head to head · open source
n8n vs Ethora
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Ethora has 545 stars, 111 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 37,494% (204,887 vs 545 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Ethora is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Ethora 20%. 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, mcp), 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 | Ethora | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 545 |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 111 |
| 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 Ethora if
- You want the Ethora feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Ethora 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 Ethora
Ethora is an Apache 2.0 licensed chat, AI and messaging SDK monorepo that adds real time messaging, prebuilt chat UI, bots and backend services to web, iOS and Android applications, and it is aimed at product teams that would rather integrate a messaging layer than assemble one.
read the full Ethora overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Ethora more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and Ethora has 545. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Ethora free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and Ethora is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Ethora?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Ethora 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 Ethora?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Ethora if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.