# excalidraw vs Node RED

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

| | excalidraw | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 91/100 ✓ | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 9 in Whiteboarding | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 134 733 ✓ | 23 790 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 991 ✓ | +108 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 1 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.18.1 · 21 Apr 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?

excalidraw scores 91/100 against 81/100 for Node RED, so it is the safer default.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for excalidraw.

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

excalidraw is growing faster right now (+1 991 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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