# n8n vs Photon

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

| | n8n | Photon |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 92/100 ✓ | 54/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #16 of 85 in Feed Reader |
| GitHub stars | 208 940 ✓ | 557 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +3 049 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 205 ✓ | 9 |
| Latest release | n8n@3.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.4.3 · 30 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Svelte |

## Which one should you pick?

n8n scores 92/100 against 54/100 for Photon, so it is the safer default.

n8n ships more often: 205 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Photon.

n8n is growing faster right now (+3 049 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [n8n](https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n.md)
- [Photon](https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-2) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-2.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/n8n-vs-photon-2