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Source-backed analysis10

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

10 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
n8n logo

n8n Review

Fair-code workflow automation, on the cloud or self-hosted

Editorial Team7.5/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • API
Freemium · €20.00/mo
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

n8n suits technical teams that want flexible workflows and AI agents, and that either keep data on their own infrastructure or prefer billing per workflow run rather than per step. The trade-offs are a licence that is not pure open source, a steeper start than simpler drag-and-drop tools, and dedicated support only on Enterprise.

Best for: Technical teams that self-host to control data and cost at high workflow volume.

Skip it if: Non-technical users who only need a few simple automations and want hands-on support.

Pros

  • Self-hosted Community edition has no execution cap, only server costs.
  • One execution is one whole workflow run, regardless of the number of steps.
  • Source code is public on GitHub with a large community (nearly 210,000 stars) and more than 9,000 workflow templates.

Cons

  • The Sustainable Use License limits use to internal business or non-commercial purposes; it is not an OSI-approved open-source license.
  • The cheapest Cloud plan has only 2,500 executions a month, and the pricing page is inconsistent on some Pro figures.
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • AI agent and MCP nodes are included from the lowest plan, plus an HTTP Request node for any API.

Cons

  • Support is forum-only on Starter, Pro and Business; SLA support is Enterprise only. Self-hosting means running it yourself.
  • Trustpilot shows only 3.0/5 across 49 reviews, low for a project this popular.

Best for

  • Builders of workflows and AI agents who want a visual canvas combined with custom code.

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation platform founded by Jan Oberhauser in Berlin in 2019. Its homepage calls it "the platform for agents and workflows you can follow", built around a visual editor with optional code. The source is public on GitHub under a fair-code model, released under the Sustainable Use License and the n8n Enterprise License.

How it works and key features

Each workflow is a chain of nodes: triggers, apps, code and AI nodes. The homepage cites 500+ native integrations, while the GitHub README says 1,500+ along with 9,000+ workflow templates; an HTTP Request node reaches any API. AI Agent and MCP nodes are included from the lowest plans. Recent release notes show Agents (Preview since 2.40), a scheduler that stores upcoming runs in the database since 2.45, and personal credentials in team projects in 2.46.

Pricing and value

The Community edition is free to self-host. On Cloud, per the pricing page (annual prices): Starter is 20 EUR a month for 2,500 executions and Pro is 50 EUR a month for 10,000. Business is 667 EUR a month for 40,000 and is currently self-hosted only; Enterprise is quoted. One execution is one whole workflow run regardless of steps, which makes costs differ from tools that bill per task. The pricing page offers no pro-rata refunds.

More analysis

Who should consider it, and alternatives

n8n suits teams with someone technical enough to run workflows who want control over where data lives. For simple automations, services such as Zapier or Make may be easier to start with, while n8n expects some comfort with JSON-style data and, if self-hosted, updates and backups are on you. Note the licence: n8n calls itself fair-code rather than open source as OSI defines it, and use is limited to internal business or non-commercial purposes.

Screenshots

n8n's visual workflow canvas, from the official GitHub README
n8n's visual workflow canvas, from the official GitHub README
Promotional image from the n8n.io homepage
Promotional image from the n8n.io homepage

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Community

Personal

Free

Free self-hosted edition on GitHub under the Sustainable Use License. You run the server, updates and backups yourself; Enterprise features need a separate license.

Starter

Personal

€20/mo

20 EUR per month billed annually (the pricing page shows annual prices only). Runs on n8n Cloud with 2,500 workflow executions a month, 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions, up to 5 minutes per execution, 7-day log retention and 1,600 assistant credits a month. Forum support.

Pro

Business

€50/mo

50 EUR per month billed annually. 10,000 executions a month, 3 shared projects, up to 40 minutes per execution, 30-day log retention and admin roles. The pricing page is inconsistent on some Pro values (concurrency 20 or 50, assistant credits 4,000 or 9,600).

Business

Business

€667/mo

667 EUR per month billed annually. Self-hosted only (Cloud is on a waitlist), 40,000 executions a month, 6 shared projects, SSO, LDAP, queue mode, multiple environments and Git. 14-day trial, card required.

