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.
Not the right match-up?
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
VS
Skyvern
Automate browser workflows with LLMs and computer vision
| Feature | n8n | Skyvern |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 199,764 | ★ 22,708 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | UiPath, Zapier |
Why pick each one
Choose Skyvern if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 22.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
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.