# Node-RED

> Open-source, flow-based programming tool for event-driven apps

Node-RED is an open-source, flow-based programming tool, first developed at IBM and now part of the OpenJS Foundation. Flows are wired together from nodes in a browser-based editor and deployed to a lightweight Node.js runtime that can run on a local computer, on a Raspberry Pi, in Docker or in the cloud. It is released under the Apache 2.0 license, and you install and host it yourself.

- **Category:** Automation
- **Made by:** OpenJS Foundation (since 2013)
- **Website:** https://nodered.org
- **Runs on:** Web, Windows, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

Node-RED is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** 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.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://github.com/node-red/node-red on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Node-RED before buying.

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- Home automation and device projects on hardware such as a Raspberry Pi
- Industrial teams collecting and transforming operational data
- Developers who are comfortable running a Node.js service themselves

## Worth knowing

- 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.

## Works with

MQTT, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Docker, FlowFuse, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure

**Tags:** Workflow automation, Open source, Self-hostable, Public API

## Alternatives

- [n8n](https://toolgpa.com/tools/n8n): Workflow automation and AI agents you can self-host. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/n8n-vs-node-red)
- [Huginn](https://toolgpa.com/tools/huginn): Open-source agents that watch the web and act, on your own server. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/huginn-vs-node-red)
- [Activepieces](https://toolgpa.com/tools/activepieces): Open-source automation with flows, AI agents and tables. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/activepieces-vs-node-red)
- [Windmill](https://toolgpa.com/tools/windmill): Open-source platform for scripts, workflows and internal apps. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/node-red-vs-windmill)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://nodered.org
- https://nodered.org/about/
- https://github.com/node-red/node-red
- https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/
- https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/local
- https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/windows
- https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/
- https://nodered.org/docs/api/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/node-red
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).