n8n

n8n is a source-available workflow automation tool with a dedicated AI agent builder, made for teams that want automation and AI running on their own infrastructure. It is the practical choice when data privacy, custom code and self-hosting matter more than a fully managed service.

Key features

• Node-based editor that mixes app integrations with JavaScript or Python code.
• AI agent nodes with tools, memory and vector store support for RAG workflows.
• Self-hosting on your own server, or a managed cloud plan if you prefer.
• 500+ integrations plus HTTP request nodes for any remaining API.
• Version control friendly workflows exported as JSON.

Who it is for

• Engineering teams building internal AI agents on private data.
• Companies with compliance rules that block third-party cloud automation.
• Technical marketers and analysts comfortable dropping into code nodes.
• Startups that want automation costs tied to servers, not per-task fees.

Pricing

n8n offers a free community edition you can self-host without task limits, plus paid cloud plans billed by active workflow executions. Higher tiers add collaboration, environments, SSO and support, while enterprise deals cover air-gapped deployment and advanced permissions.

Why people choose it

n8n wins on control. Because the code is source-available and self-hostable, sensitive records never have to leave your own network to be processed by an AI step, which is often the blocker for legal, healthcare and finance teams. The AI agent nodes go further than simple prompt calls: an agent can hold memory, call your internal tools and query a vector database, so it behaves like a small application rather than a one-shot request. Developers also like that any awkward transformation can be solved with a few lines of code instead of a workaround, and that pricing scales with executions rather than every individual task.