Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ifttt VS Node-RED

Compare ifttt VS Node-RED and see what are their differences

ifttt logo ifttt

IFTTT puts the internet to work for you. Create simple connections between the products you use every day.

Node-RED logo Node-RED

Node-RED is a programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services in new and interesting ways.
  • ifttt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-18
  • Node-RED Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-23

ifttt features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    IFTTT boasts a user-friendly interface that allows users to create and manage applets without any coding knowledge, making automation accessible to a wider audience.
  • Wide Range of Services
    It supports a vast array of services and devices, enabling users to integrate different platforms and create unique automation workflows.
  • Customization
    Users can customize applets to fit their specific needs, offering flexibility in how tasks are automated.
  • Pre-built Applets
    It provides a large library of pre-built applets, which can be easily activated and used by those looking for quick solutions.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    IFTTT is compatible with multiple operating systems and devices, allowing for seamless automation across different environments.

Possible disadvantages of ifttt

  • Limited Free Plan
    The free plan has a restricted number of applets and features, which can be limiting for power users.
  • Occasional Reliability Issues
    Some users have reported occasional delays or failures in applet execution, which can be frustrating.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As it connects with multiple services, there are potential privacy issues related to data sharing and security.
  • Performance
    Some complex automations may experience performance issues or may not run as efficiently as expected.
  • Cost
    The subscription model may be seen as expensive for users who require more advanced features or higher limits on applets.

Node-RED features and specs

  • Visual Programming
    Node-RED offers a flow-based development interface which allows users to create applications by wiring together pre-built nodes, making it intuitive and easier to understand, especially for non-programmers.
  • Extensibility
    The platform is highly extensible with a large library of pre-built nodes available and support for creating custom nodes. This makes it adaptable to a wide range of use cases.
  • Event-Driven
    Node-RED is designed around an event-driven architecture, which is beneficial for handling asynchronous events and real-time data.
  • Cross-Platform
    Node-RED is based on Node.js and runs on various platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even low-resource devices like Raspberry Pi.
  • Integrations
    It offers extensive integration capabilities with various protocols (like MQTT, HTTP, and WebSockets) and a wide variety of services (like databases, cloud services, and IoT platforms).

Possible disadvantages of Node-RED

  • Performance
    Being a higher-level tool built on Node.js, it may not match the performance of systems built directly using lower-level languages and tools, particularly for very resource-intensive applications.
  • Complexity with Large Flows
    As the number of nodes and flows increases, the visual representation can become cluttered and harder to manage. This might make debugging and maintenance more difficult.
  • Scalability
    While suitable for small to medium-sized projects, Node-RED may face challenges in scaling to very large, enterprise-level applications without significant architectural adjustments.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although it simplifies basic tasks, there can be a steep learning curve to unlock its full potential, particularly when dealing with sophisticated integrations or custom node development.
  • Security
    The out-of-the-box security features may not be sufficient for all applications. Additional measures such as authentication, encryption, and network security must be implemented for deployment in sensitive environments.

ifttt videos

The Customizable Way to Automate Your Home | IFTTT Review

More videos:

  • Review - IFTTT Explained and Shown (if this then that)
  • Review - 10 Life Changing IFTTT Recipes for Extreme Productivity

Node-RED videos

Intro to Node-RED: Part 1 Fundamentals

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ifttt and Node-RED)
Web Service Automation
Automation
81 81%
19% 19
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Workflow Automation
88 88%
12% 12

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ifttt and Node-RED

ifttt Reviews

Microsoft Power Automate
Integration is the strongest suit of IFTTT, it is a popular web-based application that can be simultaneously used on Android, iPhone, iPad, and Android Tablet. This is one of the best available alternatives to Microsoft Power Automate. Some of IFTTT’s unique features are as follows:
Top 5 Best Integration Software for 2023
IFTTT is praised for being easy to set up and linking services and devices otherwise hardly compatible, making iOS and Android device integrations easy and straightforward. It is user-friendly and requires no coding knowledge, which makes it ideal for beginners. Among the cons are random trigger failures and insufficient descriptions of some applets.
Source: everhelper.me
10 n8n.io Alternatives
IFTTT is a super sleek platform that enables you to easily and quickly automate your most likely devices and applications to generate more work efficiency. Staying on track while customizing, managing, and controlling your integration with queries, multiple actions, filter codes, and the capability to connect multiple accounts per service. This leading no-code platform is...
15 Great Zapier Alternatives to Automate your Workflows
IFTTT (standing for “if this, then that”) is a user-friendly automation tool that connects apps using simple conditional statements. These workflows, which IFTTT calls “Applets”, range from running your smart home and social media applications, to setting up appointments automatically in Google Calendar.
Source: paperform.co
Best iPaaS Softwares
If This Then That is a service that allows a user to program a response to events in the world of various kinds. There is a long list of kinds of events to which IFTTT can respond, all detectable via the Internet.
Source: iotbyhvm.ooo

