n8n

What is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps and services by dragging nodes onto a canvas and linking them together. Each node does one job, like fetching an email, calling an API, or running a piece of code, and the connections between nodes define the flow of your data. It is built for developers who want the speed of no-code with the flexibility of real code when they need it.

The project was started in 2019 by Jan Oberhauser, who wanted an automation tool that he could self-host and fully control. The company behind it is based in Berlin, and the core product is released under a fair-code license, meaning the source code is open for you to read, modify, and run yourself, with a few restrictions that protect the commercial business.

What makes n8n stand out is its AI story. The AI agent node, the LangChain integration, and support for tools and memory let you build chatbots, research assistants, and autonomous workflows right on the canvas. You can give an agent a set of tools and let it decide which ones to call, all without leaving the editor.

Key Features

• Visual workflow editor where nodes and connections replace code
• 400+ built-in integrations with Google, Slack, GitHub, Stripe, OpenAI and more
• AI agent node with LangChain under the hood for building agentic workflows
• Self-hostable with a single Docker command, plus official cloud hosting
• Code node with JavaScript or Python for anything the visual tools cannot express
• Webhooks, scheduled triggers, and manual triggers to start workflows
• Credentials stored encrypted with a key you control on self-hosted setups
• Workflow templates shared by the community, many of them AI focused

How to get started

The fastest way to try n8n is to sign up for the cloud service and start a free trial, but the self-hosted path is just as easy: run a single Docker command and n8n appears on your machine with a setup screen. There is also a desktop app for local experimentation.

Once you are in the editor, pick a workflow template or start from scratch. Add a trigger node, then chain action nodes together, and use the execute button to run a test with real or sample data. The docs site has quickstart guides, and the community forum is very active when you get stuck.

• Install with Docker, npm, or the desktop app, or sign up for n8n Cloud
• Create a new workflow and choose a trigger node such as Webhook or Schedule
• Add action nodes and connect them on the canvas
• Click Execute workflow to test with sample data
• Activate the workflow to run it in production

Use cases

• AI research assistants that search the web, read documents, and summarize findings
• Content pipelines that draft, review, and publish posts across platforms
• Support automation that triages tickets and drafts replies with an LLM
• Data sync jobs between CRMs, spreadsheets, and databases
• Monitoring bots that watch services and alert a Slack channel on failure
• Personal automation that moves files, sends emails, and updates calendars

Pricing and licensing

n8n is fair-code, not open source in the OSI sense. The code is public on GitHub and free to self-host under the Sustainable Use License, which allows production use by individuals and small teams but restricts selling the software itself or offering it as a competing hosted service.

The self-hosted Community edition is free and full-featured for most users. n8n makes money from its cloud service, which adds managed hosting, priority support, and SSO on higher tiers. Cloud plans are billed per seat or per execution volume depending on the plan, so check the official pricing page for current numbers.

Pros and cons

The big wins are flexibility and control. You can run n8n on your own hardware, the fair-code license means no surprise license fees at scale, and the AI nodes keep it relevant as agentic automation takes off. The visual editor plus the code node covers everything from quick hacks to serious pipelines.

On the downside, self-hosting means you own the maintenance: updates, backups, and uptime are your job. The fair-code license also rules out some commercial uses, and very complex workflows can get tangled on the canvas, which is where n8n's folders and sub-workflows help.

Alternatives

• Zapier: hosted, beginner friendly, huge app directory, closed source
• Make (formerly Integromat): visual automation with a generous free tier
• Activepieces: fully open source (MIT) alternative with MCP support
• n8n's own competitors in self-hosted land include Windmill and Huginn
• LangGraph and similar frameworks for developers who prefer code-first agents