head to head · open source
n8n vs frigate
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. frigate has 37,160 stars, 3,782 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 463% (209,375 vs 37,160 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; frigate is written in Python under MIT. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, frigate 10%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), 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 | frigate | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 37K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 3.8K |
| 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 frigate if
- You want the frigate feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and frigate 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 frigate
Frigate NVR™ Realtime Object Detection for IP Cameras \[English\] 简体中文 A complete and local NVR designed for Home Assistant with AI object detection. Uses OpenCV and Tensorflow to perform realtime object detection locally for IP cameras. Use of a GPU or AI accelerator is highly recommended. AI accelerators will outperform even the best CPUs with very little overhead. See Frigate's supported object detectors. Tight integration with Home Assistant via a custom component Designed to minimize resource use and maximize performance by only looking for objects when and where it is necessary Leverages multiprocessing…
read the full frigate overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or frigate more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and frigate has 37,160. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and frigate free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and frigate is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and frigate?
n8n is written in TypeScript and frigate in Python. 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 frigate?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose frigate if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.