n8n is an open-source, fair-code licensed workflow automation platform that has rapidly grown into one of the most capable tools for building AI-powered automations. Unlike purely commercial platforms, n8n lets teams self-host the entire platform on their own infrastructure — eliminating vendor lock-in and usage-based pricing at scale. With over 400 built-in integrations and dedicated AI Agent nodes, n8n sits at the intersection of traditional workflow automation and modern AI orchestration.
The platform's native AI capabilities allow teams to build multi-step agent workflows that can call language models, search the web, query databases, and take actions — all within the same visual canvas used for standard automation. This makes n8n particularly compelling for organizations that are building AI agent pipelines alongside everyday business automation.
Key Features#
Visual Workflow Canvas with Code Escape Hatches n8n's drag-and-drop interface handles the majority of automation design visually, but every node can be extended or replaced with JavaScript or Python code. This hybrid approach makes it accessible to operations teams while remaining fully customizable for engineers who need precise control over data transformation.
Native AI Agent Nodes n8n ships with dedicated AI Agent nodes that connect directly to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and local models via Ollama. These nodes support tool-use patterns, memory management, and multi-step reasoning chains — enabling teams to build production AI agents without writing custom orchestration code.
Self-Hosting and Data Sovereignty One of n8n's defining features is the ability to run entirely on your own servers. This is critical for companies in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal) where sending data through third-party SaaS platforms may create compliance problems. Self-hosted deployments have no execution limits or per-task fees.
400+ Pre-Built Integrations n8n includes native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, GitHub, PostgreSQL, Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion, and hundreds more. Each integration exposes full CRUD operations and webhook support, reducing the need for custom API code.
Community Templates and Marketplace The n8n community has published thousands of workflow templates covering use cases from CRM automation to AI research assistants. Teams can import these templates directly into their instance and adapt them to their specific needs, dramatically accelerating time-to-production.
Pricing#
Community (Self-Hosted) — Free The self-hosted version is completely free with no execution limits, no user caps, and no feature restrictions. Organizations host it on their own servers (Docker, Kubernetes, or a VPS) and bear their own infrastructure costs.
Starter — ~$20/month The cloud-hosted Starter plan includes 5 active workflows, 2,500 executions per month, and community support. Suitable for individuals or small teams exploring automation.
Pro — ~$50/month Pro adds unlimited active workflows, 10,000 executions per month, and access to advanced features like execution history and workflow sharing.
Enterprise — Custom Pricing Enterprise plans include SSO, advanced permissions, SLA-backed support, dedicated infrastructure options, and audit logs. Pricing is negotiated based on team size and usage.
Who It's For#
n8n is best suited for technical teams and developers who want the power of a professional automation platform without sacrificing control over their data. DevOps engineers, full-stack developers, and automation-focused operations teams are its core audience. It's also a strong fit for startups and scale-ups that need to run high volumes of automations cost-effectively — since self-hosting eliminates per-execution fees that would become expensive on platforms like Zapier.
Companies in regulated industries that cannot send sensitive data to third-party SaaS platforms find n8n's self-hosting capability essential. Legal tech, healthtech, and fintech teams frequently choose n8n specifically for this reason.
Strengths#
Open-Source with Commercial Viability: The fair-code license lets teams use n8n freely in production while the company generates revenue from cloud and enterprise plans — creating a sustainable model that funds continued development.
Best-in-Class AI Agent Tooling: n8n's AI nodes are more mature and flexible than those found in most competing automation platforms, making it a genuine tool for building production AI agents rather than just simple prompt-chaining.
No Per-Execution Pricing at Self-Hosted Scale: For organizations running thousands of automations daily, self-hosting eliminates the cost unpredictability that plagues usage-based platforms.
Active Community and Ecosystem: The n8n community forums, Discord, and template library are highly active, providing fast answers to integration questions and a growing repository of reusable workflows.
Limitations#
Steeper Learning Curve than No-Code Alternatives: n8n is more developer-oriented than Zapier or Make. Non-technical users may find the interface and concepts — like working with JSON data structures — more challenging without some technical background.
Self-Hosting Requires Infrastructure Management: While powerful, self-hosted deployments require teams to handle server provisioning, updates, backups, and scaling. This operational overhead is a cost that purely cloud-based alternatives don't impose.
Cloud Plan Execution Limits: The cloud-hosted tiers have execution limits that may feel restrictive for teams with high automation volumes who don't want to self-host. Reaching these limits requires upgrading to more expensive plans.