Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Deno vs Restate

Deno logo

Deno

Developer Tools

A fast, open-source, fully Node-compatible JS runtime with TypeScript baked right in

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Restate logo

Restate

Developer Tools

Durable execution engine in Rust with a free tier and low-latency workflows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Deno egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications; Restate the runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deno and Restate actually diverge.

Attributes where Deno and Restate differ
AttributeDenoRestate
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by durable action count
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Deno

Nothing recorded that Restate does not also cover.

Only in Restate

  • Durable execution
  • Virtual objects
  • Single binary runtime
  • Multi-language SDKs
  • Workflows and sagas
  • Restate Cloud

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Deno

  • Running TypeScript natively without transpilation overheadnot Restate
  • Migrating Node.js applications to secure-by-default runtimenot Restate
  • Deploying edge functions and serverless containers seamlesslynot Restate
  • Consolidating developer tools into single binarynot Restate

Restate

  • Payment or order flows where a crash between two external API calls must not double-charge or lose the ordernot Deno
  • AI agent loops that call tools over minutes or hours and must survive a deployment mid-runnot Deno
  • Replacing hand-rolled retry, idempotency key and outbox code across a set of microservicesnot Deno
  • A small team that wants durable workflows without operating a Temporal cluster and its databasenot Deno

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Deno

  • Egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
  • CPU time overage is $0.10/hour on Pro and Builder tiers, adding to costs for compute-intensive workloads
  • Enterprise pricing is not disclosed; requires sales contact

Restate

  • The runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • Restate Cloud jumps from a free fifty thousand actions straight to 300 US dollars a month for twenty million, so a workload sitting at a few hundred thousand actions pays enterprise-shaped money for hobby-shaped volume.
  • It is a young project against Temporal’s established base, so hiring engineers who already know it is unrealistic and the answer to most questions is in the docs rather than on Stack Overflow.
  • The programming model requires structuring code around durable handlers and virtual objects, which is a genuine rewrite for existing services rather than a library you add.
  • The single-binary simplicity that makes small deployments cheap also means fewer operational knobs at very large scale than a system designed as separable components.

Pricing, plan by plan

Deno

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 million requests/month
    • 20GB egress bandwidth
    • 10 apps
  • Pro$20/month
    • 5 million requests/month
    • 200GB egress
    • 50 apps
  • Builder$200/month
    • 25 million requests/month
    • 2,000GB egress
    • 10,000 apps
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom limits on all metrics
    • 99.95% reliability SLA
    • Email support with SLA

Restate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Fifty thousand durable actions per month
    • No credit card required
    • Community support
  • Starter$300/month
    • Twenty million actions per month
    • Two hundred actions per second, bursting to one thousand
    • Twenty GB storage
  • Pro$1000/month
    • Fifty million actions per month
    • Five hundred actions per second, bursting to two thousand
    • Fifty GB storage
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated volume
    • Twenty-four seven P0 support
    • 99.99 per cent SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Deno if

  • You want to start without paying.
Deno review

Choose Restate if

  • You need durable execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want virtual objects.
Restate review

Questions people ask

Is Deno or Restate better?
Neither clearly leads. Deno starts at Free and Restate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deno or Restate?
Deno starts at Free and Restate at Free.
Does Deno or Restate run on more platforms?
Deno runs on Web. Restate runs on Linux, macOS, Web.
Can I use Deno for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Deno best used for?
Deno is most often used for running typescript natively without transpilation overhead, migrating node.js applications to secure-by-default runtime, deploying edge functions and serverless containers seamlessly, consolidating developer tools into single binary. Of those, running typescript natively without transpilation overhead and migrating node.js applications to secure-by-default runtime are not what Restate is typically brought in for.
What can Deno do that Restate cannot?
Restate covers Durable execution, Virtual objects, Single binary runtime, Multi-language SDKs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deno: How much does Deno Deploy cost?

Deno Deploy offers a free tier at $0/month, Pro at $20/month, and Builder at $200/month. Enterprise has custom pricing. All plans include base request and bandwidth limits, with overage charges for additional usage.

Source
Restate: Is Restate open source?

The SDKs are MIT. The runtime is under a Business Source Licence, which permits self-hosting but not offering it as a competing service.

Deno: What are Deno Deploy's overage charges?

Egress bandwidth overages cost $0.20 per GB. CPU time overages are $0.10 per hour on Pro and Builder tiers. Memory time and KV database operations also incur charges beyond included limits.

Source
Restate: How does it compare with Temporal?

Same problem, different shape: one Rust binary with embedded storage instead of a server plus database plus workers, and lower per-step latency.

Deno: How many apps can I deploy on Deno's free plan?

The free tier includes 10 apps with up to 1 concurrent build. Pro tier supports 50 apps with 3 concurrent builds, and Builder supports 10,000 apps with 20 concurrent builds.

Source
Restate: Is there a free tier?

Yes, fifty thousand durable actions a month on Restate Cloud with no card required.

Deno: How many team members can access Deno Deploy?

The free tier supports up to 3 team members. Pro supports 10 team members. Builder supports 25 team members. Enterprise has custom seat limits.

Source
Restate: Which languages are supported?

TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, Python and Rust.

Share

Related pages

More on Deno

More on Restate

Keep looking

Other head to heads