prices verified june 2026 · 3 workflows · monthly billing

Pipedream vs Node-RED — pricing & features compared

Pipedream logoPipedream vs Node-RED logoNode-RED
Both speak to developers, from different angles. Node-RED is open-source (Apache 2.0), self-hosted and event/IoT-oriented, so its cost is just your server; Pipedream is a managed cloud platform priced in credits, with Node.js/Python steps and a large SaaS catalog. Node-RED fits hardware and on-prem event flows; Pipedream fits cloud-hosted, code-first SaaS automation with nothing to operate. See the price table below for figures.

What you'd pay per month

Cheapest qualifying plan for each tool, including overage, at four typical volumes.

runs / monthPipedreamNode-RED
1,000 $45Basic $8 self-hosted*
5,000 $75Basic +ops $8 self-hosted*
20,000 $153Basic +ops $25 self-hosted*
100,000 $309.6Basic +ops $45 self-hosted*

~ = estimated custom-tier pricing (vendor quotes individually; calibrated against public list prices). Assumes 3 workflows, monthly billing, cheapest qualifying plan. Prices verified June 2026 — see the price changelog. * self-hosted = free open-source software; the figure is the server infrastructure (VPS + DB, not a tool fee), ~$8/mo small to ~$150/mo at high volume — assumes light workflows and excludes your ops time.

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Feature differences that matter

Only the rows where Pipedream and Node-RED actually differ — identical capabilities are left out.

FeaturePipedreamNode-RED
Integrations3,000+5,000+
Free tier100 credits/mo · 3Unlimited · Unlimited
Execution timeout30 sec (free) / 12 min (paid)No limit
Log history24 hours (free)Full history
EU data residency
Self-hosting
AI features
Multi-user
LicenseProprietary (cloud)Apache 2.0

Same on both: overage model · steps per workflow · api access · webhooks · code steps.

Pros & cons

Pipedream logoPipedream
  • Run Node.js/Python in workflows
  • 3,000+ integrations
  • Best for devs
  • Overage no longer public — quote only
  • Very limited free tier
  • No self-host
Node-RED logoNode-RED
  • Apache 2.0 — completely free
  • Node.js code steps
  • Best for IoT/hardware
  • No cloud option
  • Developer-only (no visual UI)
  • Limited SaaS integrations

Common questions

From published pricing, Node-RED is the lower-cost option across the volumes we track — $8 vs $45 at 1,000 runs/mo, and $45 vs $309.6 at 100,000. Figures include overage where it applies — see the table above. Price is one factor; the feature and trade-off sections cover the rest.
In Pipedream, one credit ≈ 30 seconds of compute time (at 256 MB) — billed on execution time, not step count, so a typical run is about one credit. Node-RED has no metering — it's open-source software you run on your own hardware.
Node-RED yes — self-hosting makes it nearly free at any volume. Pipedream is cloud-only.
When you want managed code-first workflows for SaaS. Pipedream runs Node.js/Python with npm/PyPI and connects a large app catalog without you hosting anything — where Node-RED's strengths are IoT, events and self-hosting.
Taken from official pricing pages and verified June 2026. Values marked ~ are estimates for custom enterprise tiers. Every change we record lands in the price changelog.

Both have free tiers — test with your real workflow

Pipedream logoPipedream

Free tier gives 100 credits a month on 3 workflows — enough to validate an integration.

Visit Pipedream →
Node-RED logoNode-RED

Free and open source — install and run in minutes on a Pi or VPS.

Visit Node-RED →

An objective cost comparison from each vendor's public pricing pages (June 2026) — not a recommendation; rankings reflect price only, so verify current pricing before deciding. We run an affiliate link for Make (the only one of these tools with a public referral program); the others don't offer one, so those are plain links — affiliate status never affects the comparison. See our affiliate disclosure.