head to head · open source
n8n vs node-red-contrib-uibuilder
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. node-red-contrib-uibuilder has 528 stars, 92 forks, 10 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. n8n leads on adoption by 39,554% (209,375 vs 528 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; node-red-contrib-uibuilder is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, node-red-contrib-uibuilder 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 (low-code), 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 | node-red-contrib-uibuilder | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 528 |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 92 |
| 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 node-red-contrib-uibuilder if
- You want the node-red-contrib-uibuilder feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and node-red-contrib-uibuilder 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 node-red-contrib-uibuilder
UIBUILDER FOR Node RED Easy data driven web UI's. Batteries included! UIBUILDER is a Node RED add on that makes it easy to build custom web UIs that talk to your flows (web applications). It supports no code & low code nodes (create UI from Node RED itself), full code front end templates you edit, and everything in between. No code and Low code options, driven from Node RED Dynamic data interchange Node RED browser No front end framework needed but use any of them if you want to Integrate with existing web development workflows It includes many helper features that can reduce or eliminate the need to write code…
read the full node-red-contrib-uibuilder overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or node-red-contrib-uibuilder more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and node-red-contrib-uibuilder has 528. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and node-red-contrib-uibuilder free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and node-red-contrib-uibuilder is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and node-red-contrib-uibuilder?
n8n is written in TypeScript and node-red-contrib-uibuilder in JavaScript. 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 node-red-contrib-uibuilder?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose node-red-contrib-uibuilder if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.