Node REDvspenpot
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | penpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 84/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #1 of 30 in Collaboration |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 61 805 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +106 | +1 463 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 12 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | 2.18.5 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Clojure |
Which one should you pick?
penpot scores 84/100 against 81/100 for Node RED, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for penpot.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; penpot needs more configuration.
penpot is growing faster right now (+1 463 stars in 30 days).
Node RED details →penpot details →
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