Apache NiFi vs Node-RED (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Node-RED grades higher than Apache NiFi: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Node-RED grades higher on value for money, features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Apache NiFi if
- Fits if you run your own infrastructure and want auditable data routing
- Works for organisations that need software with no licence fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, since the project has none
- Not for you if nobody can run a server
- Tight if you need paid support, as help is community only
- Watch out: upgrades and security are your job
Pick Node-RED if
- Fits if you're automating a home or a bench full of devices from a Raspberry Pi
- Works for developers who are happy running a Node.js service themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to sign up and go, because you install and host it yourself
- Not for you if you can't write a little JavaScript, as custom logic lives in function nodes
- Watch out: hosted versions come only from third parties such as FlowFuse, not the project
- Tight if you want it on a phone, as running on Android through Termux is described as a bit experimental
- Watch out: flows are saved as JSON, and you need git set up before they can be versioned
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAApache NiFiFair | 3.0GPANode-REDVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo licence fee, but it only runs on a server you provide and operate, so it's a C by our rule for self-host software. | AFree and open source under the Apache 2.0 license, with no paid edition at all, where tools in this category start around $15 a month. You pay for whatever it runs on, and that can be a Raspberry Pi. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no caps; the project sells no plans. | AThe whole project is free, with nothing metered and no account to make: the runtime, the browser editor and the community's nodes and flows. Hosted versions come from third parties such as FlowFuse, if you'd rather not run it. |
| Features | CData routing with auditable flows. The project publishes no managed service or support plan. | BA browser editor that deploys to the runtime in one click, JavaScript function nodes, a palette you extend from more than 5,000 community nodes and flows, flows saved as JSON and put under git, an admin API, and module APIs for embedding it in your own app. That covers the job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs setup and ongoing operation on a server. | DThere's no hosted service from the project: you install Node.js or Docker and run it yourself. The project calls it low-code, which in practice means custom logic goes in JavaScript function nodes, and git is needed before flows can be versioned. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBrowser interface plus Windows, Linux and macOS start-up, with Apache ZooKeeper as the one named integration. | BThe editor runs in a browser and the runtime runs almost anywhere: Windows, Linux, Docker, a Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone, AWS or Azure, with Android through Termux described as a bit experimental. MQTT, an admin HTTP API and the module APIs do the connecting. |
| Best for | routing data between systems you host yourself | home and device automation on a Raspberry Pi |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apache NiFi and Node-RED. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apache NiFi has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Node-RED has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Node-RED scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other automation tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apache NiFi for less, and none scores higher than Node-RED for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebWindowsLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostableWorkflow automation
At a glance
| Apache NiFi | Node-RED | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license; the project sells no paid edition. You install and run it yourself, and hosted services come from third parties such as FlowFuse. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The Apache Software Foundation | OpenJS Foundation |
| Price read from | nifi.apache.org | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apache NiFi
- Apache NiFi is self-hosted only; the project publishes no managed cloud service or support plan.
- It runs on a server and needs setup and operation; the documentation covers Windows, Linux and macOS start-up.
- Support comes through the community: mailing lists, an issue tracker and a wiki.
Node-RED
- Node-RED is software you install and run yourself; the project offers no hosted service of its own, though third parties such as FlowFuse do.
- The machine that runs it needs a supported version of Node.js, or Docker.
- The project calls it low-code: custom logic is written as JavaScript in function nodes.
- Running on Android through Termux is described in the docs as a bit experimental.
Key features
Apache NiFi
- Flow-based design
- Data moves between processors as FlowFiles through connections that hold queues, which can be prioritized and given upper limits that apply back pressure.
- Guaranteed delivery
- The docs describe persistent FlowFile and content repositories on local disk that support guaranteed delivery.
- Data provenance
- The Provenance Repository stores indexed, searchable event data about each piece of data as it moves through a flow.
- Clustering
- Since NiFi 1.0, clusters use a zero-leader design where every node performs the same tasks on different data, coordinated through Apache ZooKeeper.
- Related projects
- The site lists MiNiFi, a Registry for flows and a Flow Design System alongside the main project.
Node-RED
- Browser-based flow editor
- Flows are built by wiring together nodes from a palette in the browser, then deployed to the runtime in a single click.
- Function nodes
- JavaScript functions can be written inside the editor in a rich text editor, and a built-in library saves functions, templates and flows for reuse.
- Community nodes and flow library
- The palette can be extended with new nodes, and the project says the community has shared more than 5,000 nodes and flows. An online flow library hosts them.
- Runs from edge devices to the cloud
- The Node.js runtime is light enough for low-cost hardware such as the Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone, and guides also cover Docker, Windows, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
- Flows stored as JSON
- Flows are saved as JSON, which can be imported and exported to share with others. A Projects feature, which needs git, puts flows under version control.
- APIs and embedding
- An Admin HTTP API administers the runtime remotely, and module APIs let developers embed Node-RED in an existing Node.js application.
Plans
Apache NiFi
Apache NiFi$0
Free to download and run under the Apache License 2.0. You host it yourself; the project sells no hosted plan.
Node-RED
Node-RED$0
The whole project under the Apache 2.0 license: the runtime, the browser-based editor and access to the community's nodes and flows.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache NiFi or Node-RED?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache NiFi and Node-RED are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Apache NiFi or Node-RED?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apache NiFi and Node-RED have a free plan.
Which platforms do Apache NiFi and Node-RED run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Apache NiFi lists a macOS app. Both list a web app and Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.