# Actual vs Node RED

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Actual | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 62 in Personal Finance | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 29 830 ✓ | 23 790 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +715 ✓ | +108 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v26.10.0 · 2 Oct 2026 | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Actual and Node RED score the same (81/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Actual.

If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Actual needs more configuration.

Actual is growing faster right now (+715 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Actual](https://selfhost.directory/project/actual) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/actual.md)
- [Node RED](https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/actual-vs-node-red