head to head · open source
n8n vs RustDesk
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. RustDesk has 127,925 stars, 20,252 forks, 147 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 64% (209,375 vs 127,925 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; RustDesk is written in Rust under AGPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, RustDesk 16%. 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 | RustDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 128K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 20K |
| 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 RustDesk if
- You want the RustDesk feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and RustDesk 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 RustDesk
Build • Docker • Structure • Screenshots [ Українська ] [ česky ] [ 中文 ] [ Magyar ] [ Español ] [ فارسی ] [ Français ] [ Deutsch ] [ Polski ] [ Indonesian ] [ Suomi ] [ മലയാളം ] [ 日本語 ] [ Nederlands ] [ Italiano ] [ Русский ] [ Português (Brasil) ] [ Esperanto ] [ 한국어 ] [ العربي ] [ Tiếng Việt ] [ Dansk ] [ Ελληνικά ] [ Türkçe ] [ Norsk ] [ Română ] We need your help to translate this README, RustDesk UI and RustDesk Doc to your native language [!Caution] Misuse Disclaimer: The developers of RustDesk do not condone or support any unethical or illegal use of this software. Misuse, such as unauthorized access…
read the full RustDesk overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or RustDesk more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and RustDesk has 127,925. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and RustDesk free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and RustDesk?
n8n is written in TypeScript and RustDesk in Rust. 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 RustDesk?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose RustDesk if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.