n8n

Automation & Workflows

n8n GmbH

FreemiumOpen SourceAPI

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Workflow automation platform for technical teams: visual editor plus JS/Python code nodes plus AI agent workflows, priced per execution instead of per step, with a free self-hosted Community Edition and nearly 200k GitHub stars

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Our Verdict

Recommended

The technical team's automation platform — and the AI-agent era's workhorse

n8n won its ~200k GitHub stars the honest way: by being the automation tool that doesn't fight you when requirements get real. Where per-task platforms nickel-and-dime every step, n8n charges per workflow execution — run a 50-step pipeline processing thousands of records and it counts once. Where no-code tools hit a wall, you drop into JavaScript or Python, call any API over HTTP, or write a custom node. And its early, deep bet on AI-agent workflows — LLM nodes, memory, tools, RAG — is exactly why it became the default canvas for the current agent-building wave. The free self-hosted Community Edition is the deal of the category: unlimited workflows on your own server, with your data never leaving your infrastructure. Be clear-eyed about the trade-offs. This is a tool that assumes technical comfort; non-technical teams will onboard faster on Zapier or Make. The fair-code license is source-available rather than OSI open source, which matters if you plan to embed or resell it. And the Cloud pricing ladder has a canyon between Pro (€50) and Business (€667). But if your team can run a Docker container, n8n delivers more automation per euro than anything else in the category.

Best for

•Technical teams who want automation without per-task pricing anxiety
•Builders wiring LLMs and agents into real business processes
•Data-sensitive orgs that need workflows to stay on their own servers

Consider alternatives if

•Your team is non-technical and wants the fastest no-code onboarding (→ Zapier AI)
•You want visual automation with a gentler price ramp between tiers (→ Make AI)

Try n8n

Supported Platforms

Web AppWindowsmacOSLinuxAPI

Available platforms include Web App, Windows, macOS, Linux, and API.

Key Features

Visual workflow editor with hundreds of integration nodes plus HTTP/GraphQL for anything else

Code steps in JavaScript and Python when clicks aren't enough

AI agent workflows: LLM nodes, memory, tools and RAG patterns built in

Execution-based pricing — one workflow run counts once, regardless of steps or data volume

Free self-hosted Community Edition (fair-code, source available on GitHub with ~200k stars)

Webhooks, queues, error workflows, version control with Git and multi-environment support

Pricing

free

The self-hosted Community Edition is free with unlimited workflows and executions — you provide the server. Cloud plans offer a free trial with Pro features, no credit card required.

paid

n8n Cloud starts at €20/month billed annually (Starter, 2.5k executions), Pro is €50/month (10k executions), Business is €667/month (self-hosted, 40k executions, SSO and Git), Enterprise is custom. (Verified against the official pricing page, 2026-07-30.)

Use Cases

Technical teams automating internal ops without paying per task like on Zapier

Building AI agents that combine LLMs with real business systems and data

Self-hosting automation for data-sensitive workflows that can't leave your infrastructure

Replacing brittle cron-and-script glue with maintainable visual workflows

Pros

Free unlimited self-hosting is unmatched among major automation platforms

Execution-based pricing gets dramatically cheaper than per-task rivals at scale

Code steps and custom nodes remove the ceiling that no-code tools hit

Massive community: ~200k GitHub stars, thousands of workflow templates

Cons

Steeper learning curve than Zapier or Make — it assumes technical comfort

Fair-code license is source-available, not OSI open source; some commercial uses need a paid license

Cloud plans jump steeply from Pro (€50) to Business (€667) with little in between

Self-hosting shifts maintenance, scaling and security work onto your team

Latest Update

2026: n8n cemented itself as the default automation layer of the AI-agent wave — near 200k GitHub stars, deeper LLM/agent nodes, AI Assistant credits on Cloud plans, insights dashboards, Git-based environments, and adoption logos from Microsoft to NVIDIA on its site.