--- title: "selfhost-ai vs n8n" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai-vs-n8n-io-n8n" tools: ["kossakovsky-selfhost-ai", "n8n-io-n8n"] --- # selfhost-ai vs n8n *GraphCanon updated Jul 17, 2026* ## Verdict Pick selfhost-ai if selfhost-ai offers a self-contained suite for deploying multiple AI tools with automated HTTPS setup and one-command deployment, acting as an open alternative to cloud-based services like Zapier; pick n8n if n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with native AI features, supporting both visual and code-based integration workflows. [selfhost-ai](https://github.com/kossakovsky/selfhost-ai#readme) reports 897 GitHub stars, 228 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 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 [selfhost-ai's repository](https://github.com/kossakovsky/selfhost-ai) and [n8n's repository](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n). | | [selfhost-ai](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai.md) | [n8n](/tools/n8n-io-n8n.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Self-hosted AI automation platform | Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities | | Stars | 897 | 196,027 | | Forks | 228 | 59,245 | | Open issues | 0 | 1,448 | | Language | Shell | TypeScript | | Adopt for | selfhost-ai offers a self-contained suite for deploying multiple AI tools with automated HTTPS setup and one-command deployment, acting as an open alternative to cloud-based services like Zapier. | n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with native AI features, supporting both visual and code-based integration workflows. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Other | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools, Model Training, Vector Databases | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [selfhost-ai](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai.md) | [n8n](/tools/n8n-io-n8n.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 1d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 0 | 1.4k | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/trust.md) | **Typed relationship:** selfhost-ai _(alternative)_ n8n Both are self-hosted AI automation platforms, but kossakovsky-selfhost-ai is an alternative to n8n. ## Decision facts: selfhost-ai - **Adopt for:** selfhost-ai offers a self-contained suite for deploying multiple AI tools with automated HTTPS setup and one-command deployment, acting as an open alternative to cloud-based services like Zapier. ## Decision facts: n8n - **Adopt for:** n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with native AI features, supporting both visual and code-based integration workflows. ## Choose when ### Choose selfhost-ai if… - selfhost-ai is primarily Shell; n8n is TypeScript. - License: selfhost-ai is Apache-2.0, n8n is Other. - Both are self-hosted AI automation platforms, but kossakovsky-selfhost-ai is an alternative to n8n. - Tags unique to selfhost-ai: ai-agents, chatgpt-alternative, docker, flowise. - Also covers AI Agents, Model Training, Vector Databases. - selfhost-ai ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - Self-hosted deployments aiming for centralized AI automation that includes n8n, Ollama, Flowise, RAG, Supabase, and other tools with a single command. ### Choose n8n if… - n8n is primarily TypeScript; selfhost-ai is Shell. - License: n8n is Other, selfhost-ai is Apache-2.0. - Both are self-hosted AI automation platforms, but kossakovsky-selfhost-ai is an alternative to n8n. - Tags unique to n8n: integrations, workflow. - When your team prefers a mix of visual and custom code-driven automation and requires more than 400 integrations available out-of-the-box. ## When NOT to use selfhost-ai - Organizations seeking fully managed AI automation solutions where setup and maintenance are handled by the service provider. - Businesses preferring to avoid the overhead of managing self-hosted environments, including hardware requirements and system updates. ## When NOT to use n8n - If the project restricts the use of TypeScript for integration workflows, since n8n is based on TypeScript. - When a fully managed service with zero infrastructure overhead is required, as managing self-hosted instances may involve additional administrative tasks and monitoring. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between selfhost-ai and n8n? selfhost-ai: Self-hosted AI automation platform. n8n: Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose selfhost-ai over n8n? Choose selfhost-ai over n8n when selfhost-ai is primarily Shell; n8n is TypeScript; License: selfhost-ai is Apache-2.0, n8n is Other; Both are self-hosted AI automation platforms, but kossakovsky-selfhost-ai is an alternative to n8n; Tags unique to selfhost-ai: ai-agents, chatgpt-alternative, docker, flowise; Also covers AI Agents, Model Training, Vector Databases; selfhost-ai ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Self-hosted deployments aiming for centralized AI automation that includes n8n, Ollama, Flowise, RAG, Supabase, and other tools with a single command. ### When should I choose n8n over selfhost-ai? Choose n8n over selfhost-ai when n8n is primarily TypeScript; selfhost-ai is Shell; License: n8n is Other, selfhost-ai is Apache-2.0; Both are self-hosted AI automation platforms, but kossakovsky-selfhost-ai is an alternative to n8n; Tags unique to n8n: integrations, workflow; When your team prefers a mix of visual and custom code-driven automation and requires more than 400 integrations available out-of-the-box. ### When should I avoid selfhost-ai? Organizations seeking fully managed AI automation solutions where setup and maintenance are handled by the service provider. Businesses preferring to avoid the overhead of managing self-hosted environments, including hardware requirements and system updates. ### When should I avoid n8n? If the project restricts the use of TypeScript for integration workflows, since n8n is based on TypeScript. When a fully managed service with zero infrastructure overhead is required, as managing self-hosted instances may involve additional administrative tasks and monitoring. ### Is selfhost-ai or n8n more popular on GitHub? n8n has more GitHub stars (196,027 vs 897). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are selfhost-ai and n8n open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (selfhost-ai: Apache-2.0, n8n: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to selfhost-ai or n8n? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [selfhost-ai alternatives](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai/alternatives) and [n8n alternatives](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/alternatives) ([selfhost-ai markdown twin](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai/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/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai-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, selfhost-ai or n8n? selfhost-ai: Very active. 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 selfhost-ai and n8n? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [selfhost-ai trust report](/tools/kossakovsky-selfhost-ai/trust); [n8n trust report](/tools/n8n-io-n8n/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kossakovsky-selfhost-ai`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kossakovsky-selfhost-ai) - 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/_