Automa vs Huginn
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Huginn
Agents that monitor and act on your behalf
| Feature | Automa | Huginn |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 70 · Good | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Vue | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,640 | ★ 49,985 |
| First released | 2021 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Zapier, UiPath | IFTTT, Zapier |
What are Automa and Huginn?
Automa
Automa is an open-source browser extension that automates repetitive web tasks using a visual block-based workflow builder. Workflows run locally in the browser and can be scheduled or triggered.
- Visual workflow builder
- Browser task automation
- Scheduling and triggers
- Runs locally
Huginn
Huginn is a system for building agents that watch the web and act on your behalf, like an open-source IFTTT. It targets technical users automating monitoring and notifications. It is deployed via Docker.
- Agents that watch and act
- Scrape, filter and transform data
- Chain agents into pipelines
- Email and webhook actions
Automa vs Huginn: key differences
Automa is written in Vue, while Huginn is built with Ruby. Automa is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Huginn. Huginn is the more established project (first released 2013), while Automa arrived in 2021. Huginn has the considerably larger community, at 49,985 GitHub stars versus 21,640. Huginn lists first-class Docker deployment; Automa does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Automa if…
- Visual block builder
- Runs entirely locally
- Scheduling and triggers
Watch out for
- Browser extension only
- Complex flows get fiddly
Choose Huginn if…
- Very flexible automation
- Good for web monitoring
- No vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- Configuration is technical
- UI feels dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Automa or Huginn better?
Neither is universally better. Huginn has the larger community, while Automa is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Automa and Huginn free and open-source?
Yes. Automa is licensed under MIT and Huginn under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automa and Huginn with Docker?
Automa: check the project docs for container support. Huginn: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Automa or Huginn?
Automa has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Huginn. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.