n8n Review 2026
The short version: n8n is the best pick if your workflows run long or involve AI, and the wrong pick if nobody on your team wants to touch JSON. We gave it 4.2/5 after we compared its pricing, its docs and more than a hundred user reviews (Trustpilot, Capterra, G2, Software Advice) against Zapier and Make.
Its edge comes down to one billing rule: a full workflow run counts as one execution, whether it has 3 steps or 30. Its trap comes from the same rule. A trigger that polls an app every 5 minutes burns about 8,640 executions a month on its own, more than three times the Starter quota. This review shows you where those traps sit, what each plan really costs, and who should skip n8n entirely.
Our n8n review in a nutshell
n8n is a workflow automation tool. You connect apps in a visual editor, one node at a time, and drop in JavaScript or Python wherever a ready-made node falls short. It ships 400+ official integrations, plus community nodes and an HTTP Request node that talks to any documented API.
What sets it apart from Zapier and Make is how it counts. Zapier bills every action as a task, Make bills every operation, n8n bills each full execution. Run a 10-step workflow 1,000 times a month and n8n uses 1,000 executions, Zapier about 9,000 tasks, Make about 10,000 operations. The longer your workflows, the wider that gap.
The trade-off is real. The learning curve is steeper than Zapier's (expressions, JSON data, OAuth apps to set up). Support is email-only unless you sign an Enterprise contract. And the free self-hosted edition leaves updates, backups and the database on your plate. Our take: great for a team with some technical muscle, a poor fit for a solo founder who just wants two apps talking.
The numbers speak. Want to try n8n?
What real users say about n8n
- 5★13
- 4★2
- 3★0
- 2★0
- 1★0
Across this selection of 15 G2 and Capterra reviews, n8n averages 4.9/5 and every single reviewer would recommend it. The recurring hero is raw flexibility: people love mixing deterministic node-based workflows with custom JavaScript exactly where they need it, and the huge library of integrations plus the HTTP node means almost any tool or API gets connected. Source-available code (fair-code) and free self-hosting come up again and again as the killer combo, no 'task tax', low cost, and total data sovereignty versus Zapier or Make. Several call it the 'Zapier killer' and use it daily for lead notifications, Google Sheets sync, and AI agent automations. The friction is consistent and honest: it looks simple at first but turns technical fast (JSON, expressions, APIs), so non-technical people take longer to ramp. The other watch-outs are operational, deploying and maintaining n8n in production is still fiddly, documentation and support can be thin on some integrations, heavy loads can crash a workflow, and backups need real care after one reviewer lost a host VM.
Most loved
- +Mix of deterministic nodes and custom JavaScript anywhere
- +Huge integration range plus an HTTP node for any API
- +Source-available (fair-code) self-hosting kills the 'task tax'
- +Genuine Zapier and Make alternative on cost and control
- +Used daily for leads, Sheets sync and AI agents
Watch-outs
- !Looks simple but gets technical fast (JSON, expressions)
- !Deploying and maintaining in production is still fiddly
- !Docs and support thin on some integrations
- !Heavy loads can crash a workflow
- !Backups need care, self-hosting adds maintenance
- abdellah B. via Capterra
As of right now, it's the best tool available for free and the only one that allows you to create AI automations that can do anything without a lot of coding experience.
- Palash J. via G2
The wide range of features and integrations it offers is a big plus. We can integrate almost all of our daily-use tools and APIs with n8n. And since it’s open source, we can do it at a very low cost. Overall, it helps us make our system more intelligent. Not anything in my mind to dislike but still less documentation and less support on some of the tools integration.
- Sagar Z. via G2
i like about n8n is i can use deterministic workflows for reliability and AI agents only where reasoning is needed. That’s probably more practical than the “fully autonomous agent” hype everywhere right now. One thing n8n can definitely improve is the deployment experience. Building workflows is easy and powerful, but deploying and maintaining n8n in production is still quite complicated.
