n8n

n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform that connects APIs, databases, and AI agents with a flexible visual builder you can self-host.

Overview

n8n is a workflow automation tool built for technical teams. Its node-based editor connects hundreds of services, and any gap can be closed with JavaScript or Python code steps, HTTP requests, and custom nodes. Because it can run on your own infrastructure, it is a popular choice for privacy-sensitive automation and AI agent backends. The community contributes templates and nodes, and native AI features let workflows orchestrate LLM calls with structured data.

Automation tools usually force a choice between simplicity and control, and n8n refuses that trade-off. Its node graph handles straightforward app-to-app flows, yet every step can contain real code, call any HTTP endpoint, or run a custom node, which keeps complex processes possible.

Self-hosting is the other pillar of its popularity: workflows can touch internal databases and AI models without exporting data to a third-party cloud. Together with fair-code licensing and an active community sharing templates, this makes n8n a default choice for engineering-led automation and AI agent backbones.

Community templates cover the most common integrations, so new workflows rarely start from scratch. Version control and environment separation support professional development practice.

Key Features

• Visual workflow builder with 400+ integrations and custom code nodes
• Self-hosting via Docker or npm for full data control
• AI agent nodes that combine LLMs with tools, memory, and structured output
• Webhooks, cron triggers, error handling, and human-in-the-loop steps
• Git-based source control and environment separation for teams
• Queue mode and horizontal scaling for high-volume execution

Pricing

n8n is free to self-host under a fair-code license. Managed cloud plans are billed by workflow executions per month, and enterprise plans add advanced sharing, SSO, and support.

Who Is It For

Developers, ops engineers, and automation power users who need more flexibility than no-code tools allow, plus teams building AI agent pipelines that must stay inside their own cloud.

Execution data is inspectable, which makes debugging automations far easier than chasing failures across disconnected scripts.

FAQ

Is n8n free to use?

Yes when self-hosted; the cloud service and enterprise features are paid.

Does n8n offer an API?

Yes, n8n exposes a public REST API for managing workflows and executions, plus webhooks for triggering runs from external systems.

How does n8n compare to alternatives?

Compared with Zapier and Make, n8n is more developer-friendly and self-hostable; compared with custom scripts, it adds visibility, retries, and an editor for non-authors.