Compare Automation & agent frameworks
n8n vs Dify
Updated : the last week a score, rank or safety result on this page changed.
- Maintenance 30%8145
- Adoption 30%9684
- Docs 20%1629
- Community 20%, not measured yet––
n8n scores 14 points higher. n8n leads on maintenance and adoption; Dify leads on docs.
What this does not tell you
Scores are percentiles of public GitHub signals. Nobody here tested these tools hands-on, so the higher score is not a verdict on which suits your project. Yellow marks the higher value.
Which one fits you
From measured data and licences, not from testing.
Pick n8n if
- Recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 81).
- You want the more widely adopted option (adoption 96).
Pick Dify if
- You want the higher README docs score (docs 29 vs 16).
Safety side by side
Automated scan, 2 Nov 2026. Not a manual audit.
- Cautionn8n3 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV)
- CautionDify1 critical-severity known vulnerability in runtime dependencies (OSV)
Why different labels?
A label partly reflects how much of each tool is visible and scannable, not only how risky it is. A tool without a lockfile cannot get a dependency check.
- n8n: 3 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV)
- Dify: 1 critical-severity known vulnerability in runtime dependencies (OSV)
Repo facts
Yellow = the higher value, where higher is better.
| Fact | n8n | Dify |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 70 | 56 |
| Stars | 209,320 | 160,191 |
| Last push | 2 Nov | 2 Nov |
| Releases, 90 days | 10+ | 6 |
| Licence | Sustainable Use License | Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) |
| Open source | Source-available (Sustainable Use License) | Source-available (modified Apache-2.0) |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Type | AI tool | AI tool |
| Runs locally | yes | yes |
| Hosted option | unknown | mentioned |
“Runs locally” and “Hosted option” are read from each README automatically (or from the official docs where noted); “unknown” means no evidence was found, not that it is absent.
Questions about n8n vs Dify
Answers use this week's StackGrade data.
n8n or Dify: which scores higher on StackGrade?
n8n scores 14 points higher in Week 45: n8n 70, Dify 56 out of 100. The score combines maintenance, adoption and docs (percentiles of public GitHub signals): n8n 81, 96 and 16; Dify 45, 84 and 29. Community (20% weight) is not measured yet. It is not a hands-on test, so a higher score does not say which tool suits your project.
Is n8n or Dify safer to use?
Safety labels from the automated scan of 2 Nov 2026: n8n: Caution, 3 critical-severity known vulnerabilities in runtime dependencies (OSV); Dify: Caution, 1 critical-severity known vulnerability in runtime dependencies (OSV). It is an automated scan, not a manual audit.
Which is more widely used, n8n or Dify?
By GitHub stars: n8n 209,320, Dify 160,191. Adoption score (percentile among all 52 tracked tools): n8n 96, Dify 84. Stars are one public signal and do not measure real-world use.
Which licences do n8n and Dify use?
n8n: Sustainable Use License; Dify: Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0). Read each licence text before commercial use.
Should I pick n8n or Dify?
Pick n8n if recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 81); you want the more widely adopted option (adoption 96). Pick Dify if you want the higher README docs score (docs 29 vs 16). This comes from measured public data and licences only, not from hands-on testing.
Full comparison table, every criterion
| n8nn8n-io/n8n | Difylanggenius/dify | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 70 | 56 |
| Rank | #3 overall · #1 in use case | #20 overall · #4 in use case |
| Maintenance (30%) | 81 | 45 |
| Adoption (30%) | 96 | 84 |
| Docs (20%) | 16 | 29 |
| Community (20%) | not measured | not measured |
| Safety | Caution
| Caution
|
| License | Sustainable Use License | Dify Open Source License (modified Apache-2.0) |
| Open source | Source-available (Sustainable Use License) | Source-available (modified Apache-2.0) |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Stars | 209,320 | 160,191 |
| Last push | ||
| Type | AI tool | AI tool |
| Runs locally | yes (README: "curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh") | yes (README: "docker compose up") |
| Hosted option | unknown | mentioned (README: "our Cloud") |
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