n8n

n8n is a workflow automation tool that lets you wire together apps, databases and APIs through a visual editor, with the option to drop into code when you need it. It can be self-hosted or run through n8n's managed cloud service.

As of October 2026, the current stable release is n8n 2.43, with 2.44 available as a beta build; the older 1.x line continues to receive its own patch releases. In late September 2026, n8n also launched n8n Agents in preview: you describe a task, pick a model, give it tools and workflows, and the agent works out the steps itself, running from Slack, on a schedule, or from inside any workflow. Agents are available to everyone on n8n Cloud running the latest stable version and to self-hosted Community users with extra setup, while Enterprise support for them is still in preview; they sit alongside the existing AI Agent node rather than replacing it.

AI and agent workflows remain a major focus: the AI Agent node supports structured tool calling against models from providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Mistral and Groq. Recent releases have also added dozens of new native integrations, bringing the total past 500, along with per-node retry with exponential backoff, a new Browser Use capability, expanded admin controls, public API access and additional enterprise authentication options.

Pricing is tiered. The self-hosted Community Edition is free, with unlimited executions and access to all integrations; n8n's cloud service offers a free trial (1,000 executions, no credit card required) but has no free ongoing plan. Paid cloud tiers - Starter, Pro and Business - are billed annually in euros and each bundles a monthly allotment of Assistant credits; Business is self-hosted only, with cloud access currently on a waitlist, and Enterprise pricing is custom. A startup program offers 50% off Business for companies under 20 employees.

n8n is fair-code under the Sustainable Use License rather than OSI-approved open source, which restricts commercial resale. Self-hosting puts maintenance, updates and scaling on the user. Cloud AI credits are capped and can run out on heavy agent workloads, and the highest self-hosted tier (Business) is not currently offered as a cloud plan. Workflows can also get complex enough to require a real learning curve beyond simple no-code tools.

It suits developers and technical teams who want automation they can host and audit themselves, and who want to build AI-agent workflows without stitching together separate tools.