n8n is a Workflow automation / integration platform by n8n GmbH. This profile pulls together n8n's ratings across the major review sites, its company and funding details, leadership, features, pricing, and the latest news, with every external source cited at the bottom.
About n8n GmbH
n8n is an open-source, source-available workflow automation tool that lets technical teams build complex integrations and automations with a visual node-based editor while retaining full access to the underlying code. It was founded in January 2019 in Berlin by Jan Oberhauser, who released the first public version as a self-hosted, open-source project. The fair-code licensing model means the software can be self-hosted for free with no execution limits, while n8n GmbH monetises the product through a cloud-hosted offering starting at $20 per month. Unlike competitors such as Zapier or Make, n8n is explicitly aimed at teams that want code-level flexibility alongside a visual interface, making it popular with engineering, DevOps, and RevOps teams. The company raised a $19 million Series A round in 2021 and has grown to around 200 employees with a primary office in Berlin.
| Category | Workflow automation / integration platform |
| Company | n8n GmbH |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Industry | Software Development · Workflow Automation / Integration Platform |
| Team size | ~200 (2026 estimate) |
| Ownership | Private (VC-backed) |
| Founder / CEO | Jan Oberhauser (founder, 2019) |
| Specialties | Workflow automation, no-code/low-code integration, API orchestration, self-hosted automation, data transformation, AI agent workflows |
| Website | n8n.io |
Find n8n on: Wikipedia · Crunchbase · LinkedIn · G2 · Capterra · producthunt.com
n8n ratings across the web
Aggregated from the major review platforms. Each links to the source.
Also rated: Product Hunt 4.8/5 (~200 upvotes) · TrustRadius 8.9/10 (~40).
Rating breakdown
Per-category scores from G2 n8n reviews (~500 reviews).
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What people say about n8n
Our synthesis across ~500 G2 reviews at 4.7/5 and ~80 Capterra reviews at 4.7/5, plus Product Hunt and TrustRadius. No fabricated quotes, this is the consistent pattern across reviews and third-party analyses.
Most praised
- The self-hosted option with no execution limits is the most-cited advantage; teams running high-volume automations save substantially versus per-execution pricing on competing tools
- Code-level access within nodes lets developers handle edge cases that pure no-code tools cannot, and reviewers repeatedly describe n8n as the only tool that did not force them to compromise on complexity
- Active open-source community means hundreds of contributed nodes and templates are freely available, shortening build time for common integration patterns
Most cited complaints
- The learning curve is steep compared to Zapier or Make; new users without any coding background or API familiarity frequently struggle to get beyond basic workflows
- The cloud pricing model changed in 2023 from per-workflow to per-execution, and some users on older plans found the new tiers more expensive for bursty use cases
- Documentation quality is inconsistent; official docs are thorough for core nodes but community nodes and newer AI features lag behind the release pace
What we found testing it
What's great
- Self-hosted Community Edition is free with unlimited workflow executions; infra cost on a VPS runs $3-7/mo
- Execution-based cloud pricing (not per-step operations) means costs are more predictable at volume than Zapier or Make
- Code-fallback in JavaScript and Python inside any workflow node; engineers can drop into code where the visual builder hits a wall
Watch-outs
- Learning curve is higher than Zapier or Make; non-technical ops builders without at least one engineer nearby will get stuck on credential setup and data-mapping edge cases
- App ecosystem smaller than Zapier's 9,000+; custom HTTP nodes cover gaps but require more setup time
- Self-hosting means you own the maintenance, version upgrades, and monitoring; not the right model for teams without DevOps bandwidth
n8n funding & ownership
| Round | Amount | Date | Lead investor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $1.2M | 2020 | Sequoia Capital (via Surge) |
| Series A | $18M | Oct 2021 | Sequoia Capital |
Moderate-to-low risk. n8n is a well-funded, VC-backed private company with a large and active open-source community providing a meaningful distribution moat. The fair-code licence means the software can be run forever for free on self-hosted infrastructure, removing dependency on n8n GmbH's cloud service for most technical teams. The realistic risk is typical early-stage: the company is not yet profitable and relies on cloud subscription revenue to fund development, so the roadmap pace depends on continued investment or reaching cash-flow positive. The open-source core significantly reduces lock-in risk compared to closed automation tools: if the company were to change its licence or pricing, the community could fork the existing codebase.
n8n features & integrations
Security & compliance
| Standard | Availability |
|---|---|
| GDPR | Yes |
| HIPAA | Self-hosted deployments only (customer-managed) |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes (Cloud, SOC 2 Type II) |
| SSO / SAML | Yes (SAML SSO on Enterprise plan) |
Integrations: Slack, Google Sheets, Airtable, HubSpot, Salesforce, PostgreSQL, MySQL, GitHub, Jira, and OpenAI.
