Node REDvsPostal
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | Postal | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #3 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 16 899 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +109 | +75 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 3 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | 3.3.7 · 3 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Ruby |
Which one should you pick?
Node RED scores 81/100 against 72/100 for Postal, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Postal.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Postal needs more configuration.
Node RED details →Postal details →
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