head to head · open source
n8n vs Budibase
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Budibase has 28,376 stars, 2,236 forks, 276 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 638% (209,375 vs 28,376 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 29% 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.
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Side by side
| n8n | Budibase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 28K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| 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 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 – 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 Budibase
Budibase AI Agents that run your operations Budibase is an open source operations platform that saves engineers 100s of hours building Agents, Apps and Automations, securely. 🤖 🎨 🚀 Get started we host (Budibase Cloud) · Get started you host (Docker, K8s, DO) · Docs · Feature request · Report a bug · Support: Discussions ✨ Features Run your operations on one platform Handle requests, automate workflows, manage processes, and connect your business systems without stitching together multiple tools. Employees ask questions, request approvals, and report issues every day. Budibase agents understand these requests…
read the full Budibase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Budibase more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and Budibase has 28,376. 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 (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Budibase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.