--- title: "loonflow vs n8n" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/blackholll-loonflow-vs-n8n-io-n8n" tools: ["blackholll-loonflow", "n8n-io-n8n"] --- # loonflow vs n8n *GraphCanon updated Jul 15, 2026* ## Verdict Pick loonflow when license: loonflow is AGPL-3.0, n8n is Other; pick n8n when license: n8n is Other, loonflow is AGPL-3.0. [loonflow](https://github.com/blackholll/loonflow) reports 2.1k GitHub stars, 706 forks, and 20 open issues, last pushed May 25, 2026. [n8n](https://n8n.io) has 196k stars, 59k forks, and 1.4k open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [loonflow's repository](https://github.com/blackholll/loonflow) and [n8n's repository](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n). | | [loonflow](/tools/blackholll-loonflow.md) | [n8n](/tools/n8n-io-n8n.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | An intelligent and visual process automation system. | Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations. | | Stars | 2,084 | 196,027 | | Forks | 706 | 59,245 | | Open issues | 20 | 1,448 | | Language | TypeScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Loonflow is an intelligent and visual process automation system that supports ticketing systems and MCP through workflow management capabilities. It operates with TypeScript under the AGPL-3.0 license. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | AGPL-3.0 | Other | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [loonflow](/tools/blackholll-loonflow.md) | [n8n](/tools/n8n-io-n8n.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 50d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 20 | 1.4k | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: loonflow - **Adopt for:** Loonflow is an intelligent and visual process automation system that supports ticketing systems and MCP through workflow management capabilities. It operates with TypeScript under the AGPL-3.0 license. ## Choose when ### Choose loonflow if… - License: loonflow is AGPL-3.0, n8n is Other. - Tags unique to loonflow: devops, django, mcp, python. - You need a fully open-source solution for your internal process automation, as Loonflow requires you to share modifications if used in a SaaS service publically. ### Choose n8n if… - License: n8n is Other, loonflow is AGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to n8n: ai, apis, automation, cli. - More GitHub stars (196k vs 2.1k) - visibility, not fit. ## When NOT to use loonflow - You seek closed-source solutions for proprietary reasons as Loonflow's AGPLv3 requirement mandates openness in SaaS settings. - When deployment flexibility is essential since the tool relies on Docker for installation, which may not align with all IT environments. ## When NOT to use n8n - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between loonflow and n8n? loonflow: An intelligent and visual process automation system.. n8n: Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose loonflow over n8n? Choose loonflow over n8n when License: loonflow is AGPL-3.0, n8n is Other; Tags unique to loonflow: devops, django, mcp, python; You need a fully open-source solution for your internal process automation, as Loonflow requires you to share modifications if used in a SaaS service publically. ### When should I choose n8n over loonflow? Choose n8n over loonflow when License: n8n is Other, loonflow is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to n8n: ai, apis, automation, cli; More GitHub stars (196k vs 2.1k) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I avoid loonflow? You seek closed-source solutions for proprietary reasons as Loonflow's AGPLv3 requirement mandates openness in SaaS settings. When deployment flexibility is essential since the tool relies on Docker for installation, which may not align with all IT environments. ### When should I avoid n8n? Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ### Is loonflow or n8n more popular on GitHub? n8n has more GitHub stars (196,027 vs 2,084). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are loonflow and n8n open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (loonflow: AGPL-3.0, n8n: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to loonflow or n8n? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [loonflow alternatives](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/alternatives) and [n8n alternatives](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/alternatives) ([loonflow markdown twin](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/alternatives.md), [n8n markdown twin](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/blackholll-loonflow-vs-n8n-io-n8n.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, loonflow or n8n? loonflow: Steady. n8n: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for loonflow and n8n? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [loonflow trust report](/tools/blackholll-loonflow/trust); [n8n trust report](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=blackholll-loonflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=blackholll-loonflow) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_