Automatisch vs Node-RED (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Node-RED grades higher than Automatisch: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Node-RED grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Automatisch if
- Fits if you are comfortable running Docker and want to own your data
- Works for flows that can wait 15 minutes
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not want to run servers, as no hosted price is published
- Not for you if you need instant triggers, as flows run every 15 minutes
- Too light for a long app list: about 70 apps are listed
- Watch out: the encryption and webhook keys must never change or saved connections break
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
| 2.2GPAAutomatischFair | 3.0GPANode-REDVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$0, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. That is a C, and no hosted price is published. | 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 | BThe software is free to run on your own servers with Docker. You pay for the server. | 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 | CMulti-step flows, webhooks and requests, but just over 70 apps and flows that run at 15-minute intervals, with instant updates only planned. | 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 | DSelf-hosting with Docker, Postgres and Redis, and keys that must never change or saved connections break. | 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 | BWeb interface, with connections to Slack, Google Sheets, GitHub, HubSpot, Notion, Stripe, Telegram and OpenAI. No desktop or phone app. | 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 | self-hosted automation for a developer | 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: Automatisch and Node-RED. How we grade
Price against what you get
Automatisch has no paid plan and scores 2.0 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 Automatisch 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
- Automatisch also covers no-code.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableWorkflow automation
At a glance
| Automatisch | Node-RED | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The open-source software is free to run on your own servers; no hosted plan or price is published. | 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 | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Automatisch | OpenJS Foundation |
| Price read from | automatisch.io | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Automatisch
- Self-hosting needs Postgres and Redis, and the encryption and webhook keys must never change or saved connections break.
- The homepage mentions a cloud solution, but no cloud plans or prices are published on the pages we read.
- The docs list a bit over 70 apps, far fewer than the large hosted automation services.
- The docs say flows currently run at 15-minute intervals, with instant updates only planned.
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
Automatisch
- Multi-step flows
- A flow is built from a trigger plus later steps, with built-in helper apps such as Filter, Formatter, Delay, Scheduler and HTTP Request.
- Self-hosting
- The installation guide covers Docker Compose and plain Docker, with a main service and a worker service that share one set of environment variables.
- Own your data
- The site says data stays on your own servers, which it pitches at healthcare, finance and European teams bound by GDPR.
- App directory
- The docs list the supported apps, including Slack, Google Sheets, GitHub, HubSpot, Notion, Stripe, Telegram and AI services such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
- Webhooks and requests
- Webhooks and a generic HTTP Request app are in the app list, so services without a dedicated integration can still be reached.
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
Automatisch
Self-hosted$0
Run Automatisch yourself with Docker Compose or Docker. You provide the servers, Postgres and Redis.
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, Automatisch or Node-RED?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Automatisch and Node-RED are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Automatisch or Node-RED?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Automatisch and Node-RED have a free plan.
Which platforms do Automatisch and Node-RED run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Node-RED lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. 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.