head to head · open source
n8n vs langchain
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. langchain has 146,562 stars, 24,508 forks, 492 open issues and last shipped today. n8n leads on adoption by 40% (205,086 vs 146,562 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; langchain is written in Python under MIT. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, langchain 17%. 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 | langchain | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 147K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| 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 langchain if
- You want the langchain feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and langchain 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 langchain
LangChain is an open source framework for building agents and LLM powered applications, written in Python and released under the MIT license. It lives in the AI and machine learning ecosystem, specifically among AI development platforms, and it works by chaining together interoperable components and third party integrations so that AI application development becomes simpler. The project describes itself as the agent engineering platform, and its abstractions are designed to keep applications working as the underlying technology evolves.
read the full langchain overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or langchain more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and langchain has 146,562. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and langchain free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and langchain is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and langchain?
n8n is written in TypeScript and langchain 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 langchain?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose langchain if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.