Gocron 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?
Gocron
Self-hosted task scheduler with a web management UI
VS
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
| Feature | Gocron | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Sustainable Use License |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,258 | ★ 199,764 |
| First released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Replaces | cron, Rundeck | Zapier, Make |
Why pick each one
Choose Gocron if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Gocron or n8n better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community, while Gocron is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Gocron and n8n free and open-source?
Yes. Gocron is licensed under MIT and n8n under Sustainable Use License. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gocron and n8n with Docker?
Gocron: yes. n8n: yes.