[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":158},["ShallowReactive",2],{"seo-verification":3,"blog-n8n-vs-node-red-en":6},{"google":4,"bing":5},"EycwPY2XMyTkVzas3n1ygeNJFGAH513qrMjfDljzsMQ","",{"id":7,"slug":8,"title":9,"excerpt":10,"readTime":11,"views":12,"isPinned":13,"publishedAt":14,"category":15,"categories":20,"featuredImage":22,"bgImage":23,"posterImage":24,"relatedSolution":25,"intro":28,"sections":29,"ctaTitle":110,"ctaBody":111,"ctaButton":112,"ctaUrl":113,"relatedPosts":114},93,"n8n-vs-node-red","n8n vs Node-RED: which self-hosted automation tool to choose?","n8n or Node-RED to automate your workflows on a VPS? Technical comparison, Docker prerequisites and self-hosted deployment guide.",8,641,false,"2026-03-19T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},5,"Comparison","comparatif","bg-info\u002F10 text-info",[21],{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},null,"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fbg.svg","\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fn8n-vs-node-red-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":26,"appSlug":27},"automatisation","n8n","n8n and Node-RED are two open-source automation engines that can be fully self-hosted. The first targets business workflows and SaaS API integration; the second, lower-level, excels at IoT and stream processing. Here's how to tell them apart and deploy them cleanly on your VPS.",[30,34,44,82,85,107],{"type":31,"title":32,"body":33},"h2","Why self-host your automation engine","No-code\u002Flow-code automation platforms like Zapier or Make bill per execution and impose quotas that quickly balloon. By self-hosting n8n or Node-RED on a VPS, you remove these limits: unlimited number of executions, data that never leaves your server, and full access to community nodes. n8n is oriented toward application integrations (CRM, databases, AI, webhooks) with a visual workflow logic close to Make. Node-RED, from IBM, manipulates JSON messages via an event-flow system, perfect for wiring up MQTT sensors, transforming payloads or orchestrating hardware. Both run in a container and are driven from a browser.",{"type":35,"title":36,"items":37},"ul","What you gain by self-hosting",[38,39,40,41,42,43],"Unlimited executions with no per-task billing, unlike automation SaaS.","Data and secrets (API tokens, credentials) stored exclusively on your VPS.","Access to community nodes\u002Fintegrations not available in restricted cloud offerings.","The ability to run custom code (JavaScript, Python) with no sandbox restriction.","Direct integration with your internal services via the private Docker network.","Full control of versions and updates, with no imposed price change.",{"type":45,"headers":46,"rows":49},"comparison",[47,27,48],"Criterion","Node-RED",[50,54,58,62,66,70,74,78],[51,52,53],"Main use case","SaaS API integration, business workflows","IoT, MQTT, real-time stream processing",[55,56,57],"Execution model","Triggered workflow (cron, webhook, trigger)","Message-oriented event flow",[59,60,61],"Integration catalog","400+ ready-to-use application nodes","Node library via the community palette",[63,64,65],"Custom code","Built-in Code nodes (JS\u002FPython)","Function nodes in JavaScript",[67,68,69],"Database","SQLite by default, PostgreSQL recommended","JSON files on disk",[71,72,73],"Recommended RAM","1 to 2 GB","512 MB to 1 GB",[75,76,77],"License","Sustainable Use License (fair-code)","Apache 2.0",[79,80,81],"Learning curve","Accessible, geared toward non-developers","Flow logic, more technical",{"type":31,"title":83,"body":84},"Prerequisites depending on the tool chosen","For n8n, plan for a VPS with 2 vCPU and 2 GB of RAM, and above all PostgreSQL rather than SQLite as soon as you exceed a few active workflows: SQLite locks the database under concurrent load. Count on 5 GB of disk for the database and the execution binaries. Node-RED is more frugal: 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM are enough, its flows being stored in simple JSON files. In both cases: Docker Compose v2, a dedicated subdomain (`n8n.mydomain.com` or `flows.mydomain.com`) and an HTTPS reverse proxy are indispensable, because these interfaces expose secrets and must never run over plain HTTP.",{"type":86,"title":87,"steps":88},"steps","Deploy n8n (or Node-RED) on your VPS",[89,92,95,98,101,104],{"title":90,"body":91},"Provision