head to head · open source
n8n vs Kap
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Kap has 19,355 stars, 894 forks, 256 open issues and last shipped 1.8 years ago. n8n leads on adoption by 959% (204,887 vs 19,355 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Kap is written in TypeScript under MIT. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Kap 5%. 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 | Kap | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 19K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2024-11-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 894 |
| 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 Kap if
- You want the Kap feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Kap 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 Kap
Kap is an open source screen recorder for macOS, built with web technology and distributed as a native desktop application under the MIT license. The project is written in TypeScript and uses Electron and Next.js components in its stack, placing it within the macOS productivity and screen capture ecosystem rather than a browser extension or command line utility. Its public repository also identifies a related project named Aperture and a separate website repository, indicating that the recording application is part of a broader open source project structure.
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Kap more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and Kap has 19,355. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Kap free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and Kap is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Kap?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Kap 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 Kap?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Kap if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.