n8n
n8n reviewed: how the node-based builder works, whether n8n is open source (Sustainable Use License), cloud vs self-hosted pricing as of October 2026.
Node-based workflow automation you can self-host, licensed under the fair-code Sustainable Use License.
Best for
Technical ops and engineering teams that want visual automation with code escape hatches and the option to self-host.
Not great for
Non-technical users who want the simplest possible builder, or companies that want to resell automation as a hosted product.
Verdict
The default pick for self-hosted visual automation. Execution-based pricing is generous for complex workflows; self-hosting shifts cost to your ops team.
Pros
- + Self-hostable, so data can stay in your infrastructure
- + Priced per workflow execution, not per step
- + Code nodes make it practical for technical teams
Cons
- − Sustainable Use License is not OSI open source
- − Steeper learning curve than Zapier for non-technical users
- − Self-hosting means owning upgrades, backups and scaling
Key features
- • Visual node-based workflow editor
- • Code nodes for JavaScript and Python
- • Webhook, schedule and app event triggers
- • HTTP Request node for any REST API
- • AI agent and LLM nodes
- • Self-hosting via Docker Compose
- • Cloud hosting by n8n
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation platform with a node-based visual editor that you can run on n8n’s cloud or self-host on your own servers. Each workflow is a graph of nodes: a trigger (webhook, schedule, app event) followed by actions, transformations, branches and code. It sits between Zapier-style no-code tools and code-first engines: visual enough for ops, flexible enough for engineers.
Is n8n open source?
Not in the OSI sense. n8n’s source code is public on GitHub, but it is licensed under n8n’s own Sustainable Use License (n8n calls the model “fair-code”). The license lets you use and modify n8n for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial and personal use. It does not let you sell n8n itself as a service to others. Files marked .ee (enterprise features) require a separate n8n Enterprise license. For most companies automating their own processes, self-hosting the Community Edition is allowed; for agencies or SaaS vendors embedding it in a product, read the license carefully.
How n8n works
- Trigger nodes start a workflow: an incoming webhook, a cron-style schedule, or an app event such as a new HubSpot contact.
- Action and transform nodes call apps, reshape JSON, filter, merge and branch. The HTTP Request node covers any API without a dedicated integration.
- Code nodes run JavaScript or Python when the visual nodes are not enough.
- Executions are logged, so you can inspect inputs and outputs per node and re-run failed runs.
For self-hosting, n8n recommends Docker Compose for production. npm installation is deprecated as of n8n 3.0.
n8n pricing
As of October 2026, n8n prices cloud and business plans by monthly workflow executions, where one execution is a full run of a workflow regardless of how many steps it has:
- Community Edition: free to self-host from GitHub.
- Starter: €20/month billed annually, 2,500 executions, hosted by n8n.
- Pro: €50/month billed annually, 10,000 executions, hosted by n8n.
- Business: €667/month billed annually, 40,000 executions, self-hosted.
- Enterprise: custom pricing, hosted or self-hosted.
Execution-based pricing favors long, multi-step workflows. A 15-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one, which is the opposite of task-based tools. See n8n.io/pricing for current figures.
Who n8n is for (and not for)
Good fit: technical ops teams, GTM engineers and developers who want to own their automation infrastructure, keep data in-house, or run AI agent workflows with custom code.
Poor fit: teams with no one comfortable reading JSON, and companies that intend to resell automation to customers under their own brand.
n8n alternatives
- Zapier and Make for fully hosted, less technical builders; see Zapier vs n8n and Make vs n8n.
- Pipedream for code-first serverless workflows; see n8n vs Pipedream.
- Activepieces if you want an MIT-licensed core.
- The full list: n8n alternatives.
How n8n compares to Automatite
Both target technical ops teams with a visual builder plus code steps. Automatite leans on workflow versioning and observability as first-class features and is part of the GTMStack platform, so GTMStack app events can trigger workflows directly. If self-hosting under your own control is the deciding factor, n8n is the more established option. A detailed breakdown is on Automatite vs n8n.
FAQ
Is n8n open source?
Its source is public, but it uses the Sustainable Use License, which restricts commercial resale. It is “fair-code”, not OSI-approved open source.
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free to use for internal purposes. n8n Cloud and the Business and Enterprise plans are paid.
Can I self-host n8n?
Yes. Docker Compose is the recommended production setup.