head to head · open source
n8n vs supervisor
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. supervisor has 2,222 stars, 806 forks, 109 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 9,121% (204,887 vs 2,222 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; supervisor is written in Python under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, supervisor 36%. 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 | supervisor | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 806 |
| 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 supervisor if
- You want the supervisor feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and supervisor 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 supervisor
Home Assistant Supervisor is a Python project for the Home Assistant ecosystem, a home automation platform. It is a container based system that manages Home Assistant Core installations and related applications. The project is described as a private cloud solution for home automation, and it is controlled through Home Assistant, which communicates with the Supervisor.
read the full supervisor overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or supervisor more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and supervisor has 2,222. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and supervisor free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and supervisor is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and supervisor?
n8n is written in TypeScript and supervisor 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 supervisor?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose supervisor if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.