Node REDvswindmill
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | windmill | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #6 of 32 in Workflow Automation |
| GitHub stars | 23 790 | 18 307 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +108 | +287 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 163 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | v1.853.0 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Node RED scores 81/100 against 77/100 for windmill, so it is the safer default.
windmill ships more often: 163 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Node RED.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; windmill needs more configuration.
windmill is growing faster right now (+287 stars in 30 days).
Node RED details →windmill details →
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