# ifm vs Node RED

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

| | ifm | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 49/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #19 of 34 in File Management | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 370 | 23 791 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +106 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | v4.1.2 · 20 Aug 2026 | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | PHP | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Node RED scores 81/100 against 49/100 for ifm, so it is the safer default.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for ifm.

Node RED is growing faster right now (+106 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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