head to head · open source
n8n vs Budibase
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. Budibase has 28,290 stars, 2,218 forks, 276 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 625% (205,086 vs 28,290 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Budibase is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Budibase 8%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (low-code, low-code-platform), 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 | Budibase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 28K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| 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 Budibase if
- You want the Budibase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Budibase 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 Budibase
Budibase is an open source low code platform for building internal tools, data apps, and AI powered agents that automate operational workflows. It lives in the low code/no code ecosystem and serves as a self hostable alternative to proprietary platforms like Retool.
read the full Budibase 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 Budibase more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and Budibase has 28,290. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Budibase free?
Neither n8n nor Budibase 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 Budibase?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Budibase 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 Budibase?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Budibase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.