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Developer Tools · head to head

Restate vs Subframe

Restate logo

Restate

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit RestateFull review
Subframe logo

Subframe

Design

The AI-native design tool built for code

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit SubframeFull review

The short version

  • Free plans on both; paid from $300/mo and $29/mo.
  • Where Subframe falls short: free plan limited to 1 project and 10 pages.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Restate and Subframe actually diverge.

Attributes where Restate and Subframe differ
AttributeRestateSubframe
Pricing modelPer month by durable action countFreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WebWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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 Restate

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

Only in Subframe

Nothing recorded that Restate does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Restate

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

Subframe

  • Creating production-ready interfaces without static mockupsnot Restate
  • Syncing design components with code as single source of truthnot Restate
  • Building responsive designs with auto layoutnot Restate
  • Real-time multiplayer collaboration with layer commentingnot Restate
  • Exporting Radix UI and Tailwind CSS code via CLInot Restate

Where each one falls short

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

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

Subframe

  • Free plan limited to 1 project and 10 pages
  • Free plan includes limited AI features compared to Pro
  • Pro plan billed per editor, not per team

Pricing, plan by plan

Restate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Fifty thousand durable actions per month
    • No credit card required
    • Community support
  • Starter$300/mo
    • Twenty million actions per month
    • Two hundred actions per second, bursting to one thousand
    • Twenty GB storage
  • Pro$1,000/mo
    • Fifty million actions per month
    • Five hundred actions per second, bursting to two thousand
    • Fifty GB storage
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Negotiated volume
    • Twenty-four seven P0 support
    • 99.99 per cent SLA

Subframe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • Up to 10 pages
    • 2 prototypes
  • Pro$29/mo
    • Unlimited projects
    • Unlimited pages
    • Unlimited prototypes

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Subframe if

  • You want to start without paying.
Subframe review

Questions people ask

Is Restate or Subframe better?
Neither clearly leads. Restate starts at Free and Subframe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Restate or Subframe?
Restate starts at Free and Subframe at Free.
Does Restate or Subframe run on more platforms?
Restate runs on Linux, macOS, Web. Subframe runs on Web.
Can I use Restate for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Restate best used for?
Restate is most often used for payment or order flows where a crash between two external api calls must not double-charge or lose the order, ai agent loops that call tools over minutes or hours and must survive a deployment mid-run, replacing hand-rolled retry, idempotency key and outbox code across a set of microservices, a small team that wants durable workflows without operating a temporal cluster and its database. Of those, payment or order flows where a crash between two external api calls must not double-charge or lose the order and ai agent loops that call tools over minutes or hours and must survive a deployment mid-run are not what Subframe is typically brought in for.
What can Restate do that Subframe cannot?
Restate covers Durable execution, Virtual objects, Single binary runtime, Multi-language SDKs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Subframe: Is there a free version of Subframe?

Yes, Subframe offers a free plan with 1 project, up to 10 pages, 2 prototypes, unlimited team members, and limited AI features.

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.

Subframe: How is the Pro plan priced?

Subframe Pro costs $29 per editor per month, with unlimited projects, pages, prototypes, and AI usage.

Source
Restate: Is there a free tier?

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

Subframe: Are viewer seats free?

Yes, Subframe offers free viewer seats across all pricing plans, allowing team members to view without an editor license.

Source
Restate: Which languages are supported?

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

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