n8n
n8n is a workflow automation platform for technical teams that combines a visual editor, code and AI agents, and can be self-hosted or used in the cloud.
About this tool
n8n is an automation platform built for technical teams. Workflows are assembled visually on a canvas, but any step can drop into code, and custom API calls cover services without a ready-made node. It ships with hundreds of integrations and can connect to anything that speaks MCP, including assistants such as Claude.
Its AI features centre on agents you can inspect: each step of an agent’s reasoning is visible on the canvas, models can be swapped between cloud and local options, and humans can be kept in the loop. n8n is fair-code licensed, with a self-hosted version on GitHub, including air-gapped deployments. Cloud plans charge per full workflow execution rather than per step or user.
What you can do
Visual workflows plus code
Build automations on a canvas and add code where needed, with custom API connections for services lacking a node.
Inspectable AI agents
Agents, multi-agent setups and RAG systems show each reasoning step on the canvas, with options for human approval.
Self-hosting
Run n8n on your own infrastructure, including air-gapped environments, using the fair-code licensed version on GitHub.
Execution-based pricing
Cloud plans count full workflow executions, so complex workflows with many steps cost the same as simple ones.
Who is it for?
- An engineering team builds an internal agent that answers questions from company documents.
- An operations team automates ticket triage with AI and a human approval step.
- A regulated company self-hosts automations so data never leaves its network.
Before you choose
The fair-code licence has conditions for commercial redistribution; read it before embedding n8n in a product you sell.
Self-hosting gives control but makes you responsible for updates, backups and security of the instance.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n open source?
n8n describes itself as fair-code licensed: the source is available and can be self-hosted, with licence conditions on some commercial uses.
How does n8n Cloud pricing work?
Cloud plans are priced by monthly workflow executions, counting a full run from start to finish rather than each step.
Can n8n use local AI models?
Yes, n8n lets you swap between cloud and offline models without rebuilding workflows, which suits privacy-sensitive setups.
Check the official website for current features, pricing, and terms.
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