BullMQ vs Hatchet: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between BullMQ and Hatchet? Both are popular background jobs & workflows tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
BullMQ is for: Node.js teams who already run Redis and want a job queue library they control, with no per-job bill.
Hatchet is for: Teams orchestrating background tasks and AI agent workflows who want an open-source engine that runs on Postgres.
Quick verdict
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose BullMQ if you already run Redis and want jobs to stay inside your own infrastructure. Choose Hatchet if you want an open-source task engine you can self-host on the Postgres you already run.
BullMQ vs Hatchet — Side by Side
| BullMQ | Hatchet | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Background Jobs & Workflows | Background Jobs & Workflows |
| What it is | Open-source job queue library | Task orchestration engine |
| Languages | Node.js, Bun, Python, Elixir, PHP, .NET, Rust | Python, TypeScript, Go, Ruby |
| What it runs on | Your Redis or PostgreSQL | Hatchet Cloud or self-hosted on Postgres |
| How you pay | Free (MIT); optional Pro license | Per task run and event; no plan fee |
| Free access | Full open-source library | 1M task runs a month with a card on file |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $139/mo | Free |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Best for | Background Jobs & Workflows — Redis queues, Node.js, self-hosted | Background Jobs & Workflows — Postgres-backed, AI task orchestration, open source |
Pros & Cons
- Free and open-source
- Very fast on Redis
- Mature, widely adopted in Node
- Fine-grained control over jobs
- You run and scale the Redis or Postgres yourself
- Advanced features (groups, batches) need a Pro license
- No built-in managed dashboard (OSS)
- Simple Postgres-based architecture
- Easy to self-host
- Built for AI task orchestration
- Fine-grained concurrency control
- Younger project, smaller community
- Fewer integrations than incumbents
Key Features Compared
BullMQ
- Open source under the MIT license, with no limits on workers or concurrency
- Queues on Redis or PostgreSQL
- Libraries for Node.js, Bun, Python, Elixir, PHP, .NET and Rust that share the same queues
- BullMQ Pro Standard: $139 a month or $1,395 a year per deployment, for organizations under 100 employees
- Pro adds groups, batches, observables and professional support
- Taskforce.sh dashboard sold separately; its price is not listed on the BullMQ page
Hatchet
- Open source under the MIT license; self-hosting needs only PostgreSQL for basic use
- Hatchet Cloud is pay-as-you-go with no plan fee
- With a card on file: 1M task runs and 1M events a month included, then $30 per 1M task runs and $5 per 1M events
- Card-on-file plan includes 100 workers, 50 users and 7-day retention
- Without a card, lower limits apply and tasks are dropped once a free limit is reached
- SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Go and Ruby
Choose BullMQ if…
- You already run Redis and want jobs to stay inside your own infrastructure.
- You want a free, MIT-licensed queue with delayed, repeatable and rate-limited jobs.
- Your services in different languages need to share the same queues.
Choose Hatchet if…
- You want an open-source task engine you can self-host on the Postgres you already run.
- You need concurrency and rate limits per tenant or per key.
- You want managed hosting with no monthly plan fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BullMQ better than Hatchet?⌄
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose BullMQ if you already run Redis and want jobs to stay inside your own infrastructure. Choose Hatchet if you want an open-source task engine you can self-host on the Postgres you already run.
What is the difference between BullMQ and Hatchet?⌄
What it is — BullMQ: Open-source job queue library. Hatchet: Task orchestration engine. Languages — BullMQ: Node.js, Bun, Python, Elixir, PHP, .NET, Rust. Hatchet: Python, TypeScript, Go, Ruby. What it runs on — BullMQ: Your Redis or PostgreSQL. Hatchet: Hatchet Cloud or self-hosted on Postgres. How you pay — BullMQ: Free (MIT); optional Pro license. Hatchet: Per task run and event; no plan fee. Free access — BullMQ: Full open-source library. Hatchet: 1M task runs a month with a card on file.
BullMQ vs Hatchet: which is cheaper?⌄
BullMQ pricing: Free · paid from $139/mo. Hatchet pricing: Free. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, BullMQ or Hatchet?⌄
In our catalog, BullMQ rates 4.5 out of 5 and Hatchet rates 4.4 out of 5, so BullMQ has a slight edge on reviews.
When should I skip both BullMQ and Hatchet?⌄
Skip BullMQ if you don’t want to run Redis or workers yourself. Inngest and Trigger.dev run the infrastructure for you. Skip Hatchet if you want a library rather than a separate engine. Graphile Worker and River run inside your app on Postgres.
Sources · tool facts checked November 2026
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