Automatisch vs n8n
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
| Feature | Automatisch | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 66 · Good | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Sustainable Use License |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,980 | ★ 205,815 |
| First released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Zapier | Zapier, Make |
What are Automatisch and n8n?
Automatisch
Automatisch is an open-source business automation tool that connects apps and services with visual workflows. It targets privacy-conscious teams wanting an open Zapier alternative. It is deployed via Docker.
- Visual automation flows
- Keeps data on your servers
- Growing connector catalog
- Open-source license
n8n
n8n is a workflow automation tool with a visual node editor that connects apps and APIs, with optional code steps. It targets technical users automating processes across services. It is deployed via Docker.
- Visual node-based workflows
- Hundreds of app integrations
- Code nodes for custom logic
- Self-hostable with no execution caps
Automatisch vs n8n: key differences
Automatisch is written in JavaScript, while n8n is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Automatisch versus Sustainable Use License for n8n. N8n is the more established project (first released 2019), while Automatisch arrived in 2022. N8n has the considerably larger community, at 205,815 GitHub stars versus 13,980.
Why pick each one
Choose Automatisch if…
- Privacy-friendly
- Simple workflow builder
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller integration set
- Still maturing
Choose n8n if…
- Powerful and flexible
- Huge integration library
- Code when you need it
Watch out for
- License is fair-code, not OSI
- Complex workflows get unwieldy
Frequently asked questions
Is Automatisch or n8n better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Automatisch and n8n free and open-source?
Yes. Automatisch is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and n8n under Sustainable Use License. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automatisch and n8n with Docker?
Automatisch: yes. n8n: yes.