head to head · open source
n8n vs AppSmith
n8n has 209,318 GitHub stars, 61,352 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. AppSmith has 41,149 stars, 4,825 forks, 4,467 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 409% (209,318 vs 41,149 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; AppSmith is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, AppSmith 12%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (automation), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| n8n | AppSmith | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 41K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 4.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 209K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick AppSmith if
- You want the AppSmith feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and AppSmith fits your workflow better
About n8n
n8n – The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation Fair code platform to build and deploy AI agents and workflows. Combine a visual canvas with custom code, run it self hosted or in the cloud, and connect to 1500+ integrations. AI automation you can trust with real work, from prototype to production. Key Capabilities AI Native Automation Platform : Build and operationalize AI workflows and multi step agents using your own data, models, and tools Model Flexibility, No Lock In : Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models and switch providers without changing your architecture From Prototype…
About AppSmith
Organizations build custom applications like dashboards, admin panels, customer 360, IT automation, and service management tools to help their teams work more efficiently and effectively. Appsmith is an open source low code platform that streamlines custom application development, deployment, and maintenance. Learn more on our website. Installation There are two ways to start using Appsmith: Signup on Appsmith Cloud. Install Appsmith on your machine. See the installation guides below. For other deployment options, see the Installation Guides documentation. Development To build and run Appsmith in your local dev…
read the full AppSmith overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or AppSmith more popular?
n8n has 209,318 GitHub stars and AppSmith has 41,149. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and AppSmith free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and AppSmith is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and AppSmith?
n8n is written in TypeScript and AppSmith in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, n8n or AppSmith?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,318 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose AppSmith if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.