# hestia-core vs Node RED

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

| | hestia-core | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 45/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #29 of 44 in Dashboard | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 685 | 23 791 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +109 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Node RED scores 81/100 against 45/100 for hestia-core, so it is the safer default.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for hestia-core.

Node RED is growing faster right now (+109 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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