# n8n vs Portainer

> 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).

## Details

- [n8n](https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n.md)
- [Portainer](https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/portainer.md)

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