# Dispatcharr vs Node RED

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

| | Dispatcharr | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #7 of 118 in Media Server | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 4 421 | 23 791 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +297 ✓ | +106 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.33.0 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Node RED scores 81/100 against 72/100 for Dispatcharr, so it is the safer default.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Dispatcharr.

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

Dispatcharr is growing faster right now (+297 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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