Node REDvsZulip
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Node RED | Zulip | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 26 in Automation | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 23 791 | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +109 | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 6 |
| Latest release | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Zulip scores 82/100 against 81/100 for Node RED, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Zulip needs more configuration.
Node RED details →Zulip details →
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