What Is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation system based on fair code connecting applications, APIs, and databases using a visual node-based editor allowing the creation of workflows with little coding. Pronounced “n-eight-n” for short, “nodemation”, n8n GmbH is the name of the company which created n8n and it was incorporated in 2019 by Jan Oberhauser in Berlin, Germany.

Workflows in n8n are made up of nodes. Every node does one thing: Trigger initiates a workflow, Action does something and Connection transfers data from one node to another. In other words, the user may create a workflow that tracks the inbox of Gmail for new messages and puts the message on the wall of Slack without programming. Any workflow can be customized with custom JavaScript or Python when visual nodes are not sufficient.

There are two modes of n8n operation: Community Edition of self-hosted software which is free or n8n Cloud which is a hosting mode based on monthly workflow execution.

Who Built n8n, and Why

N8n was started by Jan Oberhauser in early 2019 in a Berlin apartment. Prior to developing n8n, he had been working in film production in the field of visual effects, including the film Maleficent.

Oberhauser released the initial version of n8n on Github in 2019. Within five months of its release, the application had reached 10,000 stars on GitHub.

The following table provides the funding history of n8n.

Round	Date	Amount	Lead Investor(s)
Seed	March 2020	$1.5 million	Sequoia Capital, firstminute capital
Series A	April 2021	$12 million	Felicis Ventures
Series B	March 2025	€55 million (~$60 million)	Highland Europe
Series C	October 2025	$180 million	Accel

As of the October 2025 Series C round, n8n was valued at $2.5 billion. The company reports more than 200,000 active users and over 3,000 enterprise customers. 

How n8n Actually Works

A workflow in n8n consists of a chain of nodes. Each node takes up one of the four types of roles:

• Trigger — initiates the workflow. Trigger types: new row in Google Sheets, webhook, time interval.
• Action — takes place after the trigger. Action types: sending a Slack message, inserting data in a database, calling an API.
• Condition — directs the workflow according to logical conditions. Condition type: “if the deal amount is more than $10,000, inform the sales manager; otherwise, save the record.”
• Output — the output of the workflow. Types of output: email, record in the database, file generation.

A simple example is a workflow that is initiated by the addition of a new row in a Google sheet and sends a notification to a Slack channel. Creating this type of workflow involves two nodes and no coding.

Nodes and Triggers

Triggers are categorized into three types in n8n; App triggers (fires upon the occurrence of an event within a connected app, for instance, a new email), schedule triggers (fires at predefined time intervals, for example, every hour), and webhook triggers (fires whenever an HTTP request from another application reaches n8n).

The Visual Canvas

Nodes are represented as connected blocks within a visual canvas. To create a node within a workflow, the user clicks on the plus button on the canvas, searches for the required node by the app or functionality it represents, and sets up any required credentials or input.

Is n8n No-Code, Low-Code, or Pro-Code?

The n8n platform is both a low-code and pro-code environment. Non-tech users are able to develop full workflows through nodes and the graphical canvas without having to write any code at all. Developers can enhance any workflow through the use of a Code node where they can run their own JavaScript or Python code, as well as develop custom nodes using the n8n SDK.

n8n vs. Zapier vs. Make — How It’s Different

The table below compares n8n, Zapier, and Make (formerly Integromat) across the factors that most affect platform choice.

Factor	n8n	Zapier	Make
Self-hosting	Yes, free (Community Edition)	No	No
Pricing basis	Per workflow execution	Per task	Per operation
Starting cloud price	$20/month (annual billing)	$19.99/month	$9/month
Integration count	400+	7,000+	2,000+
Custom code support	JavaScript and Python (Code node)	Limited (Code steps on paid plans)	Limited (custom apps, paid plans)
Data residency control	Full, on self-hosted deployments	Cloud only (US servers)	Cloud only (EU servers available)
Best fit	Technical teams needing self-hosting, complex logic, or high execution volume	Non-technical teams needing the widest app coverage	Teams needing visual branching logic without full self-hosting

n8n is billed based on execution of the workflows, not per step. Hence a workflow with ten steps or with two steps will use up one execution when run in n8n. On the other hand, Zapier and Make will bill for the tasks performed or the operations carried out.

