# n8n vs NATS

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

| | n8n | NATS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 92/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #2 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 208 889 ✓ | 20 954 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +3 080 ✓ | +192 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 205 ✓ | 18 |
| Latest release | n8n@3.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.14.9 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

n8n scores 92/100 against 80/100 for NATS, so it is the safer default.

n8n ships more often: 205 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for NATS.

n8n is growing faster right now (+3 080 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [n8n](https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n.md)
- [NATS](https://selfhost.directory/project/nats) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nats.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/n8n-vs-nats