Node-RED Reviews

10 n8n.io Alternatives
Node-RED is a flow-based development and programming tool for visual programming presented in the market by IBM for wiring together online services and hardware devices as part of the internet of things. Web browser-based flow editor is available over this software to create JavaScript functions, and elements of apps can be saved or shared for using reprocess. Back in 2016,...
Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
Node-RED is a visual tool for lining the Internet of Things, i.e., wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services in new ways. Built on Node.js, Node-RED describes itself as “a visual means for wiring the Internet of Things.”
9 Home Automation Open-Source Platforms for Your projects
If you would like to know how to build your own home automation system with Node-RED, Raspberry Pi, ESP8266 and Arduino, I’ve just released a new course on this subject: Build an Home Automation System for $100.

Social recommendations and mentions

ifttt might be a bit more popular than Node-RED. We know about 179 links to it since March 2021 and only 126 links to Node-RED. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ifttt mentions (179)

  • Todoist + Google Calendar + IFTTT: How I created a GTD "tickler" for recurring events
    What I've done instead is, for any recurring event that isn't really due on that date, like "book a haircut" or "fertilize roses", I add an event on a Google Calendar called "Tickler" with the desired recurrence. I then have an IFTTT (https://ifttt.com/explore) integration that creates a Todoist event in my inbox whenever that event shows up on my calendar. It doesn't show up with a due date so I can schedule it... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • what are your recommendations
    Or head to the Explore page and see if anything grabs your attention. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Messages after death
    Slack has a feature to schedule messages, also a bunch of bots that do various scheduling tasks… Also you could use a email marketing tool like Mailchimp that could allow you scheduling Mails far a head. But any service you choose should be around somewhat longterm right? It will probably require some money and a bit of luck for the service or app of choice to stay around for a while. So ideally something relying... Source: over 2 years ago
  • They air tagged nana because she kept running the streets.
    I don’t know about the air tag nativity, which it probably does. But you can do that with any smartphone they has gps; with an app / website called ifttt. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Trying to create Alexa routine to automate thermostat changes when both my and my wife's phones are gone
    There's also some automation that you can do with something like https://ifttt.com/explore. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Node-RED mentions (126)

  • Hardware Metrics Collection with IOT Devices
    Node Red is a unique application that provides a graphical programming environment. With this, you can define input to output transformation with any level of complexity, including reading, parsing, formatting, and output with optional conditionals. For example, here is a flow definition that parses MQTT JSON messages that communicate if a node is alive, and then store this information in InfluxDB:. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Home Assistant and ESP Home: How to use MQTT Integration for Dynamic Device Configuration
    For a simple test, I created this Node Red flow that listens to homeassistant/status messages. HA itself will send messages that communicate when its started or when it is about to shutdown. These messages, and a custom message I send from within HA, could be seen:. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Data Visualization on the e-RT3 using Node-RED, InfluxDB Cloud, and Grafana
    Node-RED (e-RT3) Flow-based, low code development tool. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Top 15 Open-Source Low-Code Projects with the Most GitHub Stars
    GitHub Https://github.com/node-red/node-red GitHub Stars 19.1k Most Recent Update on GitHub 2 weeks ago Open Source License Apache 2.0 Number of Active Contributors This Year 13 Acceptance of External PRs Yes Official Website Https://nodered.org/ Documentation Https://nodered.org/docs/. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Major updates from the open source community: Release Radar · June 2024
    Want a low code application for event-driven applications? Then Node-RED is your go to. The new update brings a breaking change, with Node-RED now requiring Node 18.x or later. The team have added new features and updated dependencies to the editor, and there are lots of fixes within the editor. Check out the release notes for all the details. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ifttt and Node-RED, you can also consider the following products

Zapier - Connect the apps you use everyday to automate your work and be more productive. 1000+ apps and easy integrations - get started in minutes.

n8n.io - Free and open fair-code licensed node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

Make.com - Tool for workflow automation (Former Integromat)

Microsoft Power Automate - Microsoft Power Automate is an automation platform that integrates DPA, RPA, and process mining. It lets you automate your organization at scale using low-code and AI.

Huginn - Build agents that monitor and act on your behalf. Your agents are standing by!

Apache Airflow - Airflow is a platform to programmaticaly author, schedule and monitor data pipelines.