How Spooled Cloud Compares
See how we stack up against other job queue and background task solutions. Spoiler: we've got features others don't.
Competitor information is a best-effort snapshot from publicly available docs and may change. Last reviewed: 2025-12-19. For Spooled’s canonical feature set, see /docs.
Spooled’s core (backend APIs, queue engine, and SDKs) is open source; this marketing site is not. See /docs/open-source.
Why Choose Spooled Cloud?
Dual Protocol: REST + gRPC
Most job queues only offer REST. Spooled Cloud provides both REST and gRPC APIs with bidirectional streaming for sub-millisecond latency when you need it.
PostgreSQL + Redis Hybrid
Get the best of both worlds: PostgreSQL for durability and atomic transactions, Redis for high-performance pub/sub. No need to choose one or the other.
Incoming Webhooks
Unlike Inngest and Trigger.dev, Spooled Cloud provides custom incoming webhook endpoints. Accept Spooled-formatted JSON from any source, and use a tiny adapter/relay to ingest provider-specific webhooks (Stripe/GitHub/Shopify) reliably.
Second-Precision Cron
6-field cron expressions with second precision. Schedule jobs to run every 30 seconds, not just every minute. Perfect for high-frequency monitoring.
Real-Time Streaming
WebSocket and Server-Sent Events for live job updates. Watch your jobs process in real-time without polling.
Built with Rust
Memory-safe, blazing fast, and resource-efficient. Our Rust backend handles millions of jobs with minimal CPU and memory footprint.
Feature Comparison
A detailed breakdown of features across popular job queue solutions.
| Feature | Spooled Cloud (us!) | Inngest | Trigger.dev | QStash | BullMQ | Hatchet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API | ||||||
| gRPC API | ~ | ~ | ||||
| Bulk Enqueue | ||||||
| Job Priorities | ||||||
| Delayed/Scheduled Jobs | ||||||
| Cron Scheduling | ||||||
| 6-Field Cron (Seconds) | ~ | |||||
| Automatic Retries | ||||||
| Dead-Letter Queue | ||||||
| Idempotency / Deduplication | ~ | |||||
| Workflows / DAGs | ||||||
| Incoming Webhooks | ~ | ~ | ~ | |||
| Outgoing Webhooks | ||||||
| WebSocket Updates | ~ | ~ | ||||
| SSE Updates | ~ | |||||
| Worker Registration | ||||||
| Concurrency Controls | ||||||
| Rate Limiting | ||||||
| Job Tags & Filtering | ~ | |||||
| Queue Pause/Resume | ~ | ~ | ~ | |||
| Prometheus Metrics | ~ | ~ | ||||
| Built-in Dashboard | ~ | |||||
| Official SDKs (TS, Python, Go, PHP) | ||||||
| Self-Hosted Option | ||||||
| PostgreSQL Data Plane | ~ | ~ | ||||
| Open Source (core) | ~ |
= Full support | ~ = Partial / varies / not publicly documented | = Not supported
Spooled supports bulk enqueue up to 100 jobs per request and list page sizes up to 100.
Pricing Comparison
Spooled Cloud pricing and limits are published on our pricing and limits pages. Competitor pricing changes frequently—treat this as a directional overview.
| Service | Free Tier | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Spooled Cloud Best Value | 1,000/day (Free) | Starter: $19/USD · 10,000/day • Pro: $49/USD · 100,000/day |
| Inngest | Has a free tier | Usage-based plans (see their pricing page) |
| Trigger.dev | Self-host: free | Cloud: usage-based (see their pricing page) |
| QStash | Has a free tier | Usage-based plans (see their pricing page) |
| Temporal Cloud | — | Paid plans (see their pricing page) |
| BullMQ (self-hosted) | Unlimited | Infra cost (Redis + workers) |
* Self-hosted solutions require you to manage infrastructure (Redis/PostgreSQL instances, servers, monitoring).
Detailed Comparisons
Spooled Cloud vs Inngest
Why Spooled Wins
- ✓ gRPC API — Spooled adds gRPC streaming for high-throughput workers and low-latency clients.
- ✓ Incoming webhooks — Dedicated webhook ingestion endpoints for reliable queuing.
- ✓ Queue controls — Pause/resume processing and manage queue behavior without losing jobs.
- ✓ Evaluation free tier — 1,000 jobs/day on Free, upgrade when you hit traction.
- ✓ PostgreSQL data plane — Durable storage with SQL, retention, and multi-tenant isolation.
When Inngest Might Be Better
- • More established ecosystem and integrations
- • Larger community and more integrations
Spooled Cloud vs Trigger.dev
Why Spooled Wins
- ✓ Incoming webhooks — Dedicated ingestion endpoints, plus you can front them with your own signature verification.
- ✓ 6-field cron — Second-precision scheduling.
- ✓ PostgreSQL + Redis — Hybrid architecture for best performance.
- ✓ Queue controls — Pause, resume, priority boost per queue.
When Trigger.dev Might Be Better
- • No timeout constraints for very long AI/LLM workflows
- • Human-in-the-loop workflow features
Spooled Cloud vs BullMQ
Why Spooled Wins
- ✓ HTTP API — BullMQ is library-only. Spooled offers REST + gRPC.
- ✓ Managed cloud option — No infrastructure to manage.
- ✓ Webhooks — Incoming and outgoing webhook support.
- ✓ Built-in dashboard — Professional UI included.
- ✓ Multi-language — Not limited to Node.js ecosystem.
When BullMQ Might Be Better
- • Free to self-host (open source) — you only pay infrastructure
- • Direct Redis integration for existing Redis users
- • Larger ecosystem (5.8k GitHub stars)
Spooled Cloud vs Temporal
Why Spooled Wins
- ✓ Simpler model — No deterministic programming constraints.
- ✓ Lower cost — Temporal Cloud starts at $100/mo.
- ✓ Faster onboarding — Minutes to first job vs hours for Temporal.
- ✓ Less infrastructure — No dedicated cluster required.
When Temporal Might Be Better
- • Complex enterprise workflows (weeks-long processes)
- • Workflow replay and debugging features
- • Mission-critical financial transactions
Ready to try Spooled Cloud?
Start free with 1,000 jobs/day for evaluation. Upgrade to Starter for 10,000/day and Pro for 100,000/day.