n8n

AI agents and workflows you can see and control.

Overview

n8n lets teams automate business processes and build AI agents through a hybrid visual-and-code workflow builder. Triggers can come from app events, webhooks, cron jobs, or chat, and workflows can merge, filter, and transform data before handing off to 400+ pre-built app integrations or a raw HTTP request node for anything else. Built-in AI nodes support multi-step, multi-agent setups with human-in-the-loop approval and structured inputs/outputs, so teams can inspect and control what an agent actually does rather than treating it as a black box.

It can be deployed as a managed cloud service or self-hosted via Docker/Kubernetes (including air-gapped networks), with Git-based version control, environment management, SSO/SAML/RBAC, and audit logs for enterprise teams. Pricing is based on workflow executions rather than per-step tasks, so a 20-step workflow costs the same as a 2-step one, a structurally different (and often cheaper) model than task-based competitors like Zapier.

Key Features

  • Visual Editor: Drag-and-drop workflow editor with optional JavaScript/Python code nodes.

  • 400+ Integrations: Pre-built app integrations, plus an HTTP request node for anything else.

  • Native AI Nodes: LangChain-based AI nodes for multi-step, multi-agent workflows.

  • Human-in-the-Loop: Human approvals and structured inputs/outputs for AI agent control.

  • Flexible Hosting: Self-hosted (Docker/Kubernetes, air-gapped) or managed cloud deployment.

  • Version Control: Git-based version control and environment management.

  • Enterprise Access Controls: SSO/SAML/LDAP, role-based access control, and audit logs (Business/Enterprise).

  • Execution-Based Pricing: Billed per workflow execution, not per-step task.

  • Template Library: 10,000+ community workflow templates.

  • Step-Level Debugging: Re-run individual steps, replay data, and inline logs.

Pricing

Starting price

€20/mo

  • Community Edition: Free, self-hosted. Unlimited executions and access to the full integration catalog; you manage your own infrastructure.

  • Starter: €20/month billed annually. 2,500 workflow executions, unlimited users and workflows, 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions.

  • Pro: €50/month billed annually. 10,000 workflow executions, 3 shared projects, 20 concurrent executions.

  • Business: €667/month billed annually. 40,000 workflow executions, 6 shared projects, SSO/SAML/LDAP, 30 days of insights, environments, and Git-based version control.

  • Enterprise: Custom pricing. Unlimited executions and full enterprise controls.

Note: n8n's cloud plans are priced in EUR. Startups with fewer than 20 employees can apply for 50% off the Business plan. Disclaimer: pricing may change, confirm on n8n's own pricing page before buying.

Pros

  • No-Code/Code Flexibility: Genuine flexibility to mix no-code visual building with custom code exactly where needed.

  • Free Self-Hosting: A free, fully-featured self-hosted Community Edition gives real data control and no vendor lock-in.

  • Cheaper At Scale: Execution-based pricing is meaningfully cheaper than task-based competitors for complex workflows.

  • Strong AI Tooling: LangChain-based nodes and multi-agent support.

  • Active Community: A large, active open-source community (195,000+ GitHub stars).

  • High Ratings: Very high user ratings, G2 4.5/5, Capterra 4.9/5.

Cons

  • Learning Curve: Steep for non-technical users once you go beyond basic workflows (JSON, expressions, API concepts).

  • Self-Hosting Friction: Deployment and maintenance can be fiddly; documentation is thin for some integrations.

  • Smaller Integration Catalog: Fewer native integrations than Zapier's much larger catalog (400+ vs. Zapier's 7,000+).

  • Pricing Gap: A steep price jump from Pro (€50/mo) to Business (€667/mo), with no middle tier.

  • Custom Enterprise Pricing: The Enterprise tier is quote-only, no published pricing.

What Makes It Unique

  • Execution-Based Pricing: n8n's clearest differentiator is charging per workflow execution rather than per step or task, so a complex 20-step automation costs the same as a simple 2-step one, unlike Zapier's task-based model. Combined with a genuinely free, fully-featured self-hosted option, it gives technical teams a level of cost control and data ownership that closed, cloud-only competitors don't offer.

Kay Score

8.7

/ 10

Tool Information

Pricing

€20/mo

Category

Automation & AI Agents

Platform

Web / iOS / Android

Last Updated

Top Alternatives

Manus

A general-purpose AI agent that goes off and does the task for you

Manus is an autonomous AI agent that takes a task like researching a topic, building a spreadsheet, or writing code, and works through it on its own, browsing the web and running tools as needed, then hands back a finished result. It's less a chatbot and more a virtual assistant you assign work to. It runs on a credit system, so cost tracks how much work each task actually takes rather than a flat seat price.

Automation & AI Agents

Usage-based via credits; cheapest paid plan is around $20/mo for 4,000 monthly credits (no flat per-task price)

Manus

A general-purpose AI agent that goes off and does the task for you

Manus is an autonomous AI agent that takes a task like researching a topic, building a spreadsheet, or writing code, and works through it on its own, browsing the web and running tools as needed, then hands back a finished result. It's less a chatbot and more a virtual assistant you assign work to. It runs on a credit system, so cost tracks how much work each task actually takes rather than a flat seat price.

Automation & AI Agents

Usage-based via credits; cheapest paid plan is around $20/mo for 4,000 monthly credits (no flat per-task price)

Toyo

An AI executive assistant that lives in iMessage, WhatsApp and Slack, and calls your phone

Toyo is an AI agent built for non-technical founders and small teams who need an executive assistant but can't hire one. It runs on a cloud computer with browser and app access, so it can triage your inbox, prep you for meetings, research prospects, and draft outreach, all through a normal text or voice conversation. There's no dashboard to learn; you just message it like you would a real assistant, and it asks for your approval before taking any action outside its sandbox.

Automation & AI Agents

$29/mo

Toyo

An AI executive assistant that lives in iMessage, WhatsApp and Slack, and calls your phone

Toyo is an AI agent built for non-technical founders and small teams who need an executive assistant but can't hire one. It runs on a cloud computer with browser and app access, so it can triage your inbox, prep you for meetings, research prospects, and draft outreach, all through a normal text or voice conversation. There's no dashboard to learn; you just message it like you would a real assistant, and it asks for your approval before taking any action outside its sandbox.

Automation & AI Agents

$29/mo

Sim

An open-source workspace for building and running AI agent workflows

Sim is an open-source platform for building, deploying, and managing AI agents that automate work across your other tools. You design workflows on a visual canvas, connect them to 1,000+ integrations like Slack, HubSpot, and Notion, and run them with any major LLM provider. It's aimed at technical teams, not casual users, though the visual builder keeps it from feeling like pure code.

Automation & AI Agents

$25/mo

Sim

An open-source workspace for building and running AI agent workflows

Sim is an open-source platform for building, deploying, and managing AI agents that automate work across your other tools. You design workflows on a visual canvas, connect them to 1,000+ integrations like Slack, HubSpot, and Notion, and run them with any major LLM provider. It's aimed at technical teams, not casual users, though the visual builder keeps it from feeling like pure code.

Automation & AI Agents

$25/mo

Never miss an AI breakthrough

Join 10,000+ subscribers getting the latest AI tools, news, and tips delivered straight to their inbox every Tuesday.