# authentik vs Node RED

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

| | authentik | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 3 in IAM | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 26 162 ✓ | 23 791 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +450 ✓ | +106 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | version/2026.8.5 · 21 Oct 2026 | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

authentik 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 9 for authentik.

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

authentik is growing faster right now (+450 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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