What is the main difference between n8n and Windmill?

n8n and Windmill are both workflow automation tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: n8n or Windmill?

The choice between n8n and Windmill depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from n8n to Windmill?

Migration between n8n and Windmill is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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n8n vs Windmill

Learn how n8n and Windmill differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these workflow automation tools is best for you.

n8n

A flexible automation platform combining AI capabilities with business process automation, offering both code-based and no-code options for technical teams.

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Stars
186,379
Forks
57,276
Last commit
52 minutes ago
Repository age
7 years
Self-hosted
Yes

View Repository

Auto-fetched 48 minutes ago.

Windmill

Powerful, self-hosted platform for building and running workflows, scripts, and apps with code-first approach and collaborative features.

Visit Windmill Read more

Stars
16,386
Forks
942
Last commit
51 minutes ago
Repository age
4 years
Self-hosted
Yes

View Repository

Auto-fetched 47 minutes ago.

Detailed Comparison

n8n appears to have several advantages over Windmill, particularly in popularity and maturity. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity and features when making your decision.

n8n wins

Community & Popularity

n8n significantly outpaces Windmill in community adoption with 186,379 stars compared to 16,386 stars on GitHub. This 11.4x difference suggests n8n has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, n8n has 57,276 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with n8n last updated 52 minutes ago and Windmill 51 minutes ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: n8n uses SCSS, Vue while Windmill leverages Python, Golang, Rust, C, Objective-C, SvelteKit.

n8n wins

Project Maturity

n8n has been in development longer, starting 7 years ago, compared to Windmill which began 4 years ago. This 2.9-year head start suggests n8n may have more mature features and established processes.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Workflow Automation, Workflow Orchestration. However, they also have distinct specializations: n8n also focuses on Low-Code/No-Code while Windmill extends into PaaS & Deployment Tools.

Comparable