n8n
by n8n GmbH
Open-source workflow automation with AI capabilities and self-hosting option
Score
Score
Our verdict
n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with 400+ integrations, AI agent capabilities, and the option to self-host for complete data control.
Overview
Screenshot
Score breakdown
Overall score
Scores are editorial assessments by the Compare Best AI team on a 0–10 scale.
Expert review
CompareBestAI Team
Compare Best AI · Editorial Team
n8n is a powerful open-source workflow automation platform that has gained significant traction as an alternative to Zapier and Make. Its killer feature is the combination of visual workflow building with the ability to write custom code when needed.
How we tested
Days tested
21 days
Tasks evaluated
- ·Self-hosted installation
- ·AI agent building
- ·Complex workflow creation
- ·API integration
- ·Performance benchmarking
Method
Compared against Zapier and Make for workflow automation
Reviewer
CompareBestAI Team
Plans & pricing
Community (Self-hosted)
Developers and technical teams
- Unlimited workflows
- All integrations
- Self-hosted
- Community support
- Full source code access
Starter (Cloud)
Small teams
- 2,500 executions
- 5 active workflows
- Cloud hosted
- Basic support
Pro (Cloud)
Growing teams
- 10,000 executions
- 15 active workflows
- Version history
- Global variables
- Priority support
Enterprise
Large organizations
- Unlimited executions
- SSO/SAML
- Audit logging
- Dedicated support
- Custom SLA
- Multi-instance
Pricing may vary by region. Always verify on the vendor's website.
Feature comparison
| Feature | n8n | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI | |||
| Native AI/LLM integration | |||
| Deployment | |||
| Self-hosting option | |||
| Code | |||
| Inline code (JS/Python) | |||
| Pricing | |||
| Free self-hosted tier | |||
| Source | |||
| Open source | |||
Is it right for you?
Good fit for
AI automation builders
Best-in-class LLM integration for building AI agents and pipelines
Data-sovereign teams
Self-host for complete control over your data
Developers
Code nodes, API access, and full customization
Budget-conscious teams
Free self-hosted version with no execution limits
Less suited for
Non-technical users
Steeper learning curve than Zapier or Make
Teams needing managed service
Self-hosting requires DevOps knowledge
Simple automations
Overkill for basic two-app connections
User reviews
Editorial score
Distribution is estimated from our editorial score. Verified user reviews coming soon.
Use cases
Typical ways teams rely on this tool — from everyday tasks to specialized workflows.
- Workflow automation
- AI agent building
- API integration
- Data pipeline
- ETL processes
- DevOps automation
Integrations
Reported connectors
Apps and services commonly connected out of the box or via official connectors.
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Google AI
- Slack
- GitHub
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- AWS
- Google Sheets
- Airtable
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
Privacy & compliance
Security & data practices
Highlights we track from the vendor's documentation. Always confirm current terms, subprocessors, and regional policies on their official site.
- GDPR-ready
- SSO/SAML
- On-prem/self-hosted
Details
Category
Price
- $0/mo
Free version
Best for
- Self-hosted automation
- AI agent workflows
- developer-friendly app integrations
Frequently asked questions
n8n
Automation & AI Ops
Ready to get started?
Visit the n8n website to explore plans and start your free trial.
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