head to head · open source
n8n vs sequential-workflow-designer
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. sequential-workflow-designer has 1,483 stars, 151 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. n8n leads on adoption by 14,018% (209,375 vs 1,483 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; sequential-workflow-designer is written in TypeScript under MIT. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, sequential-workflow-designer 10%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (automation), 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 | sequential-workflow-designer | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-09-24 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 151 |
| 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 sequential-workflow-designer if
- You want the sequential-workflow-designer feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and sequential-workflow-designer 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 sequential-workflow-designer
Sequential Workflow Designer A sequential workflow designer with no external dependencies for web applications. It is written in pure TypeScript and uses SVG for rendering. This designer is not associated with any workflow engine; it is fully generic. You can use it to create any kind of application, from graphical programming languages to workflow builders. Features: No external dependencies Fully generic and configurable Supports light, dark, and soft themes, with easy customization Compatible with modern browsers and mobile devices Definitions are stored as JSON Supports Angular, React and Svelte. 📝 Check…
read the full sequential-workflow-designer overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or sequential-workflow-designer more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and sequential-workflow-designer has 1,483. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and sequential-workflow-designer free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and sequential-workflow-designer is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and sequential-workflow-designer?
n8n is written in TypeScript and sequential-workflow-designer in TypeScript. 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 sequential-workflow-designer?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose sequential-workflow-designer if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.