QStash alternative

Spooled Cloud vs QStash

Upstash QStash is a lightweight HTTP message queue that shines for serverless fan-out with almost no setup. If you need worker registration, workflows, job priorities, real-time streams, or a self-host option, Spooled Cloud is a fuller-featured, open-source alternative.

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Our own read of public docs, last reviewed 2026-07-16 — not an independent benchmark, and we're biased. Apache-2.0 core · free tier available.

The honest verdict

QStash is a lightweight HTTP message queue that shines for serverless fan-out with minimal setup. Spooled adds worker registration, workflows, job priorities, WebSocket/SSE streams, Prometheus metrics, and a self-host option QStash does not offer.

Where Spooled wins

+ Worker registration and claim semantics
+ Workflows with dependencies
+ Job priorities and queue controls
+ WebSocket/SSE streams and Prometheus metrics
+ Self-hostable open-source core

When QStash is the better pick

– Zero-infrastructure push model for serverless endpoints
– Very low setup cost for simple fan-out

Where Spooled goes further than QStash

Capabilities Spooled ships that QStash lists as partial or unsupported in its public docs. The two match on 12 of the other rows — see the full matrix for the complete side by side.

Capability	Spooled	QStash
gRPC API	Yes	No
Job Priorities	Yes	No
6-Field Cron (Seconds)	Yes	No
Workflows / DAGs	Yes	No
WebSocket Updates	Yes	No
SSE Updates	Yes	No
Worker Registration	Yes	No
Concurrency Controls	Yes	No
Job Tags & Filtering	Yes	No
Queue Pause/Resume	Yes	No
Prometheus Metrics	Yes	No
Self-Hosted Option	Yes	No
PostgreSQL Data Plane	Yes	No
Open Source (core)	Yes	No

Pricing at a glance

Spooled's numbers come from the pricing page. Competitor pricing changes often — treat it as directional.

Service	Free tier	Paid plans
Spooled Cloud	1,000 jobs/day	Starter $19 USD/mo (10,000/day) · Pro $49 USD/mo (100,000/day)
QStash	Has a free tier	Usage-based plans (see their pricing page)

Switching from QStash?

Moving from QStash: swap HTTP publish calls for Spooled enqueue and add a worker to claim jobs — or keep a push-style flow with outgoing webhooks. You gain priorities, workflows, and WebSocket/SSE status streams.

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FAQ

Spooled vs QStash — FAQ

Is Spooled Cloud a good QStash alternative?

Yes, when you have outgrown simple HTTP fan-out and need worker registration, workflows with dependencies, job priorities, real-time WebSocket/SSE streams, or the ability to self-host. QStash is still the simplest option for zero-infrastructure push to serverless endpoints.

Can I self-host Spooled? QStash cannot be self-hosted.

Yes. Spooled’s Apache-2.0 core runs on your own PostgreSQL with no platform limits. QStash is a proprietary Upstash service with no self-host option, which is a common reason teams compare the two.

When should I choose QStash over Spooled?

Choose QStash when you just need reliable HTTP delivery to serverless endpoints with the lowest possible setup cost and no worker process to run.

Get started

Put one real workload on a durable queue.

Try hosted Spooled with 1,000 jobs a day, or run the Apache-2.0 core against your own PostgreSQL.

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Open source — Apache-2.0