Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Invision VS Node-RED

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

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Invision logo Invision

Prototyping and collaboration for design teams

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.
  • Invision Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-07
  • Node-RED Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-23

Invision features and specs

  • Collaborative Features
    InVision provides a range of collaborative tools like real-time co-editing, feedback, and comments, which make it easier for teams to work together.
  • Prototyping
    InVision allows for high-fidelity, interactive prototypes that closely mimic the final product, helping stakeholders understand the user experience better.
  • Integrations
    The platform integrates seamlessly with other popular design tools such as Sketch, Photoshop, and various project management tools, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  • User Testing
    InVision supports user testing features that allow designers to gather real-time feedback from end-users, improving the final product's usability.
  • Version Control
    It offers robust version control features, allowing teams to track changes, revert to previous versions, and maintain an organized workflow.
  • Cloud Storage
    Cloud-based storage ensures that all project files are accessible from anywhere, making it convenient for remote teams.

Possible disadvantages of Invision

  • Learning Curve
    The platform can be complex for new users, requiring time to learn and fully understand its extensive features.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues, particularly with large projects, which can slow down the workflow.
  • Cost
    InVision can be expensive, especially for small teams or freelancers, despite offering many valuable features.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Since it's a cloud-based tool, offline access to projects and files is limited, which can be an issue for teams with unreliable internet connections.
  • Mobile Experience
    The mobile experience is not as robust as the desktop version, which can be limiting for users who need to work on the go.

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.

Analysis of Node-RED

Overall verdict

  • Node-RED is generally considered a good tool, particularly for non-programmers and those looking to quickly prototype and deploy IoT solutions. Its visual interface simplifies the development process and can handle a wide variety of integration tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Node-RED is an open-source flow-based programming tool primarily intended for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services as part of the Internet of Things (IoT). It is visually driven, allowing users to create and deploy complex workflows and automation processes with minimal programming knowledge. Its extensive library of pre-built nodes and its active community contribute to its flexibility and ease of use.

Recommended for

  • IoT enthusiasts
  • Quick prototyping of automation flows
  • Integrating various APIs and services
  • Users who prefer a visual programming interface
  • Educational purposes for teaching programming and IoT concepts

Invision videos

InVision Studio Review | Here's what we think!

More videos:

  • Review - Thoughts On InVision Studio
  • Review - Welcome to InVision Studio | Overview

Node-RED videos

Intro to Node-RED: Part 1 Fundamentals

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Invision and Node-RED)
Prototyping
100 100%
0% 0
Automation
0 0%
100% 100
Design Collaboration
100 100%
0% 0
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

Invision Reviews

10 Best Figma Alternatives in 2024
A visual collaboration tool and best figma alternative called InVision enables communication between designers during many phases of product design, such as development, testing, and prototyping. Itโ€™s also used for UI and UX design.
9 Best InVision Alternatives to Switch to in 2024
On 4 January 2024, InVision announced that its design collaboration services are shutting down. So, we came up with nine InVision alternatives that you can switch to this year.
Source: designmodo.com
Figma Alternatives: 12 Prototyping and Design Tools in 2024
Invision was created in 2011 and is one of the most powerful applications you can use in 2023 for prototyping, animation, and designing. It has over 7 million global clients and boasts some awards for its cloud-based services.
5 Figma Alternatives for UI & UX Designers
InVision provides an alternative solution to FigJam. As a Figma user, youโ€™re most likely familiar with FigJam already. If not โ€“ it is an online team-based whiteboard interface where you can work together on ideas, set plans in stone, and create visual project trajectories. InVision provides the same exact solution, focusing on affordability (it has a free plan!) and...
Source: stackdiary.com
10 Best Adobe XD Alternatives (Free & Paid)
InVision is an easy-to-use tool that makes designing delightfully simple. You can smoothly create interactive and responsive prototypes. With advanced features like multi-user collaboration, vector editing, transitions & animation tools, workflow synchronization, and robust asset libraries, it is the perfect Adobe XD alternative for creating outstanding UI designs. The tool...

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 โ€œa visual means for wiring the Internet of Things.โ€
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, Iโ€™ve just released a new course on this subject: Build an Home Automation System for $100.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Node-RED seems to be a lot more popular than Invision. While we know about 128 links to Node-RED, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Invision. 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.

Invision mentions (4)

  • The Best 100 Free UI/UX Resources for Every Designer & Developer
    InVision Invisionapp.com Prototyping and collaboration tool with a free plan for up to 3 projects. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Resources for improving UI skills
    Search for UI/Design/Firma Tutorials on YouTube, check out UI related Blog posts on invisionapp.com, check out UI Inspiration muzli. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Migrating to Figma: is there a good alternative to the invisionapp.com website for design documentation and organization?
    We have 100s of different screens to migrate as well as a really large design system, and to date we've been successfully using the invisionapp.com website to keep things really well organized and easy to navigate with tags, pages, etc. We've enjoyed this system so far because it's easy for PMs and Devs to navigate in a website format, without having to learn the design software or get bogged down in artboards. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Best platform for online tutoring?
    Other options: explain everything whiteboard, invisionapp.com. Source: almost 5 years ago

Node-RED mentions (128)

  • Building for an audience of one: starting and finishing side projects with AI
    HomeAssistant is probably doing too much for what you need. Imo it's not a good piece of software. https://nodered.org/ is maybe a better fit. Or just some plain old scripts. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Erlang-Red: Node-Red with an Erlang Back End
    Ahh, you didn't create Node-RED editor. That's an external project. https://nodered.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • 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 / over 1 year 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 / over 1 year 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 / about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Moqups - The most stunning HTML5 app for creating resolution-independent SVG mockups, wireframes & interactive prototypes for your next project

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

Balsamiq - Balsamiq. Rapid, effective and fun wireframing software.

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

Figma - Team-based interface design, Figma lets you collaborate on designs in real time.

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