head to head · open source
n8n vs btw
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. btw has 1,257 stars, 102 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. n8n leads on adoption by 16,216% (205,086 vs 1,257 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; btw is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, btw 8%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | btw | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-08-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 102 |
| 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 btw if
- You want the btw feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and btw 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 btw
btw btw is an open source personal website builder. You can sign up and use btw without installing anything. You can also use the open source version to self host. Demo blogs published using btw: deeptichopra.com siddg.com Table of contents Getting Started Pre requisites Installation Development Community Coming next License Getting started These instructions will help you to get a copy of the project up and running on your local machine Pre requisites Install the latest version of Docker, Docker compose on your system Working postgres instance SMTP credentials (Ex: from mailgun) Installation Set ADMIN EMAIL and …
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or btw more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and btw has 1,257. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and btw free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and btw is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and btw?
n8n is written in TypeScript and btw in JavaScript. 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 btw?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose btw if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.