head to head · open source
n8n vs AppSmith
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. AppSmith has 40,898 stars, 4,761 forks, 4,467 open issues and last shipped today. n8n leads on adoption by 401% (205,086 vs 40,898 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 30% 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.
← all 13541 open source comparisons
Side by side
| n8n | AppSmith | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 41K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 4.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 205K 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 is a visual workflow automation platform built in TypeScript that combines a drag and drop editor with custom code execution. It lives in the integration and automation ecosystem, positioned as an open alternative to proprietary services like Zapier. Users design multi step workflows—called “n8n flows”—that connect apps, services, and custom logic to automate repetitive tasks.
About AppSmith
Appsmith is an open source, Apache 2.0 low code platform written primarily in TypeScript that lets teams build custom internal tools such as admin panels, dashboards, and CRUD applications on top of their own databases and APIs.
read the full AppSmith overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Automation projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Automation field.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or AppSmith more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and AppSmith has 40,898. 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 (205,086 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.