Software · head to head
Trigger.dev vs CrewAI
T
Trigger.dev
Software
Build and deploy fully managed AI agents and workflows
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
C
CrewAI
Software
The Enterprise Agent Build and Runtime for the work your business runs on
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only CrewAI has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Trigger.dev compute is billed per second by machine size, from $0.0000169 per second on the smallest Micro instance up to $0.00068 per second on Large 2x, plus $0.000025 per run invocation, as of August 2026.; CrewAI the free Basic tier caps at 50 workflow executions per month, with all higher usage requiring a custom Enterprise contract, as of August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Trigger.dev and CrewAI actually diverge.
| Attribute | Trigger.dev | CrewAI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Trigger.dev
- Compute is billed per second by machine size, from $0.0000169 per second on the smallest Micro instance up to $0.00068 per second on Large 2x, plus $0.000025 per run invocation, as of August 2026.
CrewAI
- The free Basic tier caps at 50 workflow executions per month, with all higher usage requiring a custom Enterprise contract, as of August 2026.
Pricing, plan by plan
Trigger.dev
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Trigger.dev review.
CrewAI
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the CrewAI review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Trigger.dev if
Nothing in the data separates Trigger.dev from CrewAI on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Trigger.dev or CrewAI better?
- Neither clearly leads. Trigger.dev starts at On request and CrewAI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Trigger.dev or CrewAI?
- CrewAI has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Trigger.dev and Free for CrewAI.
- Does Trigger.dev or CrewAI run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use CrewAI for free?
- Yes. CrewAI has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Trigger.dev starts at On request.