Asynq vs Temporal
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A Go library that runs background tasks on worker processes, using Redis as the queue.
Open source · MIT
Runs long-running app workflows that survive crashes and retry failed steps automatically.
The short answer
Choose Asynq if you need…
- Go developers who need background jobs such as sending emails or resizing images
- Teams that already run Redis and want a task queue without adding another service type
- Applications that need to spread work across multiple worker machines
- Projects that want retries, scheduling, or priority queues without building them from scratch
Choose Temporal if you need…
- Backend developers building multi-step processes that must finish reliably
- Teams building distributed microservice systems that need orchestration
- Developers who want to try a local workflow server quickly with the Temporal CLI
- Engineers evaluating open-source workflow engines written in Go
Side-by-side
| Asynq | Temporal | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 13.8k | 24.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 18 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Asynq
Asynq is a Go library for putting jobs on a queue and having separate worker processes pick them up and run them in the background. It stores the queue in Redis, so several machines can share the work. It supports retries, scheduled and periodic tasks, priority queues, and a web UI and command-line tool for inspecting tasks.
Temporal
Temporal is a durable execution platform: the Temporal server runs units of application logic called Workflows so they keep going through intermittent failures, retrying failed operations as needed. Developers use it to build reliable multi-step applications without writing all the retry and recovery logic themselves. The README describes it as a fork of Uber's Cadence and developed by Temporal Technologies.
Best for
Asynq
- Go developers who need background jobs such as sending emails or resizing images
- Teams that already run Redis and want a task queue without adding another service type
- Applications that need to spread work across multiple worker machines
- Projects that want retries, scheduling, or priority queues without building them from scratch
Temporal
- Backend developers building multi-step processes that must finish reliably
- Teams building distributed microservice systems that need orchestration
- Developers who want to try a local workflow server quickly with the Temporal CLI
- Engineers evaluating open-source workflow engines written in Go
Strengths
Asynq
- Covers common job-queue needs (retries, scheduling, priorities, timeouts, deduplication) in one library
- Simple Go API with clear examples for defining task types and handlers
- Has Prometheus integration and a web UI and CLI for monitoring
Temporal
- The README says it handles intermittent failures and retries failed operations automatically
- Released under the MIT license with a public repository and documentation site
- Includes a local dev server, CLI, and Web UI to explore workflows
Not ideal for
Asynq
- Non-Go projects, since it is a Go library and the README only shows Go usage
- Teams without Redis (version 4.0 or higher is required) and no plans to run it
- Setups using Redis Cluster, because the README warns some Lua scripts may not be compatible with it
- Projects that need a stable v1 API guarantee, since the README says the public API could change before v1.0.0
Temporal
- Simple scripts or one-off jobs, since the setup adds infrastructure for little gain
- Non-developers, because workflows are implemented in code using supported languages such as Go or Java
- Teams that cannot run and operate a stateful server, as the README covers running this repository as the server itself without detailing operations
Trade-offs
Asynq
- Depends on Redis, so Redis availability and configuration matter for reliability
- Some Lua scripts may not work with Redis Cluster
- The README states the project is at v0.x, so the API may still change
Temporal
- Requires learning its programming model of Workflows, Activities and Workers before it is useful
- The README is truncated and gives little detail on production deployment
- The repository is the server source; you still write application code in a supported language
Getting started
Asynq
Install the Asynq library
go get -u github.com/hibiken/asynqTemporal
Install the Temporal CLI via Homebrew
brew install temporalStart the local development server
temporal server start-devFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Asynq and Temporal?
Asynq: A Go library that runs background tasks on worker processes, using Redis as the queue. Temporal: Runs long-running app workflows that survive crashes and retry failed steps automatically. Asynq suits go developers who need background jobs such as sending emails or resizing images, while Temporal suits backend developers building multi-step processes that must finish reliably.
Are Asynq and Temporal free?
Asynq: Free and open source. Temporal: Free and open source.
Is Asynq or Temporal more popular?
Temporal has more GitHub stars (24.1k) than Asynq (13.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Asynq and Temporal?
Other options people compare them with include ants.
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.