Node REDvsPhoton
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | Photon | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 54/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #16 of 85 in Feed Reader |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 557 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +106 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 9 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | v2.4.3 · 30 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Svelte |
Which one should you pick?
Node RED scores 81/100 against 54/100 for Photon, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Photon.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Photon needs more configuration.
Node RED is growing faster right now (+106 stars in 30 days).
Node RED details →Photon details →
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