Automa vs Novu
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Automa
Browser automation via drag-and-drop visual workflows
VS
Novu
Open-source notification infrastructure for developers
| Feature | Automa | Novu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,543 | ★ 39,466 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Zapier, UiPath | Courier, Knock |
Why pick each one
Choose Automa if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 21.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Choose Novu if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Automa or Novu better?
Neither is universally better. Novu 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 Novu free and open-source?
Yes. Automa is licensed under MIT and Novu under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automa and Novu with Docker?
Automa: check the project docs for container support. Novu: yes.