What Is n8n? The Open-Source Workflow Automation Tool Explained
· By AI Compare
n8n is a source-available automation tool you can self-host for free. Here is how it works and who it is for.
What n8n is
n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n", short for "nodemation") is a workflow automation tool you can run in the cloud or on your own server. Like Zapier and Make, it connects apps and moves data between them. Unlike them, it is source-available, can be self-hosted for free, and lets you drop into JavaScript or Python whenever the visual nodes are not enough.
That combination has made n8n the default choice for technical teams, agencies and anyone building AI agents.
How n8n works
- Workflow: one automation, drawn as nodes on a canvas.
- Node: one step. Nodes can be triggers (Gmail Trigger, Webhook, Schedule Trigger) or actions (Google Sheets, Slack, HTTP Request).
- Item: one record flowing through the workflow. Most nodes run once per item.
- Expressions: small snippets inside fields, such as
{{ $json.email }}, that pull data from earlier nodes. - Credentials: saved logins for each connected app, encrypted and reusable across workflows.
Core logic nodes include IF, Switch, Filter, Merge, Loop Over Items, Wait, Edit Fields (Set) and Code. The HTTP Request node can call any API, so you are never blocked by a missing integration.
n8n also has built-in AI nodes: an AI Agent node, chat models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, vector stores and memory. You can build chatbots and RAG pipelines in the same canvas as your normal automations.
Ways to run n8n
| Option | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | From €20/month (billed annually) | Teams that want zero server maintenance |
| Self-hosted Community Edition | Free software; you pay for the server | Technical teams, high volume, data control |
| Self-hosted Business/Enterprise | From €667/month | Companies needing SSO, Git version control, support |
See how to install n8n and self-host n8n for under $10/month.
n8n pricing: executions
n8n Cloud bills per execution. One execution is one full run of a workflow, no matter how many nodes it has.
| Plan | Price | Executions per month |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | From €20/month (billed annually) | 2,500 |
| Pro | From €50/month (billed annually) | 10,000 |
| Business | From €667/month (billed annually, self-hosted) | 40,000 |
| Community (self-hosted) | Free | Unlimited |
Prices from n8n.io, October 2026.
This is the big difference from Zapier and Make. A 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one, so complex automations become dramatically cheaper.
The license in plain English
n8n uses the Sustainable Use License. In short, you can use n8n for free for your own business, including commercial internal use, and you can build workflows for clients as a consultant. What you cannot do without a commercial agreement is host n8n and sell access to it as your own product (for example, a white-labelled automation SaaS). Read the license text before building a product on top of it.
Who n8n is for
n8n is a good fit if:
- You run high volume or long workflows and want predictable costs.
- You need data to stay on your own servers.
- Someone on the team is comfortable with JSON, APIs and a little code.
- You are building AI agents or LLM workflows.
n8n is a weaker fit if:
- Nobody on the team is technical and you need results today.
- You do not want to own server updates, backups and security (choose n8n Cloud in that case).
