head to head · open source
n8n vs Skyvern
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Skyvern has 23,020 stars, 2,165 forks, 234 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 790% (204,887 vs 23,020 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Skyvern is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Skyvern 9%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, 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 | Skyvern | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 23K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| 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 Skyvern if
- You want the Skyvern feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Skyvern 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 Skyvern
Skyvern is an open source Python project for automating browser based workflows with LLMs and computer vision. It lives in the browser automation and AI agent ecosystem, and it provides a Playwright compatible SDK that adds AI functionality on top of Playwright. The project also includes a no code workflow builder, so technical users can work through code while non technical users can define tasks through the interface.
read the full Skyvern overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Skyvern more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and Skyvern has 23,020. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and Skyvern free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and Skyvern is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and Skyvern?
n8n is written in TypeScript and Skyvern in Python. 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 Skyvern?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Skyvern if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.