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Automation Integration · head to head

Hatchet vs Merge

Hatchet logo

Hatchet

Automation Integration

Postgres-backed distributed task queue and workflow engine for Python, TypeScript and Go

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Merge logo

Merge

Automation Integration

One API for all your integrations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hatchet postgres as the queue backend simplifies operations but sets a throughput ceiling, and very high task rates require database tuning or partitioning work that a purpose-built queue would not demand.; Merge cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • They diverge on capability: Hatchet covers Postgres-backed queue, Merge covers Unified API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hatchet and Merge actually diverge.

Attributes where Hatchet and Merge differ
AttributeHatchetMerge
Pricing modelPer month by task run countusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, CloudApi
FoundedUnknown2020

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

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 Hatchet

  • Postgres-backed queue
  • Durable execution
  • DAG workflows
  • Concurrency and fairness
  • Rate limiting
  • Cron and scheduling
  • Multi-language SDKs
  • Self-hosting

Only in Merge

  • Unified API
  • HRIS integrations
  • Accounting integrations
  • CRM integrations
  • ATS integrations
  • Ticketing integrations
  • File storage integrations
  • Workday

What people use each for

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

Hatchet

  • An AI product running long agent pipelines that must survive worker restarts and resume mid-workflownot Merge
  • A team that outgrew Celery and wants concurrency keys, fairness and rate limiting without building themnot Merge
  • An engineering group that wants durable execution self-hosted with no datastore beyond the Postgres they already runnot Merge
  • A multi-tenant SaaS that needs one noisy customer's jobs not to starve everyone else'snot Merge

Merge

  • Workflow Automationnot Hatchet
  • Data Integrationnot Hatchet
  • Process Automationnot Hatchet
  • App Integrationnot Hatchet
  • API Connectivitynot Hatchet

Where each one falls short

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

Hatchet

  • Postgres as the queue backend simplifies operations but sets a throughput ceiling, and very high task rates require database tuning or partitioning work that a purpose-built queue would not demand.
  • Data retention on the managed tiers is three days on Team and seven on Scale, which is short for debugging intermittent failures and forces you to export run history elsewhere.
  • The step from the free tier to Team is 500 US dollars a month plus usage, which is a large increment for a small team that simply needs a production SLA.
  • Hatchet is a young company in a category with Temporal, Inngest and cloud-native alternatives already established, so ecosystem, hiring pool and third-party material are all thin.
  • Self-hosting the MIT engine is realistic but you then run the engine, its Postgres and its workers yourself, and the managed features such as audit logs and support are not part of that.

Merge

  • Cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • Merge holds customer OAuth tokens, creating vendor lock-in; switching providers requires re-authentication from all customers
  • No support for legacy systems without APIs; limited to modern SaaS applications
  • Pricing complexity at scale with multiple dimensions (workflows, tasks, connectors) affecting costs

Pricing, plan by plan

Hatchet

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • First 100,000 task runs included
    • $10 per million task runs after
    • No card required
  • Team$500/month
    • Usage billed on top of the base fee
    • 10 users and 5 tenants
    • 3 day data retention
  • Scale$1000/month
    • Unlimited users and tenants
    • 7 day data retention
    • Audit logs
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • 300 million plus runs a month
    • Latency guarantees and custom SLAs
    • SSO and audit logging

Merge

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 linked account
    • All integrations
    • Standard support
  • Launch$650/month
    • 50 linked accounts
    • All categories
    • Email support
  • Scale$2500/month
    • Unlimited accounts
    • Priority support
    • SLA
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom contracts
    • Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Hatchet if

  • You need postgres-backed queue.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want durable execution.
Hatchet review

Choose Merge if

  • You need unified api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want hris integrations.
Merge review

Questions people ask

Is Hatchet or Merge better?
Neither clearly leads. Hatchet starts at Free and Merge at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hatchet or Merge?
Hatchet starts at Free and Merge at Free.
Does Hatchet or Merge run on more platforms?
Hatchet runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. Merge runs on Api.
Can I use Hatchet for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hatchet best used for?
Hatchet is most often used for an ai product running long agent pipelines that must survive worker restarts and resume mid-workflow, a team that outgrew celery and wants concurrency keys, fairness and rate limiting without building them, an engineering group that wants durable execution self-hosted with no datastore beyond the postgres they already run, a multi-tenant saas that needs one noisy customer's jobs not to starve everyone else's. Of those, an ai product running long agent pipelines that must survive worker restarts and resume mid-workflow and a team that outgrew celery and wants concurrency keys, fairness and rate limiting without building them are not what Merge is typically brought in for.
What can Hatchet do that Merge cannot?
Hatchet covers Postgres-backed queue, Durable execution, DAG workflows, Concurrency and fairness. Merge covers Unified API, HRIS integrations, Accounting integrations, CRM integrations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hatchet: Is Hatchet open source?

Yes, the engine is MIT licensed and can be self-hosted, with a managed cloud offered alongside.

Merge: What is a Linked Account in Merge?

A Linked Account represents an end customer's authenticated connection to a third-party application (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zendesk). Merge pricing is based on the number of production Linked Accounts your end users activate.

Source
Hatchet: What does it cost?

Free for the first 100,000 task runs, then 10 US dollars per million. Team is 500 US dollars a month plus usage; Scale is 1,000.

Merge: Can I access custom data not in Merge's universal schema?

No. Merge works well for standardized integrations but hits limits with enterprise customers. You cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema, cannot customize integration behavior for specific customers, and cannot pull deeply custom data from source systems.

Source
Hatchet: Why Postgres as the queue?

So durable task state lives in a database your team already backs up, replicates and can inspect with SQL, instead of a second system.

Merge: What happens if I switch away from Merge?

Merge holds your customers' OAuth tokens. Switching providers means asking every customer to re-authenticate, resulting in potential customer churn and unhappy users.

Hatchet: How does it compare with Temporal?

Lighter to adopt and operate, with a much smaller ecosystem and a lower throughput ceiling from the Postgres backend.

Merge: Does Merge work with legacy systems?

No. Merge only works if there's an API. Legacy ERPs, government portals, insurance carriers, and older enterprise systems that customers depend on often don't have APIs, making Merge unable to support these integrations.

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