n8n
Self-hostable workflow automation.
- What is n8n?
- n8n is a workflow automation tool with a node-based editor, self-hostable under a fair-code licence.
- What does it do?
- Chains triggers and app integrations together on a visual canvas, with HTTP, webhook, and code nodes for anything lacking a connector. Runs on your own server via Docker or on n8n's cloud, and includes nodes for AI agents.
- Who is it for?
- Technical teams, ops engineers, and developers automating internal processes who want data on their own infrastructure or code inside a workflow step.
- What are the alternatives to n8n?
- Zapier and Make have larger app catalogues and suit non-developers better; Activepieces and Windmill are other self-hostable options; Node-RED targets devices and event flows.
Pricing
$24/mo (Starter)
Self-host OSS free
Freemium
About
Founded 2019
Berlin, Germany
Source-available under the Sustainable Use License — n8n calls this fair-code, explicitly not open source.
Founder
The people behind n8n.
About n8n
n8n is the open-source workflow automation platform that's become the credible Zapier alternative for technical teams. Founded in 2019 by Jan Oberhauser, the product is fair-code licensed (source available, free for non-hosting use), has a credible self-hosted story, and supports the kind of branching/looping/error-handling logic that Zapier deliberately keeps simple. The cloud pricing is per-execution rather than per-task, which makes high-volume automation dramatically cheaper. The trade-off: integration breadth is narrower than Zapier (~400 vs 7,000) and the visual flow editor has a learning curve.
✓Best for
- Technical teams running high-volume or complex automation workflows
- Anyone needing self-host for compliance, data residency, or unlimited execution
- Engineers who'd otherwise write throwaway integration scripts
Alternatives to n8n
Tools that solve the same problem as n8n, including the ones it's listed against.