- Abdellah B. via G2
I use n8n to build AI automations because it solves repetitive tasks, saving time and money. What I like most about n8n is that you can build AI workflows and automations without needing much experience in coding. It's a low-code platform, so you can even create workflows with zero coding experience. Although it requires some initial learning, it is much easier than learning how to code from scratch. Sometimes when a workflow receives too much pressure, it crashes. I hope they make their platform able to handle heavy loads.
- Grzegorz B. via G2
I like the out-of-the-box features of n8n, especially its integration capabilities with the majority of popular software available online. The test executions and the history of executions make debugging really easy. Also, working with the MCP offered as a third-party solution is very straightforward for creating new workflows, particularly with the usage of large language models. Well, until we set up the automated error handling, notifications to Teams, there were occasions where we missed some workflow was working, but then, for example, some API format have changed or new documents have arrived and was not properly handled by our workflows. And then the workflow was dead for a couple of days. So maybe some things about error handling that could be built in, like email notifications. And then the backup solution, we had an opportunity where the virtual machine that hosts n8n was deleted, and then we struggled a little bit with reverting the n8n configuration from the backup.
- Harsh S. via G2
The best part is that its opensource (which means its almost totally free) and the community modules built around it is massive.. Plus The mcp integration it has is great. I literally connect this with my codex and ask it to build the entire n8n workflow to me and it does amazing job. Make and zapier makes it much easier to connect this with facebook ads but while in case of n8n, its not that easy.
We compared n8n on five criteria.
A score per criterion, what works, what doesn't, and the tips you won't find on n8n's own site.
Is n8n easy to learn?
The basics, yes. Everything after that, less so. The editor is a canvas: you drop a trigger (the event that starts the workflow), add nodes and wire them together. Every node shows its input and output data right next to its settings, so you see instantly whether a step worked. That makes debugging far more hands-on than in Zapier.
The wall shows up fast. To reuse data from one step in the next, you write an expression, a small formula in curly braces that looks like JavaScript. Data moves as JSON, in lists of items that some nodes process one by one and others as a batch. G2 and Product Hunt reviewers say the same thing: n8n looks simple, then gets technical the moment you leave the tutorial. Software Advice users rate it 4.0/5 for ease of use and 4.6/5 for value.
One thing most reviews skip: if you self-host, connecting Google apps (Gmail, Sheets, Drive) means creating your own OAuth client in Google Cloud Console. Budget 10 to 20 minutes the first time. n8n Cloud makes that step simpler.
The AI Assistant on n8n Cloud lets you describe a workflow in plain English and have it built or fixed for you. Handy for a first draft. But several Trustpilot reviewers say they burned their Assistant credits repairing workflows rather than building them, so keep an eye on what it changes.
Score: 3.8/5. Easy for wiring two apps together, demanding once the data gets messy. If nested spreadsheet formulas scare you, start with Zapier or get some help.
Is n8n really cheaper than Zapier and Make?
On long workflows, by a wide margin. n8n prices in euros. Starter is €20 a month billed annually (about €24 month to month) for 2,500 executions. Pro is €50 a month billed annually (about €60 month to month) for 10,000 executions. Third-party pricing guides list the same plans at roughly $20 and $50 for US buyers. Active workflows and users are unlimited on both.
Here's the math that matters. One execution is one full run, however many steps it has, and a loop inside that run doesn't cost extra. Zapier counts every action as a task: its Professional plan starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks, and a 10-step Zap eats 9 of them per run. Overage on Zapier is billed at 1.25x to 2.5x the normal rate.
The catch is elsewhere. A trigger that checks an app every 5 minutes uses about 8,640 executions a month, even when nothing new comes in. Manual runs from the editor count too. And when you run out on Starter or Pro, you can't buy a one-off top-up: you upgrade (immediately, prorated). On n8n's community forum, one user watched 10,000 executions vanish in a minute because of a bug in a third-party service.
Last thing: nothing sits between Pro (€50) and Business (€667 a month, self-hosted only, about $800 according to third-party guides). Companies under 20 employees get 50% off Business. The self-hosted Community Edition is free with no execution cap, but you pay for the server and the upkeep.
Score: 4.5/5. The best value in the category once your workflows go past a handful of steps. Swap polling triggers for webhooks or Starter will run dry within days.
