Node-RED vs StackStorm
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?
Node-RED
Flow-based programming for event-driven apps
VS
StackStorm
Event-driven automation, often called IFTTT for ops
| Feature | Node-RED | StackStorm |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,501 | ★ 6,515 |
| First released | 2013 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Zapier | Zapier, AWS Systems Manager |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Node-RED or StackStorm better?
Node-RED is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider StackStorm if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Node-RED and StackStorm free and open-source?
Yes. Node-RED is licensed under Apache-2.0 and StackStorm under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Node-RED and StackStorm with Docker?
Node-RED: yes. StackStorm: yes.