n8n vs Skyvern
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
VS
Skyvern
Automate browser workflows with LLMs and computer vision
| Feature | n8n | Skyvern |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Sustainable Use License | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 205,815 | ★ 23,058 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | UiPath, Zapier |
What are n8n and Skyvern?
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
Skyvern
Skyvern automates browser-based workflows by combining large language models with computer vision, allowing it to operate on websites it has never seen before. It runs as a self-hosted service with an API.
- LLM-driven browser automation
- Works on unseen sites
- Vision-based interaction
- Workflow API
n8n vs Skyvern: key differences
N8n is written in TypeScript, while Skyvern is built with Python. Licensing differs — Sustainable Use License for n8n versus AGPL-3.0 for Skyvern. N8n is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Skyvern. N8n is the more established project (first released 2019), while Skyvern arrived in 2024. N8n has the considerably larger community, at 205,815 GitHub stars versus 23,058.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Skyvern if…
- Handles unseen websites
- Vision-based automation
- API-first design
Watch out for
- LLM costs add up
- Postgres required
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Skyvern 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 n8n and Skyvern free and open-source?
Yes. n8n is licensed under Sustainable Use License and Skyvern under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run n8n and Skyvern with Docker?
n8n: yes. Skyvern: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, n8n or Skyvern?
n8n has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Skyvern. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.