head to head · open source
n8n vs astron-rpa
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. astron-rpa has 5,282 stars, 482 forks, 55 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 3,864% (209,375 vs 5,282 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; astron-rpa is written in Python under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, astron-rpa 9%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (ai, automation, low-code, mcp), 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 | astron-rpa | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 5.3K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 482 |
| 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 astron-rpa if
- You want the astron-rpa feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and astron-rpa 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 astron-rpa
AstronRPA 🤖 Pioneering Open Source Enterprise RPA Desktop Application Astron RPA Official Site · Deployment Guide · User Documentation · FAQ English 简体中文 📋 Overview AstronRPA is an enterprise grade Robotic Process Automation (RPA) desktop application. Through a visual designer, it supports low code/no code development, enabling users to rapidly build workflows and automate desktop software and web pages. Astron Agent is the native Agent platform supported by this project. Users can directly call RPA workflow nodes in Astron Agent, and also use Agent workflows in AstronRPA, achieving efficient collaboration…
read the full astron-rpa overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or astron-rpa more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and astron-rpa has 5,282. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and astron-rpa free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and astron-rpa is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and astron-rpa?
n8n is written in TypeScript and astron-rpa in Python. 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 astron-rpa?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose astron-rpa if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.