Description
< #Workflow Automation #AI Agents #Zapier Alternative #Self-hosted #Low Code #Source Available
n8n is a workflow automation platform you can host yourself, and it is regularly used as an alternative to Zapier — where Zapier bills by task volume and a team plan quickly reaches hundreds of dollars a month, a self-hosted n8n does not charge per run at all.
The canvas is visual without trapping you in drag and drop: when a step needs precise control you can drop into JavaScript or Python, npm packages included. Over 1,500 integrations and 9,000 workflow templates mean common connections do not start from scratch, and the same workflow carries from prototype to production. Beyond classic automation, AI agents are first-class here.
Visual canvas: drag and connect nodes to orchestrate multi-step workflows, with branches, conditions, loops and human approvals all on the same diagram.
Code where it matters: JavaScript or Python code nodes drop into any visual flow, npm packages included, so complex logic does not have to bend to the tool.
1,500+ integrations: common SaaS products, databases, messaging and file services have ready-made nodes, plus more than 9,000 community templates to adopt or adapt.
AI workflows and agents: build multi-step AI agents on your own data, models and tools, with tool use, human approval steps and full observability.
No model lock-in: connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models and switch providers without rearchitecting the workflow.
One command to start: `curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh` or a single docker run brings it up, with the editor waiting on port 5678.
Enterprise-ready deployment: self-host or deploy securely with role-based access control and audit trails, keeping sensitive data inside your own environment.
Extensible nodes: beyond the official catalog you can write your own nodes and bring internal systems into workflows the same way.
Source available: the code is hosted on GitHub under the fair-code Sustainable Use License — always visible, self-hostable and extensible, free for internal use, with an enterprise license required for cases such as reselling it as a service.
n8n is a workflow automation platform you can host yourself, and it is regularly used as an alternative to Zapier — where Zapier bills by task volume and a team plan quickly reaches hundreds of dollars a month, a self-hosted n8n does not charge per run at all.
The canvas is visual without trapping you in drag and drop: when a step needs precise control you can drop into JavaScript or Python, npm packages included. Over 1,500 integrations and 9,000 workflow templates mean common connections do not start from scratch, and the same workflow carries from prototype to production. Beyond classic automation, AI agents are first-class here.
Features
Visual canvas: drag and connect nodes to orchestrate multi-step workflows, with branches, conditions, loops and human approvals all on the same diagram.
Code where it matters: JavaScript or Python code nodes drop into any visual flow, npm packages included, so complex logic does not have to bend to the tool.
1,500+ integrations: common SaaS products, databases, messaging and file services have ready-made nodes, plus more than 9,000 community templates to adopt or adapt.
AI workflows and agents: build multi-step AI agents on your own data, models and tools, with tool use, human approval steps and full observability.
No model lock-in: connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models and switch providers without rearchitecting the workflow.
One command to start: `curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh` or a single docker run brings it up, with the editor waiting on port 5678.
Enterprise-ready deployment: self-host or deploy securely with role-based access control and audit trails, keeping sensitive data inside your own environment.
Extensible nodes: beyond the official catalog you can write your own nodes and bring internal systems into workflows the same way.
Source available: the code is hosted on GitHub under the fair-code Sustainable Use License — always visible, self-hostable and extensible, free for internal use, with an enterprise license required for cases such as reselling it as a service.
