# n8n vs Node-RED (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified October 23, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose n8n if you automate business workflows across SaaS apps and want 500+ pre-built integrations, AI agent workflows with human approval steps, and an official managed cloud billed per workflow execution from €20/month. Choose Node-RED if you wire together IoT devices, MQTT, and real-time data flows on hardware like Raspberry Pi and want a fully free Apache 2.0 tool with 5,000+ community nodes. The deciding factor is the job: n8n targets app integration with paid team features, while Node-RED targets event-driven hardware and data flows at no license cost.

**Choose n8n if:** You connect business SaaS apps and want 500+ pre-built integrations in one catalog; You build multi-agent AI workflows with human-in-the-loop approval steps; You want an official managed cloud billed per full workflow execution, not per step, from €20/month billed annually; You want to drop into custom JavaScript or Python inside any node; You need SSO/SAML/LDAP and Git version control from the vendor, on Business at €667/month billed annually

**Choose Node-RED if:** You build home automation or industrial IoT flows with MQTT and hardware like Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black, or Arduino; You want an Apache 2.0 open-source license rather than n8n's fair-code Sustainable Use License; You want everything free, with no paid tier and no features held back for a commercial license; You need to deploy on edge devices, including Android, as well as Docker, AWS, or Azure

## At a glance

|  | n8n | Node-RED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| License | Open core | Open source |
| Best for | technical teams that want to mix visual workflow building with custom code, either self-hosted for full control or on cloud paying per execution instead of per step | hobbyists and engineers who need a free, visual way to wire together IoT devices, APIs, and data pipelines without writing a full application from scratch |
| Ratings | Capterra 4.6/5 (48 reviews) | Product Hunt 5/5 (1 reviews) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | n8n | Node-RED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting price | Yes (free self-hosted Community; cloud from €20/mo, billed annually (Starter)) | Yes (free, no paid tier) |
| Pricing basis | Yes (cloud billed per full workflow execution, not per step) | Yes (no license cost) |
| Official managed cloud | Yes (Starter, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers) | No (third parties such as FlowFuse sell hosting) |
| License | Partial (fair-code Sustainable Use License, not OSI-approved) | Yes (open source, Apache 2.0) |
| Platforms and deployment | Yes (web, Windows, macOS, Linux; self-host via Docker) | Yes (web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android; Docker, Raspberry Pi, AWS, Azure) |
| Integrations | Yes (500+ pre-built app integrations) | Yes (5,000+ community-built nodes on npm) |
| Custom code | Yes (JavaScript or Python in any node) | Yes (JavaScript in function nodes) |
| IoT and hardware | Unknown | Yes (MQTT, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black, Arduino) |
| AI agent workflows | Yes (multi-agent AI with human-in-the-loop; 2,300 AI credits/mo on Starter) | Unknown |
| Git version control | Yes (from €667/mo, billed annually (Business)) | Partial (large flows are hard to version-control) |
| Built-in testing | Unknown | No (no first-class testing or CI framework) |
| SSO | Yes (SSO/SAML/LDAP from €667/mo, billed annually (Business)) | Unknown |
| Self-hosting upkeep | Partial (Docker infrastructure, updates, and scaling are on you) | Partial (auth, HTTPS, and updates are on you unless managed by FlowFuse) |
| Support | Yes (forum (Starter) up to dedicated support with SLA (Enterprise)) | Unknown |
| Learning curve | Partial (moderate) | Partial (moderate) |
| External rating | Yes (4.6/5 from 48 reviews (Capterra)) | Yes (5.0/5 from 1 review (Product Hunt)) |

## n8n vs Node-RED pricing: which costs less?

Node-RED costs less because it is free under Apache 2.0 with no paid tier, while n8n is free to self-host but charges from €20/month billed annually for its managed cloud and gates enterprise features behind a commercial license.

n8n's cloud tiers are Starter at €20/month for 2,500 executions, Pro at €50/month for 10,000 executions, Business at €667/month for 40,000 executions with SSO and Git version control, and custom-priced Enterprise, all billed annually. Business is 50% off for companies under 20 employees, but nothing sits between Pro and Business. Node-RED has no official cloud; teams that want hosting buy it from third parties such as FlowFuse. Both tools are free to self-host, with the server work left to you.

## Which is better for IoT and hardware, n8n or Node-RED?

Node-RED is better for IoT and hardware, with community nodes for MQTT, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black, and Arduino and deployment targets ranging from edge devices to AWS and Azure.

Node-RED was built for event-driven flows that collect, transform, and visualize real-time data, and it is used from home-automation setups to industrial control systems and edge-computing pipelines on resource-constrained hardware. n8n is built for business app integration, connecting 500+ applications and running AI agent workflows, and runs on web, Windows, macOS, and Linux or self-hosted via Docker.

## Which is better for business app automation, n8n or Node-RED?

n8n is better for business app automation, with 500+ pre-built app integrations, AI agent workflows with human-in-the-loop steps, and team features like admin roles, workflow history, SSO, and Git version control on paid tiers.

n8n competes with Zapier and Make, and its per-execution billing counts a multi-step workflow once rather than per step. Every n8n node can be extended or replaced with custom JavaScript or Python. Node-RED can call REST APIs through community nodes, but large Node-RED flows become hard to read, review, and version-control, and Node-RED has no built-in first-class testing or CI framework.

