head to head · open source
n8n vs yao-meta-skill
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars, 60,753 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped today. yao-meta-skill has 2,621 stars, 243 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. n8n leads on adoption by 7,725% (205,086 vs 2,621 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; yao-meta-skill is written in Python under MIT. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, yao-meta-skill 9%. 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 | yao-meta-skill | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-08-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 243 |
| 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 yao-meta-skill if
- You want the yao-meta-skill feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and yao-meta-skill 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 yao-meta-skill
Yao Meta Skill YAO stands for Yielding AI Outcomes : the goal is not to generate more prompt text, but to produce reusable AI assets and real operational outcomes. yao meta skill creates, evaluates, packages, and governs reusable agent skills. The 1.0 line focused on turning repeated workflows into installable, readable, cross platform skill packages. The 2.0 line expands that factory into a Skill OS: a governed system for modeling a skill once, compiling it for multiple targets, testing its behavior, reviewing its release evidence, and tracking the next iteration. Quick Start · Skill OS 2.0 · 1.0 vs 2.0 · Operat…
read the full yao-meta-skill overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or yao-meta-skill more popular?
n8n has 205,086 GitHub stars and yao-meta-skill has 2,621. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and yao-meta-skill free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and yao-meta-skill is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and yao-meta-skill?
n8n is written in TypeScript and yao-meta-skill 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 yao-meta-skill?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (205,086 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose yao-meta-skill if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.