head to head · open source
n8n vs magic
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. magic has 1,215 stars, 177 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 17,133% (209,375 vs 1,215 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; magic is written in C# under MIT. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, magic 15%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (ai, 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 | magic | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 177 |
| 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 magic if
- You want the magic feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and magic 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 magic
Instant SECURE Full Stack Apps and AI Agents Turn plain English into a working full stack app — database, secure API, business logic, and frontend — running on your own hardware , with zero lock in . An open source alternative to Lovable, Bolt, and Replit that gives you the whole backend, plus an MCP server that turns every endpoint into a tool for Claude, Cursor, or Codex. Read more about Hyperlambda. [ ] Run it in 60 seconds Then open localhost:5555 , point it at localhost:4444 , and log in with root / root . Point the API Wizard at your database, and it generates a complete, secured REST API — then extend it…
read the full magic overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or magic more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and magic has 1,215. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and magic free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and magic is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and magic?
n8n is written in TypeScript and magic 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 magic?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose magic if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.