head to head · open source
n8n vs ToolJet
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. ToolJet has 40,936 stars, 5,448 forks, 1,204 open issues and last shipped today. n8n leads on adoption by 401% (205,086 vs 40,936 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; ToolJet is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, ToolJet 13%. ToolJet 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 | ToolJet | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 41K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 5.4K |
| 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 ToolJet if
- You want the ToolJet feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and ToolJet 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 ToolJet
ToolJet is an open source low code platform for building internal tools—admin panels, dashboards, and operational applications—by connecting to existing databases, APIs, and SaaS systems. It lives in the JavaScript ecosystem and is licensed under AGPL 3.0.
read the full ToolJet overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or ToolJet more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and ToolJet has 40,936. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and ToolJet free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and ToolJet is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and ToolJet?
n8n is written in TypeScript and ToolJet 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 ToolJet?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose ToolJet if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.