Beehive vs n8n
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?
Beehive
Event and agent system for connecting things
VS
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
| Feature | Beehive | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Sustainable Use License |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,485 | ★ 199,764 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | IFTTT | Zapier, Make |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Beehive or n8n better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community, while Beehive is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Beehive and n8n free and open-source?
Yes. Beehive is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and n8n under Sustainable Use License. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beehive and n8n with Docker?
Beehive: yes. n8n: yes.