What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation platform that combines visual building with the option to write JavaScript or Python anywhere in a workflow. The company says it offers more than 500 integrations, plus custom API connections, and support for building AI agents, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and MCP connections.
You can use n8n's managed cloud (Starter, Pro and Enterprise plans, with a free trial that requires no credit card) or run it on your own infrastructure. A standard self-hosted version is available on GitHub under n8n's fair-code license, and paid self-hosted Business and Enterprise plans add more features.
Self-hosting gives you control over where data lives, but also makes you responsible for updates, security and backups.
What can you use n8n for?
- Building AI agents that call your internal APIs
- Running automations on your own servers for data control
- Complex workflows that need custom code
- Processing documents with AI and routing the results
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Self-hosting option for data control
- Code steps in JavaScript or Python
- AI agent building with human-in-the-loop approvals
Limitations
- Self-hosting requires technical maintenance
- License terms differ from standard open source; read them for commercial use
- Less hand-holding than tools aimed at non-technical users
n8n plans and pricing
Cloud Starter, Pro and Enterprise plans with a free trial (no card required). Self-hosted Community Edition is on GitHub; Business and Enterprise self-hosted plans are paid.
Checked on the official pricing page on 14 October 2026. Plans, limits and prices change often, so confirm the current details before you buy. We do not list prices that we have not verified.
n8n: common questions
Is n8n free?
The official pricing page does not list a standalone free plan for n8n (checked on the official pricing page on 14 October 2026). See the plan details below.
How much does n8n cost?
Cloud Starter, Pro and Enterprise plans with a free trial (no card required). Self-hosted Community Edition is on GitHub; Business and Enterprise self-hosted plans are paid. This was checked on the official pricing page on 14 October 2026; prices change often, so confirm before you buy.
What are the best alternatives to n8n?
Alternatives to n8n listed on Algorixio include Make, Zapier, Activepieces and Microsoft Power Automate. Which one fits depends on your use case, budget and the tools you already use; each has its own page with verified plan details, and our Zapier vs Make vs n8n comparison puts them side by side.
Official sources
Information on this page was last checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Algorixio has not run its own hands-on benchmark of this product.
- n8n pricing n8n.io
- n8n homepage n8n.io
- n8n license documentation docs.n8n.io