Self-Hosted vs. n8n Cloud

Factor	Self-Hosted (Community Edition)	n8n Cloud
Cost	Free software; server costs apply (typically $4–$20/month for a small VPS)	$20–$800/month depending on plan and execution volume
Setup	Requires Docker or Node.js installation and server management	No installation; managed by n8n
Execution limits	None	2,500 to 40,000+ executions per month, depending on plan
Data control	Full — data remains on the user’s infrastructure	Data processed on n8n’s managed servers
Maintenance	User is responsible for updates and uptime	Managed by n8n

Self-hosting will require either Node.js or Docker. Installation with Docker involves: downloading Docker Desktop, creation of a local data folder for data persistence, pull of the n8n official image and running the container with host port mapping to 5678.

What Can You Actually Build With n8n? (Real Use Cases)

n8n workflows work in five typical business functions:

• AI workflow automation. Examples include creation of summary notes from transcripts, creation of RAG pipelines with internal documents, creating AI-generated content for review.
• Sales and CRM automation. Examples include capture of form leads and writing them to CRM, enriching leads data through the use of API, like Clearbit, scoring the leads according to some criteria before assigning it to a salesperson.
• Customer support automation. Examples include writing ticket replies with the help of AI models, sorting tickets by keywords or their tone, escalation of tickets which require attention from a helpdesk platform to human agents.
• E-commerce automation. Examples include order confirmation emails through Shopify, synchronization of inventories from a store and spreadsheets, follow-up emails after purchase.
• Data synchronization. Examples include synchronization of customer data from a PostgreSQL database to Google Sheets, scheduling backups on cloud storage, data input into dashboard software like Looker.

AI and LLM Workflows

Features of n8n 2.0 released in January 2026 are native LangChain support, over 70 artificial intelligence-specific nodes, AI Agent Tool for multi-agent orchestration, persistence of agent memory through workflow runs, and vector database support for generation with augmentation. Some of the supported integrations for AI and developer workflows include OpenAI, HuggingFace, Cohere, GitHub, GitLab, and Jenkins. 

How Much Does n8n Cost?

n8n Cloud offers four pricing tiers, billed per month of workflow executions. 

Plan	Monthly Price (Annual Billing)	Monthly Executions	Hosting
Community Edition	Free (self-hosted)	Unlimited	User-managed server
Starter	$20	2,500	n8n-hosted
Pro	$50	10,000	n8n-hosted
Business	$667 (self-hosted)	40,000	Self-hosted with Business license
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	Self-hosted or managed

The Community Edition is free software with no execution limit; the only cost is server infrastructure, typically $4 to $20 per month on a small virtual private server.

Is n8n Actually Open Source?

The n8n software is not open source software according to OSI definition since it is source-available software under a fair-code license termed as Sustainable Use License (SUL). The SUL was launched in March 2022 and allows users to freely use, modify, and distribute the n8n software’s source code internally for commercial or non-commercial reasons. However, reselling the n8n source code as a competing hosted software is restricted without a commercial licensing arrangement. The enterprise-only functionalities of the n8n software are licensed differently via the n8n Enterprise License.

The Honest Limitations

n8n has four documented limitations relevant to platform selection:

1. Learning curve

The ability to leverage the complete functionalities of n8n through the use of Code node, custom nodes and API-based triggers requires knowledge of JavaScript and REST APIs. Non-technical users can create workflows but cannot leverage the complete capabilities of n8n without technical assistance.

2. Self-hosting maintenance. 

With self-hosting, the responsibility to maintain server up-to-date and secure lies on the shoulder of the user. With n8n Cloud, this responsibility is eliminated but with added expenses of a monthly subscription fee.

3. Integration count

n8n has more than 400 pre-built integrations compared to Zapier’s 7000+ integrations. Connecting apps that are not supported by n8n requires the creation of an HTTP Request node for the app’s API.

4. Execution-based scaling. 

Frequent polling workflows that poll at a set interval and do not respond to webhooks will consume executions faster than the event-driven workflows.

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