GaN nanowires have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy either catalyst-free or catalyst-induced by means of Ni seeds. Under identical growth conditions of temperature and Ⅴ/Ⅲ ratio, both types of GaN nanowires are of wurtzite structure elongated in the Ga-polar direction and are constricted by M-plane facets. However, the catalyst-induced nanowires contain many more basal-plane stacking faults and their photoluminescence is weaker. These differences can be explained as effects of the catalyst Ni seeds.