robfig/cron vs schedule
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 for running functions on a cron-style schedule inside your own program.
Open source · MIT
A small Python library for running functions on a schedule, written in plain readable syntax.
The short answer
Choose robfig/cron if you need…
- Go developers who need periodic tasks inside an application
- Teams that want job schedules managed in code rather than system crontab
- Projects that need the standard five-field cron format or the optional seconds field
Choose schedule if you need…
- Python developers who need simple recurring tasks inside a script or small service
- People writing quick automation scripts that run on a timer
- Developers who want readable scheduling code without learning a large framework
Side-by-side
| robfig/cron | schedule | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 14.2k | 12.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | Python |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
robfig/cron
robfig/cron is a Go library that lets a Go program run its own functions on a recurring schedule, using the cron timing format familiar from Linux. You import it into your code and register jobs with a schedule string, instead of setting up separate system cron entries. The README describes v3 as the current version, with support for Go Modules, optional seconds fields, timezone handling, and interceptors for behavior like panic recovery and skipping overlapping runs.
schedule
schedule is a Python library for running your own functions at set times or intervals, such as every 10 minutes or every day at 10:30. It is described as "Python job scheduling for humans," meaning it aims for simple, readable code instead of complex scheduler configuration. The README provided to me was empty, so this description relies mainly on the repository description and homepage.
Best for
robfig/cron
- Go developers who need periodic tasks inside an application
- Teams that want job schedules managed in code rather than system crontab
- Projects that need the standard five-field cron format or the optional seconds field
schedule
- Python developers who need simple recurring tasks inside a script or small service
- People writing quick automation scripts that run on a timer
- Developers who want readable scheduling code without learning a large framework
Strengths
robfig/cron
- Uses the standard cron format by default, avoiding the non-standard seconds field of v1
- Interceptors (Chain and JobWrapper) can add panic recovery, overlap skipping or delaying, and logging
- Supports the logr logging interface for structured logs
schedule
- Simple, readable syntax for describing schedules
- Open source under the MIT license
- Has a documentation site linked from the repository
Not ideal for
robfig/cron
- Non-Go projects, since this is a Go library and the README gives no other language bindings
- Distributed scheduling across many servers, because the README does not describe clustering or persistence
- People who only need a one-off system job, where the OS crontab is simpler
schedule
- Production systems needing persistence, retries across restarts, or distributed workers, since nothing in the available metadata confirms those features
- Users who do not write Python, because it is a Python library
- Anyone needing a graphical scheduling tool, as no interface is mentioned
Trade-offs
robfig/cron
- Panics in jobs are not recovered by default in v3, so developers must opt in
- The README describes v1 and v2 as incompatible, so older code needs changes to upgrade
- The README is truncated and does not show full API details; the GoDoc link is the main reference
schedule
- The README was not available in the provided material, so feature details could not be verified
- No release tags are listed, so version stability is unclear
- Last push date is May 2024, so activity level should be checked before relying on it
Getting started
robfig/cron
Download the v3 release
go get github.com/robfig/cron/v3@v3.0.0Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between robfig/cron and schedule?
robfig/cron: A Go library for running functions on a cron-style schedule inside your own program. schedule: A small Python library for running functions on a schedule, written in plain readable syntax. robfig/cron suits go developers who need periodic tasks inside an application, while schedule suits python developers who need simple recurring tasks inside a script or small service.
Are robfig/cron and schedule free?
robfig/cron: Free and open source. schedule: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, robfig/cron or schedule?
schedule is easier to get started with (rated beginner); robfig/cron is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is robfig/cron or schedule more popular?
robfig/cron has more GitHub stars (14.2k) than schedule (12.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
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.