head to head · open source
n8n vs Mole
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Mole has 73,641 stars, 2,611 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 184% (209,375 vs 73,641 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 29% 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 | ★ 209K | ★ 74K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.6K |
| 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 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 – 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 Mole
Mole 🐹 Clean, uninstall, analyze, optimize, and monitor your Mac. Free open source CLI, plus a native Mac app. 💡 Prefer a native app? Mole for Mac brings cleanup, app management, maintenance, disk maps, and live status into one lightweight, VoiceOver ready app. One license covers 2 Macs with lifetime updates and a 14 day refund. The CLI stays free and open source. Features All in one toolkit : Combines CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus in a single binary Deep cleaning : Removes caches, logs, leftovers, and orphaned app data to reclaim gigabytes of space Smart uninstaller : Removes apps plus…
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Mole more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and Mole has 73,641. 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 (209,375 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.