head to head · open source
n8n vs Dify
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. Dify has 156,215 stars, 24,668 forks, 1,067 open issues and last shipped today. n8n leads on adoption by 31% (205,086 vs 156,215 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Dify is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Dify 16%. Dify was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (ai, automation, low-code), 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 | Dify | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 156K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 25K |
| 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 Dify if
- You want the Dify feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Dify 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 Dify
Dify is an open source LLM application development platform built in TypeScript. It provides a visual interface for designing, testing, and deploying AI workflows, RAG pipelines, and agentic systems without writing extensive code. The platform lives in the generative AI development ecosystem and targets teams needing to move from prototype to production using consistent tooling across environments.
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Dify more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and Dify has 156,215. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Dify free?
Neither n8n nor Dify 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 Dify?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Dify 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 Dify?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Dify if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.