Description
n8n
Overview
What It Does
- No-code: Visual drag-and-drop editor
- Low-code: JavaScript/Python code nodes
- AI Agents: Native LLM integration
Main Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Visual Workflow Builder | Node-based editor |
| 500+ Integrations | Google, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, etc. |
| AI Agent Builder | Build agents with any LLM |
| Code Nodes | Custom JavaScript and Python |
| HTTP Request | Connect any API |
| Self-Hosting | Full data control |
| Cloud Hosting | Managed by n8n |
| Webhooks | Real-time triggers |
| Human-in-the-Loop | Human approvals in workflows |
| Version Control | Git integration |
| Environments | Dev, staging, production |
| SSO/SAML/LDAP | Enterprise security |
AI Capabilities
- AI Agent Node: Build multi-step agents
- LLM Integration: OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Ollama, etc.
- RAG Workflows: Retrieval-Augmented Generation
- Vector Stores: Pinecone, PGVector, Qdrant
- AI Workflow Builder: 50-1000 credits per plan
- MCP Server: Connect n8n with other AI systems
Pricing (2025)
Cloud Plans
| Plan | Price | Executions/month |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | €20/mo (annual) | 2,500 |
| Pro | €50/mo (annual) | 10,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Self-Hosted Plans
| Plan | Price | Executions/month |
|---|---|---|
| Community | $0 (free) | Unlimited |
| Business | €667/mo (annual) | 40,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
What is an Execution?
- 1 execution = 1 complete workflow run
- Doesn't matter how many steps the workflow has
- Doesn't matter how much data it processes
- Much more value than competitor "operations"
Cloud vs Self-Hosted
| Aspect | Cloud | Self-Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Instant | Requires infra |
| Maintenance | n8n manages | You manage |
| Data control | EU (Frankfurt) | Wherever you want |
| Price | Per executions | Community free |
| Updates | Automatic | Manual |
Deployment Options
- n8n Cloud: Hosted by n8n
- Docker: Self-hosted
- Kubernetes: Enterprise scale
- Desktop App: Local development
- Northflank, Railway, etc.: One-click deploy
Popular Integrations
PROS ✅
- Open-source/Fair-code - Full transparency
- Free self-hosting - Community Edition unlimited
- 500+ integrations - Connects almost everything
- AI-first - 75% workflows use LLMs
- Code + No-code - Total flexibility
- Per-execution pricing - Not per step/task
- Active community - 162K GitHub stars
- Human-in-the-loop - Control over AI agents
- Enterprise-ready - SSO, SAML, audit logs
CONS ❌
- Learning curve - More technical than Zapier
- Self-hosting requires DevOps - Not trivial
- Less polished UI - Than commercial competitors
- Complex debugging - In large workflows
- Documentation - Can be confusing
- Cloud more expensive - Than self-hosted
Why Choose n8n?
- You want full control (self-hosting)
- You need custom code in workflows
- You build AI agents in production
- Your team is technical
- You value open-source
- You need enterprise security
- You prefer absolute simplicity (Zapier)
- You don't have DevOps resources
- You only need simple automations
- You don't want to manage infrastructure
vs Competitors
| vs | n8n Wins | Competitor Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Price, self-hosting, code | Simpler, more integrations |
| Make | Open-source, AI agents | More visual UI |
| Workato | Price (~$10K+ vs free), flexibility | Enterprise features |
| Tines | Price, community | Security-focused |
Notable Customers
Metrics (2025)
- $253M funding total
- $2.5B valuation (Oct 2025 - unicorn)
- 162K+ GitHub stars
- 230K+ active users
- 3,000+ companies
- 500+ integrations
- 4,400+ templates
- 5x ARR growth YoY
- ~$40M ARR estimated
Key Features
Visual node-based Workflow Builder
500+ native integrations
AI Agent Builder with any LLM
JavaScript and Python Code Nodes
HTTP Request for any API
Free self-hosting Community Edition
Managed cloud hosting
Webhooks and real-time triggers
Human-in-the-loop for AI agents
Version control with Git
Dev staging production environments
SSO SAML LDAP enterprise security
Integrated RAG workflows
Vector stores Pinecone PGVector Qdrant
MCP Server to connect AI systems
Workflow templates 4400+
Error handling and automatic retry
Execution logging and debugging
Queue mode for scalability
Fair-code open-source license
Use Cases
IT operations automation
Security operations and incident response
Lead automation and enrichment
CRM sync and data pipelines
Employee onboarding offboarding
AI chatbots and assistants
RAG over internal documents
Social media automation
Email marketing workflows
E-commerce order processing
Customer support automation
Data sync between applications
Alerts and notifications
Automatic report generation
Data backup and sync
Webhook integrations
API orchestration
DevOps automation
Content moderation with AI
Personal productivity workflows