n8n vs Windmill
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
Windmill
Developer platform for scripts, flows and apps
| Feature | n8n | Windmill |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Sustainable Use License | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 205,815 | ★ 18,022 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zapier, Make | Zapier, Retool |
What are n8n and Windmill?
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
Windmill
Windmill is a developer platform that turns scripts into workflows, APIs, and internal apps with scheduling and approvals. It targets engineers automating internal tooling. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Scripts in Python, TypeScript and more
- Auto-generated UIs for scripts
- Flows with branching and retries
- Fast Rust execution engine
n8n vs Windmill: key differences
N8n is written in TypeScript, while Windmill is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Sustainable Use License for n8n versus AGPL-3.0 for Windmill. N8n is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Windmill. N8n is the more established project (first released 2019), while Windmill arrived in 2022. N8n has the considerably larger community, at 205,815 GitHub stars versus 18,022.
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 Windmill if…
- Great for developer automation
- Fast and scalable
- Code-first approach
Watch out for
- More technical than no-code tools
- Requires Postgres
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or Windmill 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 Windmill free and open-source?
Yes. n8n is licensed under Sustainable Use License and Windmill under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run n8n and Windmill with Docker?
n8n: yes. Windmill: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, n8n or Windmill?
n8n has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Windmill. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.