← Directory

Node-Red

Node-RED is a low-code programming tool for building event-driven applications by wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services.

  • Automation
  • Home Automation
  • Other
  • Productivity
  • Tools & Utilities
Node-RED is a low-code programming tool for building event-driven applications by wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services. Its browser-based flow editor uses drag-and-drop nodes to create automation workflows, making it accessible to homelabbers and developers who want to connect services without writing extensive code.

Platform availability

Available on 6 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

89/100 Excellent

Maintained
100last commit 25 days ago
Popular
8723,695 GitHub stars
Easy to install
856 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data
Security check
72no serious findings, 4 minor, CI, tests, OpenSSF Scorecard 6.5/10

Based on 4 of 5 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today

GitHub stars
23,695
Open issues
353
Last commit
2026-09-18
Latest release
5.0.7
License
Apache-2.0
Activity
rising

Checked 15 days ago - source: GitHub (node-red/node-red)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 15 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Keep your flows and settings safe Start the container with a named volume (a Docker storage area) at /data and expose port 1880 (the web editor port). This keeps your flows and settings when the container is removed and lets you open the editor in a browser. source
  • Set your own credentials secret Put your own credentialSecret value in /data/settings.js before entering passwords or API keys in flows. Without it, Node-RED uses a container-generated key, and if that key disappears you may have to delete the credentials file and re-enter everything. source
  • Match the data folder permissions Make the host folder used for /data owned by the same user and group IDs the container runs as, usually PUID/PGID (the user and group IDs the container runs as) 1000 if not changed. If the ownership is wrong, Node-RED may start but cannot save flows, settings, or credentials. source

Fetched 14 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (9)

  • Automa - A Chrome extension for automating your browser by connecting blocks.
  • Flowise - Open source low-code tool for developers to build customized LLM orchestration flow and AI agents.
  • Google Opal - Build, edit and share mini-AI apps using natural language.
  • IFTTT - Automates over 1000 apps and devices with non-coding integrations and partnerships with 900+ brands, creating a billion Applets monthly.
  • Make.com - Design, build, and automate workflows and tasks with a visual, no-code platform.
  • Sim Studio - Sim Studio is an open-source, self-hosted application server that provides the web interface, API, and real-time collaboration for building…
  • Trigger.dev - Trigger.dev is an open source platform and SDK which allows you to create long-running background jobs.
  • ioBroker - ioBroker is an Open Source IoT platform (Fog computing) which has the ability to manage your IoT system through an graphical interface.
  • n8n - n8n is a self-hosted, fair-code workflow-automation platform that connects 400+ apps and application programming interfaces (APIs) on a vis…

Checked 15 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Which Docker volume should I use to persist Node-RED flows and settings?

Mount a named volume at /data so your flows and settings are kept when the container is removed.

What should I set before entering passwords or API keys in Node-RED flows?

Put your own credentialSecret value in /data/settings.js before adding credentials. Without it, Node-RED may use a container-generated key that can disappear, forcing you to delete the credentials file and re-enter everything.

Why does Node-RED fail to save flows, settings, or credentials after start?

Make the host folder used for /data owned by the same user and group IDs the container runs as, usually PUID/PGID 1000 if unchanged. Wrong ownership can prevent Node-RED from saving data.

Answers sourced from github.com, github.com, github.com

Community

Collected 9 days ago - public community threads