head to head · open source
n8n vs CryptPad
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CryptPad has 7,920 stars, 849 forks, 401 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 2,487% (204,887 vs 7,920 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; CryptPad is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, CryptPad 11%. 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 | CryptPad | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 7.9K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 849 |
| 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 CryptPad if
- You want the CryptPad feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and CryptPad 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 CryptPad
CryptPad is an open source collaboration suite built around end to end encryption, written in JavaScript and released under the AGPL 3.0. It lives in the JavaScript and real time collaboration ecosystem, using ChainPad to synchronize changes to documents in real time. The suite covers documents, sheets, presentations, forms, kanban boards, code, rich text, and whiteboards, all reachable from a single CryptDrive, and it is positioned as an open alternative to Google Docs.
read the full CryptPad overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or CryptPad more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and CryptPad has 7,920. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and CryptPad free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and CryptPad?
n8n is written in TypeScript and CryptPad 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 CryptPad?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose CryptPad if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.