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Cover image for Cronark: Lightweight Cron-Based Job Scheduling for PHP
Hadi Akbarzadeh
Hadi Akbarzadeh

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Cronark: Lightweight Cron-Based Job Scheduling for PHP

#php #webdev #opensource #backend

If you need background jobs in PHP but don’t want to deal with Redis, RabbitMQ, or heavy infrastructure, Cronark might be exactly what you’re looking for.

It’s a minimal, cron-driven job scheduler that works with plain PHP (8.1+) and your system’s cron; no external services required.

🤔 Why Use It?

Most job queues require extra setup and maintenance. That’s fine for large systems, but for small to mid-size projects? Overkill.

Cronark keeps it simple:

  • No external dependencies
  • No queue servers
  • No background daemons
  • Just PHP + cron

If your server can run cron, you’re good to go.

⚙️ Basic Usage

Install via Composer:

composer require nabeghe/cronark
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Create a job:

class SendEmailsJob
{
    public function __invoke()
    {
        echo "Sending emails...\n";
    }
}
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Register and run it in a worker:

$cronark = new \Nabeghe\Cronark\Cronark();
$cronark->addJob(SendEmailsJob::class, "email");
$cronark->start("email");
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Add to crontab:

* * * * * php /path/to/worker.php
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Done. Your job runs every minute.

🎯 When It Makes Sense

  • Cronark is perfect if you:
  • Are on shared hosting
  • Want lightweight scheduling
  • Prefer minimal infrastructure
  • Need recurring background tasks

It’s not trying to replace enterprise queue systems; it’s built for simplicity and practicality.

If you like clean solutions with zero drama, this one’s worth checking out.

Github & Docs

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