# Observal vs trigger

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Observal | trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #32 of 209 in AI Agents | #7 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 4 533 | 16 644 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 210 ✓ | +257 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 33 | 49 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.15.1 · 16 Oct 2026 | v4.8.1 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

trigger scores 76/100 against 67/100 for Observal, so it is the safer default.

trigger ships more often: 49 stable releases in the past year, against 33 for Observal.

If you want the quickest setup, Observal is easier to run; trigger needs more configuration.

Observal is growing faster right now (+1 210 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Observal](https://selfhost.directory/project/observal) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/observal.md)
- [trigger](https://selfhost.directory/project/trigger) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/trigger.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/observal-vs-trigger