n8n vs Node-RED
n8n, Node-RED compared on license, free-edition limits, deployment and project health. Change a project below to compare something else.
| n8n | Node-RED | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation | Automation |
| License | Sustainable Use License 1.0 (n8n)Source-available | Apache License 2.0Open source (OSI) |
| Free edition | Some features paywalled | Fully featured free edition |
| Deployment | Self-hosted · Cloud | Self-hosted |
| Self-hosting setup | Single container | Single container |
| SSO / SAML | Paid | Not confirmed |
| Role-based access control | Paid | Free |
| Audit logs | Paid | Not confirmed |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | Free |
| Backups and restore | Free | Not confirmed |
| API access | Free | Free |
| Support SLA | Paid | Not confirmed |
| GitHub stars | 207k | 24k |
| Last release | Oct 12, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 |
| Alternative to | Zapier | Zapier |
In short
- n8n is licensed Sustainable Use License 1.0 (n8n) (source-available). Free edition: some features paywalled.
- Node-RED is licensed Apache License 2.0 (open source (osi)). Free edition: fully featured free edition.
Each project page lists the official sources behind these answers. Where the official pages do not say, the table shows “Not confirmed”.