Node REDvspolar
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | polar | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #1 of 13 in Billing |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 10 436 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +106 | +157 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 1 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | @polar-sh/cli@3.0.0 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Node RED scores 81/100 against 71/100 for polar, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for polar.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; polar needs more configuration.
Node RED details →polar details →
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