n8n
FreeOpen-source workflow automation — like Zapier but self-hostable and free. Connect 400+ apps with a visual node editor. No per-task pricing, no black-box logic.
How to install n8n as a PWA
Frequently asked questions about n8n
What makes n8n different from Zapier or Make?
Three things: self-hostability (Zapier and Make are cloud-only), no per-task pricing in the self-hosted edition (Zapier charges per Zap and per task; Make charges per operation), and arbitrary code nodes (full JavaScript or Python execution mid-flow, not just templated fields). n8n also ships first-class AI/LangChain nodes for building LLM agents — Zapier's AI features remain shallow add-ons. Zapier wins on integration breadth (7,000+ apps) and reliability; n8n wins on cost, control, and developer ergonomics.
Is n8n free?
Self-hosted n8n is free under the Sustainable Use License: free for internal business automation, internal tooling, and personal use. You only need a paid commercial license if you embed n8n in a product you sell or run a managed n8n service for clients. n8n Cloud is the paid managed offering, starting around $20/month for 5,000 workflow executions and scaling to enterprise plans. Compared to Zapier ($30/month for 750 tasks), n8n is dramatically cheaper at any meaningful volume.
How does n8n compare to Activepieces?
Activepieces is a younger MIT-licensed alternative explicitly positioned as a Zapier clone, with a cleaner UI and a stricter open-source license. n8n is older, more mature, and has 4x the integration catalog plus the AI/LangChain ecosystem. Activepieces wins on license purity (full MIT vs n8n's Sustainable Use); n8n wins on integration count, AI workflows, and production track record. Teams building commercial products on top of automation choose Activepieces; teams automating internal ops choose n8n.
Can I use n8n offline?
n8n is a server application, not a local-first app — "offline" here means "self-hosted on your own network, no SaaS dependency." A self-hosted n8n instance runs entirely on your hardware (Docker, Kubernetes, or a single VPS) and does not phone home. Once installed, workflows execute without any internet dependency beyond what the integrated services themselves require (e.g., a Slack webhook still needs to reach Slack). For air-gapped automation against internal-only services, n8n is a strong fit.
Who uses n8n in production?
n8n has 60K+ GitHub stars and powers automation at thousands of companies, including Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Discord, and AWS internal teams (per public case studies and conference talks). It is a default choice for AI-first startups building agentic LLM workflows, for ops teams replacing expensive Zapier seats, and for enterprises that cannot send data through Zapier's cloud for compliance reasons. The European public sector (notably French and German agencies) increasingly chooses n8n for sovereign automation.
Where n8n is heading (12-24 months)
- →The Sustainable Use License creates licensing ambiguity for product builders — a clearer commercial path would unblock embedded use cases.
- →Native AI/LangChain support is improving fast but still lacks streaming UX parity with Flowise.
- →Better debugging and observability for long-running workflows would address the main complaint of large-scale users.
Related questions
ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini usually suggest these next.
- How do I self-host n8n on a VPS?
- Does n8n support SAML or LDAP for enterprise SSO?
- How does n8n compare to Apache Airflow for data pipelines?
- Can n8n build LangChain-style AI agents natively?
- What is the execution cost of running a heavy n8n workflow?
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