 additional features across its plans

Both Buildkite and Trigger.dev offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: Buildkite includes 4 features, while Trigger.dev includes 12 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

ShareShare

Frequently Asked Questions: Buildkite vs Trigger.dev

Which is cheaper, Buildkite or Trigger.dev?
As of March 2026, Trigger.dev starts at a lower price point. Buildkite starts at $30/mo while Trigger.dev starts at $10/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Buildkite have vs Trigger.dev?
Buildkite offers 3 pricing plans, while Trigger.dev offers 4 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Buildkite or Trigger.dev offer a free plan?
Yes, both Buildkite and Trigger.dev offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for Buildkite or Trigger.dev?
Both Buildkite and Trigger.dev offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
What is the most popular Buildkite plan?
The Pro plan is Buildkite's most popular tier, priced at $30/mo. Key features include 10 concurrent self-hosted agents per org/mo, Unlimited test executions, 250 managed tests per org/mo.
Does Buildkite or Trigger.dev offer custom enterprise pricing?
Yes, both Buildkite and Trigger.dev offer custom enterprise pricing tiers with quote-based pricing. Contact each vendor for a tailored quote.
What pricing models do Buildkite and Trigger.dev use?
Buildkite uses a per-seat pricing model, while Trigger.dev uses usage-based pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.

Sources

  1. Buildkite Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Trigger.dev Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

Related Articles

Best Developer Tools Pricing Compared (2026)

Developer tools pricing: GitHub ($4-21/user), GitLab ($8-19/user), Vercel ($20/mo), Netlify ($19/mo), Linear ($10/user), Jira ($7-20/user), CircleCI ($20/mo). Stack budgets.

Track Price Changes

Get notified when pricing changes for these tools.

See all Buildkite alternativesSee all Trigger.dev alternativesDev ToolsCompare more tools