# Arcane vs Node RED

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

| | Arcane | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 44 in Container Management | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 8 101 | 23 790 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +532 ✓ | +108 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 21 |
| Latest release | v2.17.1 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Node RED scores 81/100 against 76/100 for Arcane, so it is the safer default.

Arcane ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Node RED.

Arcane is growing faster right now (+532 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Arcane](https://selfhost.directory/project/arcane) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/arcane.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/arcane-vs-node-red