# n8n vs vanilla-cookbook

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

| | n8n | vanilla-cookbook |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 92/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #13 of 18 in Recipe Management |
| GitHub stars | 208 910 ✓ | 158 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +3 101 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 205 ✓ | 13 |
| Latest release | n8n@3.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 | v1.6.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

n8n scores 92/100 against 46/100 for vanilla-cookbook, so it is the safer default.

n8n ships more often: 205 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for vanilla-cookbook.

If you want the quickest setup, vanilla-cookbook is easier to run; n8n needs more configuration.

n8n is growing faster right now (+3 101 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [n8n](https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/n8n.md)
- [vanilla-cookbook](https://selfhost.directory/project/vanilla-cookbook) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/vanilla-cookbook.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/n8n-vs-vanilla-cookbook