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Node-RED

★ 21k

Flow-based programming in the browser: wire APIs, MQTT, and hardware together with drag-and-drop nodes.

Node-RED does the job of Zapier, self-hosted. It is Apache-2.0-licensed, so you can do essentially what you like with it, and it installs in about one command. Zapier bills $20/mo for it. 21k stars on GitHub.

Open-source replacement for Zapier.

Licence
Apache-2.0
Self-hosting
Easy
The paid one costs
$20/mo
GitHub stars
21k
view the code →official site →

Is it actually a replacement?

We have written a verdict on what it replaces — what you lose, and why people still pay:

How Node-RED runs

Where it runs

Node-RED runs on your machine or their cloud.

Installing it

Install globally with npm, use a platform package, or run the official Docker image.

Where your data lives

Flows are JSON files in the Node-RED user directory, credentials are stored separately in an encrypted credentials JSON file, settings and installed nodes live beside them, and context can be held in memory or configured file-system/custom stores.

What setup takes

Installation is clean, but exposing the editor safely requires authentication and TLS, and many real automations eventually demand JavaScript, third-party nodes, API credentials, and debugging raw message payloads.

The catch compared with IFTTT

Node-RED's visual canvas still exposes messages, nodes, JavaScript, credentials, and hosting, while IFTTT hides those details behind maintained consumer connectors and mobile applets.

Node-RED questions

Is Node-RED open source?

Yes — it is released under Apache-2.0.

Can Node-RED replace Zapier?

Our verdict on Zapier is YES. n8n (130k stars), MCP Servers (89k stars), Activepieces Community Edition (24k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Zapier — self-host in one command and stop paying $29.99/mo.

Can I self-host Node-RED?

Yes — we rate it easy to self-host, and it runs on your machine or their cloud. Install globally with npm, use a platform package, or run the official Docker image.

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