Enterprise

Business

Contact sales

Custom pricing. Cloud or self-hosted, custom execution volume, 200+ concurrent executions, unlimited log retention, audit logging, custom roles and dedicated support with an SLA.

Free plan limits
The self-hosted Community edition has no execution cap; you only pay for your own infrastructure. n8n Cloud has no permanent free plan, only a no-card trial with 1,000 executions, 5 concurrent executions and a 180-second timeout.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

The pricing page states n8n does not offer pro-rata refunds. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time, effective at the end of the billing cycle; annual plans end with the annual term. Companies under 20 employees can get 50% off Business.

Privacy

The data controller is n8n GmbH in Berlin. Per its security page, n8n Cloud runs on Microsoft Azure with data currently hosted in the European Union, encrypted in transit and at rest; n8n aligns its security program to SOC 2 with annual audits, a SOC 2 report for Enterprise customers and a publicly downloadable SOC 3 report. The privacy policy says n8n does not use personal data from the website or services, including third-party integration data, to train machine learning models. It does, however, say n8n may derive de-identified data sets from customer content to operate and develop its services, and it does not clearly say whether those sets could be used for AI. n8n Cloud records interface sessions (credential values are never recorded); self-hosted instances send telemetry by default, which can be turned off. For self-hosting, data stays wherever you host it.

Official pricing page

Frequently asked questions

Is n8n free?

The self-hosted Community edition on GitHub is free with no execution cap, but you pay for your own server. n8n Cloud is paid from 20 EUR a month (billed annually), with a trial that needs no card per the pricing page.

Is n8n open source?

Not strictly. n8n is released under the Sustainable Use License, which allows use and modification for internal business or non-commercial purposes. Files marked .ee fall under a separate Enterprise license.

What counts as an execution?

Per the pricing page, one execution is one run of an entire workflow, regardless of step count or data volume. Exceeding the quota does not stop workflows, though overage charges may apply; on Starter and Pro those charges are capped.

Where is n8n Cloud data stored?

Per the security and pricing pages, Cloud data is currently hosted in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany) on Microsoft Azure. For self-hosted setups, data stays where you deploy it.

Review evidence & sources10

Scores

Ease of use
6.5
Why this score

It has a visual canvas and templates, but it targets technical users: you need some comfort with JSON data, and self-hosting needs Docker or your own server. The interface is English-only.

Features
8.6
Why this score

500+ native integrations (README says 1,500+), HTTP Request, AI agent nodes, MCP, and Git, SSO and queue mode on higher plans. Agents are still in Preview per the release notes.

Value for money
8.2
Why this score

Free self-hosting without an execution cap and per-workflow-run billing are real advantages. Offsetting that, Cloud Starter allows only 2,500 runs and Business costs 667 EUR a month.

Performance
7.5
Why this score

Queue mode, plan-based concurrency limits and a durable scheduler since 2.45. No independent performance data was verified, so the score stays moderate.

Support
6.3
Why this score

Documentation and release notes are thorough, but support is forum-only on the first three plans; SLA support is Enterprise only.

Privacy & security
7.6
Why this score

Self-hosting keeps data in-house; Cloud is hosted in the EU with a public SOC 3 report and a commitment not to train models on personal data. Deductions: the policy allows de-identified data sets derived from customer content, and Cloud records interface sessions.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
n8n GmbH
Headquarters
Germany
Launched
2019
Category
Productivity

Capabilities

  • Self-hostable
  • AI features
  • Public API
  • Integrations
  • Templates
  • Real-time collaboration

Platforms

  • Web
  • API

Interface languages

  • English

Integrations

  • Google Sheets
  • Slack
  • HTTP Request
  • MCP
  • Postgres
  • OpenAI

Support

  • Help center
  • Community forum
  • Email

Change history

  1. Feature.Version 2.46.0 lets members use personal credentials in team projects without sharing them first.
  2. Feature.Version 2.45 turns on a durable scheduler by default: scheduled runs are stored in the database and survive restarts.
  3. Feature.Version 2.40 introduces Agents (Preview): agents with a model, instructions and tools, including workflows as tools.
Full change history (5)
  1. Company.n8n raises a 180 million USD Series C at a 2.5 billion USD valuation led by Accel, bringing total funding to 240 million USD.
  2. Company.n8n raises a 55 million euro Series B led by Highland Europe and reports more than 230,000 active users.
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