Node REDvsZigbee2MQTT
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | Zigbee2MQTT | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #5 of 104 in Home Automation |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 15 762 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +106 | +98 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 15 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | 2.14.2 · 1 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Node RED scores 81/100 against 76/100 for Zigbee2MQTT, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Zigbee2MQTT.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Zigbee2MQTT needs more configuration.
Node RED details →Zigbee2MQTT details →
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