# n8n

n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform rated 4.7/5 on G2 (~500 reviews). Profile: pricing, funding, company history, and user sentiment.

**Category:** Workflow automation / integration platform  
**Vendor:** n8n GmbH  
**Founded:** 2019  
**HQ:** Berlin, Germany  
**Website:** https://n8n.io  


## About

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.

## Ratings

| Source | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.7/5 | ~500 |
| Capterra | 4.7/5 | ~80 |
| Product Hunt | 4.8/5 | ~200 upvotes |
| TrustRadius | 8.9/10 | ~40 |

## Funding

~$19M across 2 rounds

| Round | Amount | Date | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $1.2M | 2020 | Sequoia Capital (via Surge) |
| Series A | $18M | Oct 2021 | Sequoia Capital |

## Viability

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.

## Pricing

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.

| 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 |

## What reviewers say

_~500 G2 reviews at 4.7/5 and ~80 Capterra reviews at 4.7/5, plus Product Hunt and TrustRadius_

**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

**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

## Compliance

- **SOC 2:** Yes (Cloud, SOC 2 Type II)
- **GDPR:** Yes
- **HIPAA:** Self-hosted deployments only (customer-managed)
- **SSO:** Yes (SAML SSO on Enterprise plan)

## Integrations

- Slack
- Google Sheets
- Airtable
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- GitHub
- Jira
- OpenAI

## 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

- [G2: n8n reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/n8n/reviews): rating 4.7/5, ~500 reviews
- [Capterra: n8n](https://www.capterra.com/p/233986/n8n/): rating 4.7/5, ~80 reviews
- [Crunchbase: n8n](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/n8n): funding rounds, investor details, founding year
- [LinkedIn: n8n company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/n8n-io/about/): headcount, HQ, specialties
- [n8n pricing page](https://n8n.io/pricing/): Cloud Starter $20/mo, Pro $50/mo, Enterprise custom
- [n8n release notes](https://docs.n8n.io/release-notes/): changelog and feature history
- [TechCrunch: n8n Series A](https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/12/n8n-raises-18m-for-its-open-source-workflow-automation-platform/): $18M Series A led by Sequoia Capital, October 2021
- [Product Hunt: n8n](https://www.producthunt.com/products/n8n): community reception and upvotes