head to head · open source
n8n vs Mole
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Mole has 67,621 stars, 2,377 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 203% (204,887 vs 67,621 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Mole is written in Shell under GPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Mole 4%. 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 | Mole | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 68K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.4K |
| 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 Mole if
- You want the Mole feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and Mole 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 Mole
Mole is an open source macOS utility that combines system cleanup, application management, and live monitoring into a single native app and CLI tool. It runs on macOS 12+ for both Intel and Apple Silicon, offering a unified interface for reclaiming disk space, uninstalling apps thoroughly, visualizing storage, and tracking real time system health. Built in Shell and licensed under GPL 3.0, it aggregates functionality found across several paid tools—CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus—into one binary.
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Mole more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and Mole has 67,621. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Mole free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and Mole is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Mole?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Mole in Shell. 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 Mole?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Mole if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.