Yes — n8n is open source under the Sustainable Use License and free to self-host. The hosted n8n Cloud has paid tiers starting around $20/month for teams that don't want to manage infrastructure.

What can n8n automate?

Lead capture and CRM sync, invoice and document processing, social media publishing, AI agent workflows with LLMs, customer support routing, data ETL between databases, and internal Slack or email notifications — anything where data moves between apps on a trigger.

Guide · 8 min read

What Is n8n Workflow Automation?

Q: Is n8n better than Zapier?

For high-volume, complex, or multi-branch workflows, n8n is usually cheaper and more flexible because pricing is per-execution (not per-task) and you can run arbitrary code. For simple two-step automations on a small budget, Zapier's polished UX and bigger integration library still win.

A plain-English guide to what n8n is, what it does, and when it's the right pick over Zapier or Make.

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n", short for "nodemation") is an open-source workflow automation platform. You drag nodes onto a canvas, wire them together, and each node calls an app (Gmail, Slack, Airtable, OpenAI, your own database) or runs a bit of code. When a trigger fires — a new email, a webhook, a schedule — the workflow runs and the work gets done without anyone touching it.

Think of it as a visual programming environment built specifically for moving data between SaaS tools and APIs. It's what powers a lot of the "AI automation" you see online: an n8n workflow sits in the middle, ingests an event, asks an LLM what to do, and writes the result back into your stack.

What n8n is good at

400+ native integrations — Gmail, Slack, Notion, Airtable, HubSpot, Stripe, OpenAI, Anthropic, plus every major database.
Self-hosting — run it on your own server, VPS, or Docker container. Your data never leaves your infrastructure.
Code when you need it — drop in a JavaScript or Python node for anything the visual editor can't express.
Per-execution pricing on Cloud — much cheaper than per-task tools at scale.
Native AI nodes — built-in support for LangChain, vector stores, and agentic loops.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make

Capability	n8n	Zapier	Make
Self-hostable	Yes (free)	No	No
Pricing model	Per workflow execution	Per task	Per operation
Code nodes	JS + Python	Limited	JS only
AI / LLM nodes	First-class	Available	Available
Best for	Devs, agencies, complex flows	Non-technical, simple flows	Visual builders, mid-complexity

Real workflows we've shipped on n8n

Lead-to-CRM: webhook from a landing form → enrich with Clearbit → score against ICP using GPT-4 → assign in HubSpot → Slack ping the rep. Replaces ~3 manual steps per lead.
Invoice processing: Gmail trigger on supplier PDFs → vision model extracts line items → validate totals → push to Xero. Saves 8–12 hours/week for a 15-person ops team.
Content repurposing: new YouTube video → transcribe with Whisper → LLM drafts LinkedIn post, tweet, and newsletter blurb → queue in Buffer. One upload, five channels.

When to pick n8n

Choose n8n when:

Your workflow has 5+ steps or branches.
You're running thousands of executions per month and Zapier's task tier hurts.
Data sensitivity means you want to self-host.
You need an AI agent step (LLM call + tool use + memory).

Stick with Zapier or Make when the workflow is two or three steps, your team isn't technical, and volume is modest.

FAQ

Is n8n free?

Yes — n8n is open source and free to self-host. n8n Cloud starts around $20/month for managed hosting.

Is n8n better than Zapier?

For complex or high-volume workflows, yes — usually cheaper and far more flexible. For simple ones, Zapier's UX still wins.

Do I need to code to use n8n?

No. 90% of workflows are pure drag-and-drop. Code nodes are there for the edge cases.