Every n8n community node is an npm package. That makes npm the most complete place to find them, and also the place where you decide whether a package is worth installing. This guide shows how to search npm for n8n community nodes and which parts of an npm package page tell you the most. The numbers come from the 10,499 community node packages in our directory on November 10, 2026, not counting n8n’s own @n8n/ packages.
How to search npm for n8n community nodes
n8n asks node authors to add the keyword n8n-community-node-package to their package.json, so a keyword search finds them:
- On npmjs.com: type
keywords:n8n-community-node-packagein the search box. Add a word after it to narrow the list, for examplekeywords:n8n-community-node-package whatsapp. - From the command line:
npm search keywords:n8n-community-node-packageprints the same results in your terminal. - By name: almost every package name contains
n8n-nodes-, so searching forn8n-nodes-plus a service name also works. 3,649 packages (35%) are published under a scope, such as@elevenlabs/n8n-nodes-elevenlabs, so include scoped names when you compare results.
On November 10, 2026 the npm registry returned 14,350 packages for that keyword. npm search counts every package that carries the keyword, including test uploads and copies. Our n8n community nodes directory lists 10,499 of them and adds categories and integration hubs, so you can compare the nodes for one service side by side.
What to check on an npm package page
An npm package page shows the weekly downloads, the current version, the repository link and the maintainers in its sidebar. Here is what each one tells you about an n8n community node, and how common each signal is.
Weekly downloads
Most packages are barely used, so downloads are the quickest filter. In our directory the median package gets fewer than 10 downloads a week; the full download ranges are in our community nodes guide. Downloads count installs, including automated ones from servers and build pipelines, so read them as a sign of use, not a count of people. For the most used packages see the best n8n community nodes by npm downloads.
Version number
44% of packages have reached version 1.0. A version that starts with 0 is not a warning sign on its own: @elevenlabs/n8n-nodes-elevenlabs (version 0.2.4, 199,372 downloads a week) and n8n-nodes-mcp (version 0.1.37, 157,504 a week) are among the most downloaded n8n community nodes. Among the 100 most downloaded packages, only 53% are at 1.0 or higher. The version history matters more: open the Versions tab to see how often the package gets a release.
Repository link
89% of packages link a GitHub repository, and 97% of the 100 most downloaded do. A package with no repository gives you no way to read the code, see open issues or check who maintains it, so treat a missing link as a reason to look twice. n8n community nodes on GitHub shows how to tell an original repository from a copy. Before installing, look at the repository’s open issues for errors with your n8n version.
Maintainers
7,795 packages (74%) have a single npm maintainer. That is normal for community nodes: n8n-nodes-evolution-api, the most downloaded one at 1,072,894 downloads a week, has one maintainer too. What a single maintainer means in practice is that updates depend on one person, so check when the last version was published.
Verified by n8n
1,610 packages in our directory (15%) are on n8n’s verified list, and 33% of the 100 most downloaded are. Verified nodes passed n8n’s review, can be installed from the nodes panel and are the only ones available on n8n Cloud. The npm page does not show this status; verified vs unverified n8n community nodes explains how to check it.
GitHub stars
Stars are rare: 2% of packages have 10 or more, against 29% of the 100 most downloaded. We count stars once per repository, because packages copied from the same repository show its stars too. Many useful nodes have none, so stars help you choose between similar packages but say little on their own.
All packages vs the most downloaded
The table puts the signals side by side. The gap between the two columns shows which signals the most used packages share.
| Signal | All 10,499 packages | 100 most downloaded |
|---|---|---|
| Links a GitHub repository | 89% (9,335) | 97% |
| Version 1.0 or higher | 44% (4,631) | 53% |
| Two or more npm maintainers | 26% (2,704) | 42% |
| On n8n’s verified list | 15% (1,610) | 33% |
| 10 or more GitHub stars | 2% (170) | 29% |
Data: our directory on November 10, 2026. Weekly downloads: npm, last 7 days, adjusted for npm outage days. Maintainers and repository links: npm registry. Stars: GitHub. Verified: n8n’s list of verified community nodes.
From npm to your n8n instance
Once you have picked a package, copy its exact name from npm, including the scope if it has one. On a self-hosted n8n, open Settings > Community Nodes, choose Install and paste the name. Docker, the npm command line and environment variables are covered in how to install n8n community nodes. If you want to publish your own package, see how to build and publish an n8n community node.
FAQ
Why does npm show more n8n packages than this directory?
npm search returns every package with the n8n-community-node-package keyword, 14,350 on November 10, 2026. Our directory listed 10,499 on the same day. It leaves out n8n’s own @n8n/ packages, packages removed from npm and packages hidden for low quality, such as test uploads and copies, and new packages appear after its next sync.
Does a high download count mean a node is safe?
No. Downloads show that a package is used, not that its code has been reviewed. Community nodes run with the same access as n8n itself. n8n’s verified list is the only review step, and it covers 15% of packages.
What does a 0.x version mean for an n8n community node?
Only that the author has not called it 1.0 yet. 47% of the 100 most downloaded packages are still on a 0.x version, including the MCP Client and the official ElevenLabs node.
Why do npm download numbers differ from the ones on Community Nodes?
npm shows the last 7 days at the moment you open the page. Our figures come from the npm downloads API for the last 7 days, with days that npm reported as an outage left out and the week scaled to match, so they can differ by a few percent.