What can you build with n8n?
Almost anything with an API. The use cases that come up most in reviews: lead alerts, Google Sheets syncs, data enrichment, and above all AI agents. n8n has dedicated nodes for OpenAI, Anthropic and Google models, agent memory and vector stores (so an AI can search your own documents). Our guide to building an AI agent in n8n starts there.
Version 2.0 brought three upgrades worth knowing. Drafts are separate from the published version, so you can edit a workflow without breaking the one in production. Wait nodes let a human approve a step (an AI-written email, a quote) before the flow continues. And Code nodes run Python natively. n8n is also previewing reusable "Agents" on n8n Cloud, set up once and called from chat, a workflow, Slack or a schedule.
The limits are well known among developers. Code nodes can't reach the file system or the network, and external npm packages only install on your own server, never on n8n Cloud. One Capterra reviewer notes that some updates change how existing workflows behave, so you have to adjust older automations. A small dev tip: console.log inside a Code node prints to your browser console while you build.
Score: 4.5/5. Developer-grade depth behind a visual editor. For AI agents or workflows that need a human sign-off, it's the most complete of the big three right now.
Sold on the details? Start a n8n trial.
How good is n8n's support?
This is the weak spot. Outside an Enterprise contract (which comes with an SLA), support is email only. On the self-hosted Business plan, at €667 a month, the pricing page lists community support only. On the forum, several customers who ran out of executions were pointed to help@n8n.io, and some say they never heard back.
Public ratings show the split. Trustpilot sits at 3.0/5 across 49 reviews, and it's polarized: 53% five stars, 37% one star. The negative ones mention lost account access, unreachable support and credentials that expire; n8n doesn't reply to them. Capterra tells a different story at 4.6/5 from 43 reviews. People like the product a lot more than the customer service.
The good news: the docs are thorough, every node has its own page, and the community forum answers technical questions fast. If a critical workflow breaks and you have nobody in-house, plan a fallback. Set up error alerts by email or Slack on day one, and keep an n8n agency in your back pocket for the bad days.
Score: 3.5/5. Great docs and community, thin human support. Don't run a business-critical process on n8n without someone who can fix it.
How many integrations does n8n have?
400+ official integrations, per n8n's GitHub repo and homepage. The bigger numbers floating around (including the old version of this page) lump official integrations together with community nodes and workflow templates. If you rely on niche tools, check them one by one.
Two things make up for it. The HTTP Request node calls any documented API: paste the URL, pick the method, add your key, and a tool without a connector becomes usable. And community nodes add connectors written by other users, installed on your own instance. Keep in mind that n8n doesn't maintain those.
Before you commit, list your five must-have apps and confirm each one has an official node with the actions you need, not just a logo in the catalog. A connector that can read but not write sends you back to the HTTP node. Doable, but it's extra work.
Score: 4.5/5. A smaller official catalog than some claim, but the HTTP node closes almost every gap for anyone who can read API docs.
What does n8n cost, plan by plan?
Prices below come from n8n's official pricing page, which bills in euros, billed annually. Month-to-month runs about 20% higher. US buyers see roughly the same numbers in dollars on third-party guides. The full breakdown of extras is in our n8n pricing guide.
Per month, billed annually, excl. tax, billed in euros
Community
Self-hosted, for teams that can run a server
- Unlimited executions and workflows
- No SSO, Git, environments or workflow sharing
- Free registration unlocks folders and debug in editor
- Updates, backups and database are on you
Starter
For a freelancer or a small team
About €24 month to month (roughly $20 to $24)
- 2,500 executions a month
- Unlimited active workflows and users
- 5 concurrent executions, 1 shared project
- 7-day logs, 5-minute max run time
Pro
For a team automating across departments
About €60 month to month (roughly $50 to $60)
- 10,000 executions a month
- 20 concurrent executions, 3 shared projects
- 30-day logs, 40-minute max run time
- More AI Assistant credits
Business
Self-hosted only, for structured teams
About $800 per third-party guides
- 40,000 executions a month
- SAML and LDAP SSO, environments, Git version control
- Queue mode for high volume
- Community support only
Business for startups
Under 20 employees
- Same features as Business
- About €334 a month
- Companies under 20 employees only
- Self-hosted only
Enterprise
For large companies
- 200+ concurrent executions
- Unlimited logs, 365 days of insights
- SLA-backed support
- Pricing and terms on request
Prices from n8n's official pricing page in 2026, shown in euros. Dollar figures are approximate and come from third-party guides. Starter and Pro overages are capped: you have to upgrade.
