What n8n does

n8n is a workflow automation tool combining a visual canvas with native JavaScript/Python code nodes, aimed at developers and technical ops teams who want Zapier-like breadth but with self-hosting and full code escape hatches. Cloud and self-hosted (Community Edition) versions both exist.

What you get: Visual canvas + native JS/Python code nodes, Self-hostable (Sustainable Use License), AI agent / LangChain-style nodes, Git-based version control (Business+), 400+ integrations.

Typical jobs: Developer-built internal automations needing custom code steps; Self-hosted automation for data-privacy-sensitive orgs; AI agent workflows chaining LLM calls with app actions.

What users complain about: "It keeps crashing and breaking the workflow, so I have to keep remaking it" (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/n8n.io)

Pricing and plan limits

Verified August 2026

Plan	Monthly	Annual (per mo)	Limits
Starter	not disclosed	$20	2,500 workflow executions/month, 5 concurrent executions, 1 shared project, 2,300 AI credits/mo
Pro	not disclosed	$50	10,000 workflow executions/month, 20 concurrent executions, 3 shared projects, up to 13,700 AI credits/mo
Business	not disclosed	$667	40,000 workflow executions/month, 6 shared projects
Enterprise	not disclosed	n/a	Custom executions, 200+ concurrent executions

Where it wins

Self-hosted Community Edition is genuinely free with no execution caps, unusual among competitors (200,000+ GitHub stars)
Native code nodes (JS/Python) give developers an escape hatch competitors like Zapier lack
Fast-moving roadmap with AI agent/LangChain-style nodes added ahead of most no-code rivals

Where it falls short

Despite its open-source reputation, n8n runs on the Sustainable Use License (fair-code), not a true OSI-approved open-source license, reselling as a hosted competitor is barred
Steep learning curve reported by non-technical users: "quite difficult to learn, you have to look for guides now and then"
No live chat support on Cloud plans, email/community only, and account-lockout complaints go unresolved for days

How we scored it

Full methodology

Criterion	Weight	Score	Contribution
Capability	30%	9.0	2.70
Value for money	25%	8.0	2.00
Ease of use	15%	5.0	0.75
Maturity	15%	7.0	1.05
Support & docs	10%	6.0	0.60
Momentum	5%	9.0	0.45
Weighted total	100%	7.6	7.60