n8n leadership
n8n pricing
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Community (Self-hosted) | $0 | Unlimited executions, unlimited workflows, all core features; requires own server or VM to run |
| Cloud Starter | $20/mo | 2,500 executions/mo, 5 active workflows, basic cloud hosting; light individual or small-team use |
| Cloud Pro | $50/mo | 10,000 executions/mo, unlimited workflows, version history; growing teams with moderate automation volume |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, RBAC, SLA support, unlimited executions; technical teams with compliance or high-volume requirements |
The catch: Self-hosting n8n is genuinely free with no execution caps and no seat limits, which is the reason most technically-capable teams choose it. The Cloud offering starts at $20/mo for 2,500 executions per month on the Starter plan, which is enough for light use but easy to exceed if you run scheduled workflows frequently. The Pro Cloud plan at $50/mo raises the limit to 10,000 executions. Enterprise Cloud pricing is custom. For self-hosted deployments, the software itself costs nothing; the cost is the infrastructure and the engineering time to maintain and upgrade it.
n8n alternatives & where it appears
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in our guides
n8n product changelog
What n8n has actually shipped, summarized from its own release notes and dated. Not auto-generated, updated as part of our freshness checks.
- July 22, 2026
n8n 1.55 released with AI agent memory nodes
Version 1.55 ships persistent memory nodes for AI agent workflows, letting long-running agents store and retrieve context across executions without external databases.
Source - June 10, 2026
Native MCP server support added
n8n added a built-in Model Context Protocol server node, enabling AI agents built on Claude, GPT-4o, and other models to call n8n workflows as tools directly.
Source - April 18, 2026
Cloud execution concurrency controls
Cloud plans now offer per-workflow concurrency limits, letting teams prevent runaway workflows from consuming all available execution slots during peak hours.
Source - February 5, 2026
Projects and role-based access control GA
The Projects feature, which scopes credentials and workflows to team sub-groups with distinct permission roles, reached general availability for Enterprise and Cloud Team plans.
Source
Latest n8n news
Auto-pulled from Google News, refreshed on each deploy. Headlines link to the source.
- The n8n n8mare: How threat actors are misusing AI workflow automation - Cisco Talos BlogWed, 15 Apr 2026
- ThreatsDay: Gogs 10.0 RCE, n8n Workflow-to-RCE, $10M Reward, GLM-5.3 AI Exploit, and More - thehackernews.comThu, 20 Aug 2026
- Critical vulnerability found in n8n workflow automation platform - Cybersecurity DiveMon, 12 Jan 2026
- Core processes with global n8n rollout. - Mercedes-Benz GroupTue, 12 May 2026
- TestMu AI Launches Official n8n partner integration, Bringing Real Browser Infrastructure to AI Agent Workflows - Business WireThu, 18 Jun 2026
- How to self-host n8n - TechRadarTue, 25 Aug 2026
n8n FAQs
Is n8n really free?
The self-hosted, open-source version is free with no execution limits, no seat fees, and no paywalled core features. You host it on your own infrastructure (a $5/mo VPS works for light use). n8n GmbH's Cloud service charges by execution volume, starting at $20/mo for 2,500 executions. The fair-code licence allows free commercial self-hosting but restricts reselling n8n as a managed service.
How does n8n compare to Zapier?
n8n is far more flexible technically but harder to get started with. Zapier is optimised for non-technical users and has more pre-built app connectors (6,000+). n8n lets you write JavaScript or Python inside nodes, call any HTTP API directly, and self-host with no execution caps. Teams with developers on staff and complex workflows consistently prefer n8n on cost and capability; teams that need quick, no-code automation with minimal setup tend to choose Zapier.
What is the n8n fair-code licence?
n8n uses a Sustainable Use Licence (previously called fair-code) that allows free use for internal business purposes, including commercial use. The restriction is that you cannot offer n8n as a hosted service to third parties, which is a direct protection against hosting providers reselling it as their own product. For the vast majority of teams using it for internal automation, the licence has no practical impact.
Can n8n handle AI agent workflows?
Yes, and this is an area of active development. n8n added AI agent nodes, LLM chain nodes, and MCP server support through 2025 and 2026. You can build multi-step AI workflows that use OpenAI, Claude, or local models, store memory between runs, and call external tools. The visual editor is particularly useful for debugging AI chains step-by-step.
Who is n8n best for?
n8n fits engineering-led teams, DevOps, and technically confident operations or RevOps practitioners who need automation flexibility beyond what Zapier or Make can offer. It is the go-to choice when you need to call internal APIs, transform complex data, run high-volume workflows without per-execution billing, or self-host for data residency reasons. Pure no-code users without any development background will find the setup and node configuration steep.
Sources
Every external figure on this page traces to a public source, last collected on the dates shown.
- G2: n8n reviews — rating 4.7/5, ~500 reviews (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Capterra: n8n — rating 4.7/5, ~80 reviews (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Crunchbase: n8n — funding rounds, investor details, founding year (accessed 2026-08-30)
- LinkedIn: n8n company page — headcount, HQ, specialties (accessed 2026-08-30)
- n8n pricing page — Cloud Starter $20/mo, Pro $50/mo, Enterprise custom (accessed 2026-08-30)
- n8n release notes — changelog and feature history (accessed 2026-08-30)
- TechCrunch: n8n Series A — $18M Series A led by Sequoia Capital, October 2021 (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Product Hunt: n8n — community reception and upvotes (accessed 2026-08-30)