n8n or something else: the right pick for your team
n8n isn't always the answer. Here are the six options we recommend depending on your team, budget and appetite for tinkering. The full comparison lives in our n8n alternatives and best automation platforms guides.
n8n Cloud: the right start for most teams
Our pickYou get n8n without running a server. Data is hosted in the EU, in Frankfurt, under a data processing agreement, which matters if you serve European customers. Start on Starter, watch your usage in Settings > Usage and Plan for two weeks, then adjust.
Who it's for: a small business or freelancer who wants long workflows or AI without touching infrastructure. The catch: the execution quota, with no one-off top-ups.
- Price
- From €20/mo, billed yearly
- Best for
- SMBs, freelancers
- Catch
- Execution quota
Self-hosted n8n Community: free if you can run a server
FreeYou install n8n with Docker on a VPS. Plan for 1 GB of RAM minimum, 2 GB if you switch to queue mode. Use Postgres instead of the default SQLite, and cap how long execution history is kept, because that history is the number one reason disks fill up. For 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs, Hetzner comes in well under DigitalOcean or Linode.
Who it's for: a team with someone technical. The catch: no SSO, no Git, no workflow sharing, and every update is your job.
- Price
- €0 + server
- Best for
- Technical teams
- Catch
- You own the upkeep
n8n Business: for teams that need SSO and Git
TeamsThe self-hosted edition with team features: single sign-on, dev and prod environments, Git version control and queue mode. The license key reports your execution count to n8n daily, and one key covers as many instances as you want, with usage pooled.
Who it's for: a company with an engineering team and security requirements. The catch: €667 a month with community support only, and not yet available on n8n Cloud.
- Price
- €667/mo, billed yearly
- Best for
- Structured teams
- Catch
- Community support only
Zapier: the easiest way to connect two apps
BeginnersZapier is still the easiest tool for a first automation, with a gentler learning curve than n8n. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, with 15-minute polling. Professional starts at $19.99 a month billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks, and Team starts at $69. Every action counts as a task. See our n8n vs Zapier comparison.
Who it's for: a non-technical founder who wants two apps connected in ten minutes. The catch: cost climbs fast as Zaps get longer.
- Price
- From $19.99/mo
- Best for
- Beginners, low volume
- Catch
- Billed per action
Make: the visual middle ground
EasierMake is as visual as n8n but asks for less code. Its free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. Every operation counts, so on scenarios with 10+ steps that run often, the bill grows faster than on n8n. Our n8n vs Make comparison runs the numbers by volume.
Who it's for: a marketing or sales team without a developer. The catch: long scenarios get expensive, since every operation is billed.
- Price
- Free, 1,000 credits/mo
- Best for
- Non-technical teams
- Catch
- Billed per operation
Writing your own scripts: when n8n is a detour
Developers"If you can code, is n8n even worth it?" comes up again and again on r/n8n. For a developer already maintaining Python scripts, heavy and stable jobs (big files, number crunching, unrestricted network access) are sometimes cleaner in code. n8n keeps the edge on the visual editor, execution history and ready-made connectors the whole team can read.
Who it's for: a dev team with heavy processing. The catch: nobody but the developer can change the workflow.
- Price
- Your dev time
- Best for
- Developers
- Catch
- Few people can edit it
Six tips to pay less and break less
These are the traps that show up most on n8n's forum and in user reviews. None of them is printed in large type on the pricing page.
Swap polling for a webhook
A trigger that polls an app every 5 minutes uses about 8,640 executions a month, even when nothing changes. A webhook (the app pings n8n when something happens) only counts real events. If the app has no webhook, poll less often: every 15 minutes brings you down to about 2,880.
