The Hatchet Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hatchet in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hatchet
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source task queue and durable workflow engine
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among automation tools, read from Hatchet’s own pages.
Made by Hatchet Technologies, Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hatchet’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hatchet’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 54 of the 134 other automation tools we grade
Hatchet is a task orchestration platform for background jobs, durable workflows, cron schedules and AI agents. Task runs are retried and can be replayed, with logs and traces in a dashboard. It is MIT licensed and can be self-hosted, or run on Hatchet Cloud, where billing is by runs and events.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Hatchet, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You write the tasks in code and run workers.
- 1
Best for background task queues for engineering teams
Hatchet runs durable background tasks and workflows, and you pay by runs and events, $0 to start.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $0, then $30 per million runs and $5 per million events.
- 3
There is a free plan
Pay-as-you-go: 1M runs and 1M events free every month, 100 workers, 10 tenants and 50 users with a card on file.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Durable execution
Workflows and agents are checkpointed so work resumes after a failure. A failed task can be retried automatically or replayed by hand.
- 6
Background tasks and cron
Runs background jobs at scale and creates dynamic cron schedules for recurring workflows.
- 7
Webhooks and events
Events and webhooks can trigger workflows, and events can satisfy wait conditions inside a running workflow.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 54 of 134
That is against the other automation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Hatchet you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Hatchet at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $0, then $30 per million runs and $5 per million events
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Hatchet Technologies, Inc.
- Category
- Automation
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for background task queues for engineering teams
Hatchet runs durable background tasks and workflows, and you pay by runs and events, $0 to start. Without a card on file the free tier is 2,000 task runs and 2,000 events a day with 1 day of retention, failed runs still count, and SSO, RBAC and audit logs are Custom only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Starts at $0, then $30 per million runs and $5 per million events, with 1 million of each free a month when a card is on file. |
| Free plan and trial | B | With a card on file: 1M runs and 1M events a month free. Without one, 2,000 runs and events a day and 1 day of retention. |
| Features | C | Task queues and workflows. SSO, RBAC, audit logs and a HIPAA BAA are listed only on Custom. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. You write the tasks in code and run workers. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web dashboard only, and no integrations list on the listing. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hatchet is for
- Fits if you're replacing a queue like Celery with durable workflows
- Works for engineers who want to start free and self-host later
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't write code, as tasks are defined in an SDK
- Tight if you won't add a card, because the free tier is 2,000 runs a day with 1-day retention
- Watch out: on the free tier, new tasks are dropped past the limit
- Watch out: failed runs count as runs, and SSO and audit logs need Custom
Good to know
Good for
- Engineering teams replacing a queue like Celery with durable workflows
- Teams that want to start on the free tier and self-host later
Worth knowing
- Without a card on file the free tier is limited to 2,000 task runs and 2,000 events a day, with 1-day retention.
- If a limit is passed on the free tier, new tasks are dropped and creation errors appear.
- Retries are not billed, but failed runs count as runs.
- SSO, RBAC, audit logs and HIPAA BAA are listed only on the Custom plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$0
To start. There is a free plan too
Hatchet has a free plan. Paid plans start at $0, then $30 per million runs and $5 per million events.
Pay-as-you-go
$0
to start, then usage-based
1M runs and 1M events free each month, then $30 per million runs, $5 per million events and $0.10 per GB of durable streams.
Custom
Custom
For 100M+ runs a month: dedicated capacity, SSO, RBAC, audit logs, HIPAA, SLAs, and self-hosted or BYOC support.
The free plan
Pay-as-you-go: 1M runs and 1M events free every month, 100 workers, 10 tenants and 50 users with a card on file.
Read from hatchet.run on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source task queue and durable workflow engine. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, workflow automation, AI agents, job scheduling.
SSO, RBAC, audit logs and a HIPAA BAA are listed only on Custom.
- Durable execution
- Workflows and agents are checkpointed so work resumes after a failure. A failed task can be retried automatically or replayed by hand.
- Background tasks and cron
- Runs background jobs at scale and creates dynamic cron schedules for recurring workflows.
- Webhooks and events
- Events and webhooks can trigger workflows, and events can satisfy wait conditions inside a running workflow.
- Observability
- Traces, logs, metrics and alerts are available for each run, with 7 days of retention on the paid-card pay-as-you-go tier.
- Self-hosting
- The pricing page says Hatchet is 100% open source under the MIT license, and the Custom plan covers self-hosted and hybrid setups.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Hatchet is made by Hatchet Technologies, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
54/134
Other automation tools it is graded above
Hatchet's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 54 of the 134 other automation tools we grade, and level with 35.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 105 of 134) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 135 automation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hatchet’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 105 of 134
- BFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 134
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 134
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 134
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 134
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Hatchet you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Hatchet is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Job scheduling: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
What this rests on. Hatchet’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Restate, Inngest, Trigger.dev, Prefect and Dagster
The 5 tools Hatchet is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Restate
Free plan · from $75/mo
Durable execution runtime for backends and AI agents.
- Hatchet also covers job scheduling.
- 2.4GPA
Inngest
Free plan · from $99/mo
Durable execution for background jobs, event-driven apps and agents.
- Hatchet is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Hatchet also covers job scheduling.
- 2.2GPA
Trigger.dev
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source platform for long-running background tasks and AI agents.
- Hatchet also covers job scheduling.
- 2.4GPA
Prefect
Free plan · from $100/mo
Python workflow orchestration with an open-source core and a cloud.
- Hatchet also covers job scheduling.
- 2.0GPA
Dagster
Free trial · from $10/mo
Asset-based data orchestration platform, now part of Prefect.
- Hatchet has a free plan. Dagster does not, though it has a free trial.
- Hatchet also covers AI agents and job scheduling.
- Dagster also covers dashboards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hatchet free?
Hatchet has a free plan. Pay-as-you-go: 1M runs and 1M events free every month, 100 workers, 10 tenants and 50 users with a card on file.
How much does Hatchet cost?
Hatchet lists 2 plans. Pay-as-you-go: $0 to start, then usage-based.
What platforms does Hatchet work on?
Hatchet is available on Web.
Does Hatchet have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Hatchet is listed for Web.
Does Hatchet have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Hatchet is listed for Web.
Is Hatchet open source?
Yes. Hatchet is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes Hatchet?
Hatchet is made by Hatchet Technologies, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Hatchet?
The closest alternatives to Hatchet in our directory are Restate, Inngest, Trigger.dev, Prefect and Dagster.
How does Hatchet compare with other automation tools?
Hatchet's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 54 of the 134 other automation tools we grade, and level with 35.
Could I make my own version of Hatchet?
To replace Hatchet you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hatchet’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hatchet's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Hatchet Technologies, Inc. Prices change, so check hatchet.run before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hatchet, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hatchet
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hatchet: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hatchet
Know someone choosing between automation tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hatchet/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded automation tools after Hatchet, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Automation Insider's GuideEvery one of the 135 automation tools we grade, compared
- Knime Insider's GuideOpen-source visual workflows for data analysis and automation3.2 GPA
- IFTTT Insider's GuideSimple trigger-and-action automations for apps and smart devices3.0 GPA
- Node-RED Insider's GuideOpen-source, flow-based programming tool for event-driven apps3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hatchet’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hatchet is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Hatchet Technologies, Inc. Prices and plans change: check hatchet.run before you buy.