Docker and the network","On the VPS, create a dedicated Docker network: `docker network create automation`. It will isolate n8n\u002FNode-RED from the database and the reverse proxy.",{"title":93,"body":94},"Start PostgreSQL for n8n","In the docker-compose, add a `postgres:16` service with a persistent volume and credentials as environment variables. For Node-RED, this step is unnecessary: a `data:\u002Fdata` volume is enough.",{"title":96,"body":97},"Configure the application container","For n8n, use the `docker.n8n.io\u002Fn8nio\u002Fn8n` image with `N8N_HOST`, `WEBHOOK_URL=https:\u002F\u002Fn8n.mydomain.com\u002F` and `DB_TYPE=postgresdb`. For Node-RED, the `nodered\u002Fnode-red:latest` image exposed on port `1880` is enough.",{"title":99,"body":100},"Start and verify","Run `docker compose up -d`. n8n listens on `5678`, Node-RED on `1880`. Check the logs with `docker compose logs -f` and confirm that the database is properly connected for n8n.",{"title":102,"body":103},"Secure behind a reverse proxy","Route the traffic through Caddy or Traefik with an automatic Let's Encrypt certificate. Enable authentication: `N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true` for n8n, and the `adminAuth` directive in `settings.js` for Node-RED. Without this, the editor is publicly accessible.",{"title":105,"body":106},"Set up backups","Schedule a daily `pg_dump` for the n8n database, or a simple snapshot of the `\u002Fdata` volume for Node-RED, deposited on external storage via `cron`.",{"type":108,"body":109},"tip","For n8n in production, enable `queue` mode with Redis and separate worker containers: the main process then only orchestrates, while the workers execute the nodes in parallel. You thus absorb webhook spikes without blocking the editor. On the Node-RED side, isolate the Function nodes in a VM context with a restricted `functionGlobalContext` to prevent a poorly written flow from crashing the whole runtime.","Automate without limits on your VPS","A ServOrbit Cloud VPS with preconfigured Docker lets you deploy n8n or Node-RED in minutes. PostgreSQL, backups and scalable resources for your critical workflows.","Deploy my automation VPS","\u002Fvps-cloud",[115,129,144],{"id":116,"slug":117,"title":118,"excerpt":119,"readTime":11,"views":120,"isPinned":13,"publishedAt":121,"category":122,"categories":123,"featuredImage":22,"bgImage":23,"posterImage":125,"relatedSolution":126},4,"coolify-vs-dokploy","Coolify vs Dokploy: which tool should you choose to deploy on your VPS?","A complete Coolify vs Dokploy comparison: features, simplicity, use cases. Which tool should you choose to host and deploy your applications on a VPS?",2600,"2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},[124],{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fcoolify-vs-dokploy-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":127,"appSlug":128},"deploiement","coolify",{"id":130,"slug":131,"title":132,"excerpt":133,"readTime":134,"views":135,"isPinned":13,"publishedAt":136,"category":137,"categories":138,"featuredImage":22,"bgImage":23,"posterImage":140,"relatedSolution":141},94,"supabase-vs-appwrite","Supabase vs Appwrite: which self-hosted backend for your VPS?","Supabase or Appwrite self-hosted on a VPS? Backend comparison (auth, DB, storage), Docker prerequisites and complete deployment guide.",9,678,"2026-03-18T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},[139],{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fsupabase-vs-appwrite-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":142,"appSlug":143},"bases-de-donnees","supabase",{"id":145,"slug":146,"title":147,"excerpt":148,"readTime":11,"views":149,"isPinned":13,"publishedAt":150,"category":151,"categories":152,"featuredImage":22,"bgImage":23,"posterImage":154,"relatedSolution":155},95,"nextcloud-vs-owncloud","Nextcloud vs ownCloud: which private cloud to host?","Nextcloud or ownCloud for your private cloud on a VPS? Comparison of features, performance, prerequisites and Docker deployment guide.",715,"2026-03-17T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},[153],{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18,"color":19,"icon":18},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fnextcloud-vs-owncloud-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":156,"appSlug":157},"self-hosting","nextcloud",1785628455450]