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n8n

Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Build, control, and deploy AI workflows and automations visually — with full code access when you need it, self-hosting or cloud, and 500+ integrations.

n8n

About n8n

Overview

n8n is an AI workflow automation platform that gives technical teams the flexibility of code with the speed of no-code. Users build automations visually on a canvas, connecting AI agents, APIs, and business tools without getting boxed in by limited logic.

Unlike traditional automation tools that charge per step or per user, n8n bills per workflow execution with unlimited steps. It is trusted by teams at Huel and Vodafone, ranks among the top 50 projects on GitHub with 197,400+ stars, and holds a 4.7/5 rating on G2.

Key Benefits

  • Build complex AI agents with multi-agent setups, RAG systems, and multiple cloud or offline AI models.
  • Trace every step of an agent's reasoning visually on the canvas, with inspectable inputs and outputs.
  • Self-host entirely on your own infrastructure or deploy on n8n's cloud — full source code is available on GitHub.
  • Enforce human-in-the-loop approvals and guardrails to control AI actions with structured inputs and outputs.
  • Write JavaScript or Python code in any workflow step alongside the visual builder, then re-run single steps instead of entire workflows.
  • Integrate with over 500 pre-built nodes or connect to any custom API, plus MCP support for legacy systems.

How It Works

Users drag pre-built integration nodes onto a canvas, connect them with data transformation logic, and optionally insert JavaScript or Python code steps. Workflows trigger from webhooks, queues, or schedules, and each execution runs from start to finish with unlimited steps. Users debug with real data, re-run individual steps, and inspect every input and output directly in the editor.

Use Cases

  • IT ops teams — automate employee on-boarding workflows that connect HR systems, device provisioning, and access management.
  • Security operations analysts — enrich security incident tickets by pulling threat intelligence and automating response actions across tools like ServiceNow.
  • DevOps engineers — convert natural language prompts into API calls and automate deployment pipelines with Git-based version control.
  • Sales and CRM teams — generate customer insights from review data and supercharge lead automation across sales tools.
  • AI engineers — build and evaluate RAG systems and multi-agent workflows using any AI model, with full traceability and guardrails.

Why Choose This Product

n8n is best suited for technical teams at companies of any size who need full control over their automation logic and data security. Self-hosters get the entire source code, while cloud users can start with a free trial. The product is not designed for non-technical business users who prefer pure no-code tools with no code-writing option.

n8n Pros & Cons

Strengths
  • Top 50 on GitHub with 197,400+ stars
  • 4.7/5 rating on G2
  • Unlimited users and workflows on all plans
  • Pricing per execution, not per step or per user
  • Self-host option with full source code access
Limitations
  • AI Assistant still in preview on Starter and Pro plans
  • Business plan is self-hosted only, no cloud option
  • Free Community Edition has no cloud hosting included

Key Features

🧩

Visual workflow builder

Users drag and connect nodes on a canvas to build automations with visual logic.

💻

Code in any step

JavaScript or Python can be written directly inside any workflow step alongside the visual builder.

🤖

Multi-agent AI support

Build AI agents with multi-agent setups, RAG systems, and connect multiple cloud or offline AI models.

🔍

Traceable AI reasoning

Every step of an agent's reasoning is visible on the canvas with inspectable inputs and outputs.

🔒

Self-hosted deployment

Deploy n8n on-prem with Docker, accessing the full source code on GitHub.

🛡️

Human-in-the-loop guardrails

Enforce structured inputs and outputs and combine human approvals with rule-based automation to control AI actions.

🔌

500+ integrations

Pre-built nodes for common apps plus custom API connections for any other service.

🧪

Step-level debugging

Re-run single steps instead of entire workflows, and replay or mock data without waiting for external systems.

👥

Multi-user collaboration

Unlimited users on all plans with shared projects, admin roles, and instance-level permissions.

📊

Observability and insights

Audit logs, log streaming to SIEM, workflow history, real-time alerts, and usage dashboards are included.

Community Edition
Free one-time
  • Self-hosted version on GitHub
  • Leading editor UI
  • All integrations (nodes)
  • Code steps (JS/Python)
  • Webhooks and queue triggers
  • Unlimited users and workflows
Starter
$20/mo
  • 1 shared project
  • 5 concurrent executions
  • 2,500 workflow executions/month
  • 2,300 AI credits/month
  • Unlimited users
  • Forum support
Most popular
Pro
$50/mo
  • 3 shared projects
  • 20 concurrent executions
  • 10,000 workflow executions/month
  • Up to 13,700 AI credits/month
  • Admin roles
  • Workflow history and execution search
Business
$667/mo
  • 6 shared projects
  • SSO, SAML and LDAP
  • 40,000 workflow executions/month
  • Version control using Git
  • Different environments
  • Self-hosted only
Enterprise
Custom
  • Unlimited shared projects
  • 200+ concurrent executions
  • 365 days of insights
  • Log streaming to SIEM
  • External secret store integration
  • Dedicated support with SLA
Compare plans
Feature
Community Edition
Free one-time
Starter
$20/mo
Pro
$50/mo
Business
$667/mo
Enterprise
Custom
Self-hosted version on GitHub
Leading editor UI
All integrations (nodes)
Code steps (JS/Python)
Webhooks and queue triggers
Unlimited users and workflows
1 shared project
5 concurrent executions
2,500 workflow executions/month
2,300 AI credits/month
Unlimited users
Forum support
3 shared projects
20 concurrent executions
10,000 workflow executions/month
Up to 13,700 AI credits/month
Admin roles
Workflow history and execution search
6 shared projects
SSO, SAML and LDAP
40,000 workflow executions/month
Version control using Git
Different environments
Self-hosted only
Unlimited shared projects
200+ concurrent executions
365 days of insights
Log streaming to SIEM
External secret store integration
Dedicated support with SLA

Pricing extracted from the product website and may change. Check the source for current details.

Frequently asked questions about n8n

Does n8n have a free version?

Yes. A Community Edition is available on GitHub as a self-hosted version of n8n. It includes the leading editor UI, all integrations, code steps, and unlimited users and workflows at no cost.

How does n8n pricing work?

All plans include unlimited users and workflows. Pricing is based on monthly workflow executions regardless of complexity. Unlike competitors, n8n does not charge per step or per user — only when a workflow runs from start to finish.

Can I self-host n8n?

Yes. The full source code is available on GitHub. You can deploy n8n on-prem using Docker, access the entire source code, and self-host it. Cloud hosting is also available.

Is there a startup discount?

Yes. Teams with under 20 employees may qualify for the Start-up Plan, which gives 50% off the Business plan.

Is n8n free?

n8n offers a free plan with optional paid upgrades. See the pricing section for what's included in each tier.

How much does n8n cost?

n8n offers the following plans: Community Edition, Starter, Pro, Business, Enterprise. See the pricing section for what's included in each tier and any per-seat or usage-based costs.

How n8n compares

 
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Starting priceFreeFreeFreeFree
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
PlatformsWebWebWebWeb
Top features
  • Visual workflow builder
  • Code in any step
  • Multi-agent AI support
  • Visual Builder
  • App Integrations
  • AI Agents
  • Zap workflows
  • Tables
  • Forms
  • AI Agent Builder
  • MCP Server Deployment
  • Pipedream Connect SDK
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