n8n.io, n8n self hosted or n8n workflows
n8n is a workflow automation tool you can self host or use in the cloud. It's popular with technical teams for its flexibility and code steps, and its cloud plans are priced per workflow execution.
n8n is a workflow automation tool, a bit like Zapier, where you build workflows by connecting nodes on a canvas. Technical teams like it because you can drop in code and build almost anything.
You can use n8n's cloud service, which is priced by executions, where one execution is one full run of a workflow however many steps it has. Or you can self host the free Community Edition on your own server, with no cap on executions.
It isn't open source in the usual sense. n8n uses its own Sustainable Use License, which lets you use it for your own business but limits offering it to others as a hosted service.
I'll be straight: I rarely recommend n8n to my clients, and it's not because it's bad. Most of my clients don't have a developer, and I want them to own their automations.
Self hosting means someone has to look after the server, the updates and the security. When it breaks, a non-technical team can't fix it, so they end up paying for support every month. Zapier lets me hand over the keys. If a client has a developer who wants n8n, that's a different conversation.
Free software isn't free if you pay someone to keep it running.
The self hosted Community Edition is free to use with no execution limit, but you pay for the server and the time to look after it. n8n's cloud plans are paid and priced by executions.
For developers who want full control, it can be. For non-technical teams, I find Zapier easier to learn, easier to fix and easier to hand over.
n8n's licence FAQ says you can build workflows for clients, but you can't host n8n as a service for them to build their own. Check the licence for your exact case.
I set these up and train your team, in your own ClickUp or Zapier account.
Book a callContact Jack - jack@withtoki.co.uk