go-crond 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?
go-crond
Lightweight cron daemon for containers and minimal systems
VS
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
| Feature | go-crond | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Sustainable Use License |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 142 | ★ 199,764 |
| First released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Replaces | cron | Zapier, Make |
Why pick each one
Choose go-crond if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is go-crond or n8n better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community, while go-crond is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are go-crond and n8n free and open-source?
Yes. go-crond is licensed under MIT and n8n under Sustainable Use License. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run go-crond and n8n with Docker?
go-crond: yes. n8n: yes.