head to head · open source
n8n vs CodeZero
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CodeZero has 55 stars, 3 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 14 days ago. n8n leads on adoption by 372,422% (204,887 vs 55 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; CodeZero is written in various languages under a custom or non-standard licence. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, CodeZero 5%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 6 topic tags (ai, automation, development, integrations), 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 | CodeZero | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 55 |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | — |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 3 |
| 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 CodeZero if
- You want the CodeZero feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- You evaluated both and CodeZero 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 CodeZero
CodeZero is an open source, self hostable platform for building automations, integrations, and backend logic as visual flows on a canvas, aimed at teams that want AI assisted no code workflow building while keeping their data on infrastructure they control.
read the full CodeZero overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or CodeZero more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and CodeZero has 55. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and CodeZero free?
Neither n8n nor CodeZero 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 CodeZero?
n8n is written in TypeScript and CodeZero in various languages. 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 CodeZero?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose CodeZero if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.