head to head · open source
n8n vs IRremoteESP8266
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. IRremoteESP8266 has 3,661 stars, 945 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. n8n leads on adoption by 5,619% (209,375 vs 3,661 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ under LGPL-2.1. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, IRremoteESP8266 26%. 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 | IRremoteESP8266 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 3.7K |
| License | Custom / other | LGPL-2.1 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-08-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 945 |
| 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 IRremoteESP8266 if
- You want the IRremoteESP8266 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-2.1 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and IRremoteESP8266 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 IRremoteESP8266
This library enables you to send and receive infra red signals on an ESP8266 or an ESP32 using the Arduino framework using common 940nm IR LEDs and common IR receiver modules. e.g. TSOP{17,22,24,36,38,44,48} demodulators etc. v2.9.0 Now Available Version 2.9.0 of the library is now available. You can view the Release Notes for all the significant changes. Upgrading from pre v2.0 Usage of the library has been slightly changed in v2.0. You will need to change your usage to work with v2.0 and beyond. You can read more about the changes required on our Upgrade to v2.0 page. Upgrading from pre v2.5 The library has…
read the full IRremoteESP8266 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or IRremoteESP8266 more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and IRremoteESP8266 has 3,661. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and IRremoteESP8266 free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and IRremoteESP8266 is licensed under LGPL-2.1. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and IRremoteESP8266?
n8n is written in TypeScript and IRremoteESP8266 in C++. 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 IRremoteESP8266?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose IRremoteESP8266 if its feature set, stack or LGPL-2.1 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.