Watch your quota before it breaks everything
Check Settings > Usage and Plan every week at first. Manual runs from the editor count too. A bug at a third-party service can drain a quota in a minute, so add a filter that stops the workflow when data arrives duplicated or in bulk.
Batch steps into a single run
A loop inside a single run costs no extra executions. Instead of triggering one workflow per spreadsheet row, trigger it once and process every row inside. On 500 rows, you go from 500 executions to one.
Self-hosting? Postgres and short history
SQLite, the default database, isn't built for production. Move to Postgres from day one. And shorten execution retention: stored history is the most common reason a server fills up.
Set up an error workflow on day one
A workflow that fails silently is the worst case. Wire up an error workflow that emails you or posts to Slack, as shown in our guide to n8n error alerts. And re-check critical workflows after every major update.
Read the license before you resell
n8n isn't open source in the strict OSI sense. Its Sustainable Use License allows internal use and self-hosting, but bans reselling n8n or running a competing hosted service. If you're an agency running n8n on your clients' accounts, check with n8n before you launch that offer.
Do you make a tool in this category? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What are you actually here for?
The tools we rank above and below n8n, and who each one suits.
You just want to know what it costsn8n pricingEvery plan, what the bill actually looks like and where the extras hide.
You're torn between n8n and Zapiern8n vs ZapierSimplicity versus price: who wins for your profile.
You're torn between n8n and Maken8n vs MakeThe cost math based on how long your scenarios run.
You would rather have it set up for youn8n Automation AgencyWhat we build on n8n, how long it takes, and where the budget starts.
You would rather learn to run it yourselfn8n TrainingAn expert opens n8n with you and works on your real case, not a demo.
n8n FAQ
Can I use n8n for free?
Yes, with the self-hosted Community Edition: unlimited executions and workflows, no license fee. You only pay for the server. You do lose SSO, Git version control, environments and workflow sharing. Tip: registering your instance for free unlocks folders and debug in editor. n8n Cloud is paid, with a free trial.
Does n8n require coding?
Not to get started, yes to go far. Simple workflows are point-and-click. As soon as you need to reshape data, you write JavaScript-like expressions and work with JSON. If you're comfortable with nested spreadsheet formulas, you'll manage. If not, n8n training saves you weeks of trial and error.
Is self-hosting n8n worth it?
Yes if someone on your team already runs servers, no if you'd be learning Docker from scratch. The license is free, and a small VPS covers a light load (1 GB of RAM minimum, 2 GB for queue mode). The hidden cost is your time: Postgres, backups, updates that sometimes change workflow behavior, and Google OAuth clients to create yourself.
Is n8n better than Zapier?
For long or AI-heavy workflows, yes: one execution per run versus one task per action changes the bill by a factor of up to ten on a 10-step workflow. For a non-technical user connecting two apps, Zapier is simpler and faster to set up. If you start on Zapier, the time to look at n8n is when the task bill starts to hurt.
What happens when I run out of executions?
You upgrade: on Starter and Pro, n8n doesn't sell one-off top-ups. The upgrade takes effect immediately, prorated. Then dig into the execution log for the cause: an over-eager polling trigger, a misplaced loop or a third-party service sending duplicates. If an outside bug drained your quota, email help@n8n.io.
Can I connect ChatGPT or Claude to n8n?
Yes, through dedicated nodes for OpenAI and Anthropic models, among others. Add your API key and the model call becomes a step in your workflow, or the brain of an AI Agent node that picks its own tools. The model usage is billed by the provider, on top of your n8n plan.
Is n8n open source?
Not in the strict sense. n8n calls itself "fair-code": the source is public under the Sustainable Use License. You can use it internally and self-host it, even inside a company. You can't resell n8n or offer a competing hosted service. Files marked ".ee." fall under the Enterprise license.
Is n8n a safe long-term bet?
Yes. n8n raised a $180M Series C led by Accel in late 2025, at a $2.5B valuation, with $240M raised in total. The risk of the tool disappearing is low. The real risk is smaller and closer: updates that change how existing workflows behave, so re-check yours after each major release.
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