n8n
FreemiumYour first step to workflow automation.
Published 29 May 2026 · Last updated 27 September 2026
Scores
Popularity4/5
Very popular among technical users for self-hosted automation; large open-source community.
Learning Curve3/5
Visual workflow canvas is intuitive; advanced node expressions and APIs take more time.
Flexibility5/5
Custom nodes via code editor, self-hostable, and API-accessible for any workflow imaginable.
Performance4/5
Workflow execution is efficient; throughput scales with self-hosted resources.
Portability4/5
Open source; JSON workflow export and self-hosting make migration feasible.
About n8n
n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is a workflow automation tool built around a visual, node-based editor. Workflows chain nodes for 500+ apps and services, and code nodes run JavaScript or Python wherever a pre-built node does not fit, so the same tool handles simple app-to-app syncs and multi-step pipelines with custom logic.
What sets n8n apart from Zapier and Make is self-hosting. The full platform runs on your own infrastructure with Docker or Kubernetes, including air-gapped deployments, so workflow data never has to leave your network. n8n is fair-code rather than open source: the source is public and self-hosting for internal use is free under the Sustainable Use License, while offering n8n itself as a commercial service is not allowed without a separate agreement.
Workflows start from webhooks, schedules, app triggers, or manual runs, and every execution is logged with its full input and output for debugging. AI agent nodes connect a language model (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or a local model through Ollama) to tools, memory, and vector stores, which has made n8n a common choice for building AI automations that stay inspectable.
Pricing is per workflow execution rather than per step, so a long workflow costs the same as a short one. The self-hosted Community Edition is free. n8n Cloud offers Starter and Pro plans, the Business plan is currently a self-hosted licence for companies under 100 employees, and Enterprise is sold through sales; prices are listed in euros.
Key Features
- Visual node-based workflow editor
- 500+ built-in integrations plus community nodes
- Code nodes for JavaScript or Python logic
- Self-hosting with Docker or Kubernetes, including air-gapped setups
- AI agent nodes with tools, memory, and vector stores
- Webhook, schedule, and app-event triggers
- Full execution history with per-node input and output
- Git-based version control and environments on Business and Enterprise
Pros
- Self-hosting keeps workflow data on your own infrastructure
- Free Community Edition with no execution limits when self-hosted
- Per-execution pricing does not charge extra for long workflows
- Code nodes remove the ceiling of pre-built integrations
- Strong AI agent tooling with a choice of model providers
Cons
- Fewer integrations than Zapier or Make
- Self-hosting means handling updates, scaling, and backups yourself
- Fair-code licence restricts offering n8n as a commercial service
- SSO, Git version control, and environments require a paid licence
- More technical than Zapier for non-developers
n8n Pricing
Freemium- · Free for self-hosted internal use under the Sustainable Use License
- · Unlimited executions and workflows
- · Community forum support
- · 2,500 workflow executions per month
- · Unlimited users and workflows
- · 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions
- · Priced in euros: 20 EUR a month billed yearly, 24 EUR month-to-month
- · 10,000 workflow executions per month
- · 3 shared projects, 20 concurrent executions, global variables
- · Admin roles, execution search, workflow history, AI credits
- · Priced in euros: 50 EUR a month billed yearly, 60 EUR month-to-month
- · 40,000 workflow executions per month
- · 6 shared projects, SSO/SAML/LDAP, environments
- · Version control using Git
- · Self-hosted only; for companies under 100 employees
- · Custom executions, 200+ concurrent executions
- · Unlimited shared projects, external secret stores
- · Dedicated support with SLA
- · Cloud or self-hosted; contact sales for pricing
Tech Stacks with n8n
n8n AI Agent
ProjectBuild an AI agent in n8n's visual editor. The AI Agent node connects a model such as Claude or OpenAI to tools, memory, and a chat window, and the agent decides which tool to call for each request. The tools are n8n's own integrations, your other workflows, and MCP servers, so there is no backend code to write.
n8n + PostgreSQL
ProjectWorkflow automation with n8n reading and writing data to a PostgreSQL database, self-hosted or serverless on Neon.
Databases
Automation
Tools Related to n8n
Child tools of n8n(1)
n8n Data Tables is built-in spreadsheet-style storage inside n8n, used by workflows without an external database.
Works well with n8n(1)
n8n has a native PostgreSQL node for running queries and INSERTs as workflow steps — PostgreSQL is used as a data destination or source in n8n automation pipelines.
Integrates with n8n(13)
NocoDB exposes every table as an instant REST API, which n8n's HTTP Request node reads and writes directly — a self-hostable, open-source alternative to Airtable for teams that want a spreadsheet-style backend without per-seat pricing.
Baserow exposes a REST API that n8n's HTTP Request node reads and writes directly — an open-source, self-hostable spreadsheet-style backend with the same integration path as NocoDB.
Xano exposes REST endpoints that n8n consumes natively; combined with n8n's Xano node, this covers both reading and writing data without custom scripting.
n8n has a dedicated Airtable node covering records, fields, and attachments; suitable for self-hosted automation pipelines centred on Airtable data.
n8n connects to Shopify via its Admin API and webhook-triggered events (new orders, fulfillment updates, inventory changes), with multi-step workflows handling complex order-processing logic a single Zap can't.
n8n connects to Webflow via its REST API and webhook-triggered CMS and form events, reading and writing CMS collection items and reacting to form submissions.
Alternatives to n8n(5)
Both build complex multi-step workflows on a visual canvas; n8n is fair-code and self-hostable with code nodes, while Make is cloud-only with stronger no-code data transformation.
n8n is fair-code and self-hostable with code nodes for custom logic, while Zapier is cloud-only, simpler for non-developers, and connects far more apps.
Dify is built around LLM apps, with knowledge bases, chatflows, and agents published as web apps or APIs; n8n is a general automation tool with 500+ app integrations and an AI Agent node. Pick Dify when the product is the AI app itself, n8n when the workflow has to reach many business systems.
n8n is a general workflow automation tool with 500+ app integrations and an AI Agent node; Langflow is a visual builder made for agent and RAG pipelines. Pick n8n when the agent has to work across business apps, Langflow when the model pipeline is the product.
n8n is a general workflow automation tool with hundreds of app integrations and an AI Agent node; AutoGPT starts from the agent, with ready-made Experts and a chat agent that builds workflows from a brief. Both can be self-hosted. Pick n8n to connect many business apps, AutoGPT when the agent does the work.