head to head · open source
n8n vs Automa
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Automa has 21,624 stars, 2,340 forks, 377 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. n8n leads on adoption by 847% (204,887 vs 21,624 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Automa is written in Vue under a custom or non-standard licence. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Automa 11%. 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 | Automa | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 22K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | Vue |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-03-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.3K |
| 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 Automa if
- You want the Automa feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Vue
- You evaluated both and Automa 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 Automa
Automa browser extension. Automate browser by connect blocks. Vue project. Chrome and Firefox ecosystem. Problem: repeat browser tasks take time. User make workflow with blocks. No code write. Workflows do form fill, repetitive task, screenshot, scrape website data. Can schedule when automation execute. Marketplace share and download workflow. Automa Chrome Extension Builder make standalone Chrome extension from Automa workflow. Project lives as browser extension, not hosted automation service. The project also lists Chrome and Firefox extension downloads.
read the full Automa overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Automa more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and Automa has 21,624. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Automa free?
Neither n8n nor Automa declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Automa?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Automa in Vue. 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 Automa?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Automa if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.