## Can Node-RED replace n8n?

Yes for technical teams willing to self-host and build integrations from community nodes, but the Node-RED project offers no managed cloud or paid enterprise tier, while n8n sells both.

Moving from n8n to Node-RED removes license costs and swaps the Sustainable Use License for Apache 2.0. In exchange, teams give up n8n's catalog of 500+ pre-built app integrations, its AI agent tooling with human-in-the-loop steps, and paid-tier features like SSO/SAML/LDAP and Git version control. Hosting, authentication, HTTPS, and updates for Node-RED fall to you unless you pay a third party such as FlowFuse.

## Strengths and weaknesses

### n8n

- Pro: Bills per full workflow execution, not per step, which can be cheaper than per-task pricing for complex automations.
- Pro: Free, fully-featured self-hosted Community edition via Docker with the complete automation engine.
- Pro: Every node can be extended or replaced with custom JavaScript or Python code.
- Pro: 500+ pre-built app integrations plus native support for building multi-agent AI workflows with human-in-the-loop steps.
- Con: Large price jump between Pro (€50/month) and Business (€667/month) cloud tiers, with nothing in between.
- Con: Sustainable Use License is not OSI-approved open source; enterprise features require a separate commercial license even for self-hosted use.
- Con: Self-hosting requires managing your own Docker infrastructure, updates, and scaling, unlike a fully managed cloud automation tool.
- Con: Visual canvas can get cluttered on large workflows with many branches and custom code nodes.

### Node-RED

- Pro: Free and open source under Apache 2.0, maintained by the OpenJS Foundation with no licensing cost.
- Pro: Visual flow editor lowers the barrier to building event-driven integrations compared to writing full application code.
- Pro: Runs on everything from a Raspberry Pi to cloud platforms like AWS and Azure.
- Pro: Ecosystem of over 5,000 community-built nodes covers most common hardware and API integrations out of the box.
- Con: Large flows become hard to read, review, and version-control compared to conventional code.
- Con: No built-in first-class testing or CI framework for flows, making regression testing manual.
- Con: Function nodes let users embed raw JavaScript, which can undermine the low-code readability the tool is chosen for.
- Con: Self-hosting and securing a Node-RED instance (auth, HTTPS, updates) is left to the user unless a managed provider like FlowFuse is used.

## Which fits your use case?

| Use case | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Home automation hobbyist running flows on a Raspberry Pi | Node-RED | Node-RED is free, runs on Raspberry Pi, and has community nodes for MQTT and smart-home hardware. |
| Operations team connecting SaaS business apps | n8n | n8n offers 500+ pre-built app integrations and bills cloud usage per full workflow execution rather than per step. |
| Industrial engineer building edge-computing data pipelines | Node-RED | Node-RED is used for industrial control and edge computing on resource-constrained hardware such as BeagleBone Black and Arduino. |
| Team building AI agent workflows with human approval steps | n8n | n8n natively supports multi-agent AI workflows with human-in-the-loop approval, with AI credits included on cloud plans. |
| Startup under 20 employees that needs SSO and Git version control | n8n | n8n Business includes SSO/SAML/LDAP and Git version control, with a 50% startup discount off €667/month for companies under 20 employees. |
| Developer who requires an OSI-approved open-source license | Node-RED | Node-RED is Apache 2.0, while n8n's Sustainable Use License is fair-code and not OSI-approved. |

## Migration FAQ

### Should I use n8n or Node-RED?

Use n8n if you automate business apps and want 500+ integrations, AI agent workflows, and an official managed cloud; use Node-RED if you build IoT, MQTT, or real-time data flows on hardware like Raspberry Pi and want a fully free Apache 2.0 tool. Both carry a moderate learning curve.

### Is n8n cheaper than Node-RED?

No, Node-RED is entirely free under Apache 2.0, while n8n is free only when self-hosted and its cloud starts at €20/month billed annually. n8n's enterprise features, such as SSO, need a commercial license even when self-hosted.

### Can Node-RED replace n8n?

Yes for technical teams that self-host and can build integrations from Node-RED's 5,000+ community nodes. Teams that rely on n8n's managed cloud, 500+ pre-built app integrations, AI agent tooling, or SSO would give those up.

### Is n8n open source?

Not by the OSI definition: n8n uses a fair-code model, with its Sustainable Use License covering free self-hosted use and a commercial license required for enterprise features. Node-RED, by contrast, is open source under Apache 2.0.

### Does Node-RED have a cloud version?

Not from the Node-RED project itself, which has no paid tier; third-party vendors such as FlowFuse sell hosted and managed Node-RED. n8n runs its own managed cloud from €20/month, billed annually.

## Neither a match?

- 5 alternatives to n8n: https://findalternative.to/n8n
- 3 alternatives to Node-RED: https://findalternative.to/node-red

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