n8nvsPortainer
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| n8n | Portainer | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 92/100 | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #1 of 44 in Container Management |
| GitHub stars | 208 880 | 38 737 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +3 071 | +188 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 205 | 21 |
| Latest release | n8n@3.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 | 2.45.3 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Zlib |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
n8n scores 92/100 against 77/100 for Portainer, so it is the safer default.
n8n ships more often: 205 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Portainer.
If you want the quickest setup, Portainer is easier to run; n8n needs more configuration.
n8n is growing faster right now (+3 071 stars in 30 days).
n8n details →Portainer details →
Swap a project
Keep n8n, compare it with
Keep Portainer, compare it with