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Automation Integration · head to head

Prefect vs Inngest

Prefect logo

Prefect

Automation Integration

Python-first workflow orchestration that heals itself

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Inngest logo

Inngest

Automation Integration

Unbreakable Agents. Invisible Infra.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Prefect limited to Python-based workflows; other languages require API calls; Inngest hobby plans pause execution once free quota exhausted; upgrade required to continue

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prefect and Inngest actually diverge.

Attributes where Prefect and Inngest differ
AttributePrefectInngest
Pricing modelFreemium with per-user and usage-based tiersfreemium
PlatformsCloud, Self-hosted, VPCWeb

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 Prefect

  • Python function decorators
  • Automatic resilience
  • Flexible deployment
  • Observable execution
  • Multiple scheduling
  • Webhooks
  • Open-source core

Only in Inngest

Nothing recorded that Prefect does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Prefect

  • Orchestrating data pipeline workflows in Pythonnot Inngest
  • Managing ML model training and inference jobsnot Inngest
  • Building ETL and event-driven automationnot Inngest
  • Monitoring and alerting on workflow healthnot Inngest

Inngest

  • Handling unpredictable LLM behavior with fine-grained error controlnot Prefect
  • Retrying failed workflow steps independently without restartingnot Prefect
  • Rate limiting per-tenant usage on shared infrastructurenot Prefect
  • Processing thousands of webhooks per event with replay capabilitynot Prefect
  • Persisting state across serverless function invocationsnot Prefect

Where each one falls short

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

Prefect

  • Limited to Python-based workflows; other languages require API calls
  • Hobby free tier severely limited for production use
  • Team plan billing per user scales quickly with team size
  • Less visual workflow builder compared to some competitors
  • Smaller ecosystem of pre-built connectors than alternatives

Inngest

  • Hobby plans pause execution once free quota exhausted; upgrade required to continue
  • Pro plan overages carry tiered metering: additional concurrent steps at $25 per 25, span data at $3/GB, scores at $1.50 per 1K, events at $0.50 per 1M

Pricing, plan by plan

Prefect

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 2 users and 5 deployments
    • 500 minutes serverless monthly
    • 7-day run retention
  • Starter$100/month
    • 3 users and 20 deployments
    • 75 hours serverless compute
    • Bring-your-own infrastructure
  • Team$100/user/month
    • 4-8 users per plan tier
    • 100 deployments
    • 225 hours serverless monthly
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • SSO and SAML authentication
    • Role-based access control
    • Multiple workspaces

Inngest

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 50k executions/month
    • 5 concurrent steps
    • 500 MB span data
  • Pro$99/month starting
    • 1M executions included, pay-as-you-go up to 20M
    • 100+ concurrent steps
    • 5 GB span data ingested
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • customizable metrics
    • 90-day trace retention
    • SAML, RBAC, audit trails

Which should you pick?

Choose Prefect if

  • You need python function decorators.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted, VPC.
  • You also want automatic resilience.
Prefect review

Choose Inngest if

  • You want to start without paying.
Inngest review

Questions people ask

Is Prefect or Inngest better?
Neither clearly leads. Prefect starts at Free and Inngest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prefect or Inngest?
Prefect starts at Free and Inngest at Free.
Does Prefect or Inngest run on more platforms?
Prefect runs on Cloud, Self-hosted, VPC. Inngest runs on Web.
Can I use Prefect for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Prefect best used for?
Prefect is most often used for orchestrating data pipeline workflows in python, managing ml model training and inference jobs, building etl and event-driven automation, monitoring and alerting on workflow health. Of those, orchestrating data pipeline workflows in python and managing ml model training and inference jobs are not what Inngest is typically brought in for.
What can Prefect do that Inngest cannot?
Prefect covers Python function decorators, Automatic resilience, Flexible deployment, Observable execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prefect: What is included in the Hobby free plan?

Hobby includes 2 users, 5 deployments, 500 minutes of serverless compute monthly, and 7-day run retention.

Source
Inngest: How much does Inngest cost?

Inngest offers a free Hobby plan with 50k executions per month and up to 3 users. Pro plans start at $99 per month with 1M executions included and support for up to 15 users. Additional Pro users cost $10 each. Enterprise plans require custom pricing.

Source
Prefect: What is the difference between Starter and Team plans?

Starter is $100/month for 3 users and 20 deployments. Team is $100 per user per month for 4-8 users and 100 deployments.

Source
Inngest: Is there a free version of Inngest?

Yes, the Hobby plan is completely free and includes 50k executions per month, 5 concurrent steps, 500 MB span data ingested, 10K scores, 500k events ingested, and support for up to 3 users. Plan changes pause execution once the free quota is exhausted.

Source
Prefect: Can I deploy Prefect in my own infrastructure?

Yes, Starter and higher plans support bring-your-own-compute infrastructure and VPC deployments.

Source
Inngest: What are the overage costs on Inngest Pro?

Inngest Pro includes 1M executions with additional executions at $0.50 per 1M up to 20M. Span data overages cost $3 per GB, scores at $1.50 per 1K, and events at $0.50 per 1M. Additional concurrent steps cost $25 per 25 steps beyond the included 100+.

Source
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