What is n8n used for?

n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform that mixes a visual canvas with custom code and AI agent features, for teams connecting apps and automating processes. It is a good fit for automating routine app-to-app tasks, building LLM agents tied to business data and replacing paid iPaaS subscriptions with a self-hosted setup.

Yes. n8n is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at n8n-io/n8n and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. n8n is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from €20 per month.

Yes. n8n can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is n8n an alternative to?

n8n is an open-source alternative to Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, Workato and Tray.ai. Other open-source alternatives to Zapier include Activepieces, ByteChef and Node-RED.

Is n8n actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to n8n was on 2 October 2026. The project has 206k stars on GitHub.

n8n: open-source alternative to Zapier

About n8n

n8n is a workflow automation platform for connecting apps, moving data between them and triggering actions without writing a full integration from scratch. Workflows are built on a visual canvas, and when a step needs more logic you can drop in JavaScript or Python and use npm packages. It is often compared with Zapier and Make, but the source is public and it can run on your own infrastructure.

Recent versions put a lot of weight on AI. You can build multi-step agents and LLM workflows that call OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models, add human approval steps, and inspect what happened afterward. The project advertises over a thousand integrations and a large library of ready-made workflow templates, and you can extend it with your own nodes.

n8n is distributed under a fair-code model: the Sustainable Use License, plus a separate enterprise license for additional features. The code is always visible and can be self-hosted, for example with Docker, but it is not an OSI-approved open-source license, so commercial redistribution is restricted. A managed cloud edition is available if you would rather not run it yourself.

Key features

Visual workflow canvas with branching logic
JavaScript and Python code steps with npm packages
Multi-step AI agents with human approval
Over 1,500 integrations plus reusable templates
Connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or local models
Role-based access and audit trails
Self-hosting with Docker or managed cloud

Good fit for

→Automating routine app-to-app tasks
→Building LLM agents tied to business data
→Replacing paid iPaaS subscriptions with a self-hosted setup

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: workflow-automation; automation; ai-agents; low-code; self-hosted; integrations; mcp; fair-code

n8n: questions and answers

What is n8n used for?: n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform that mixes a visual canvas with custom code and AI agent features, for teams connecting apps and automating processes. It is a good fit for automating routine app-to-app tasks, building LLM agents tied to business data and replacing paid iPaaS subscriptions with a self-hosted setup.
Is n8n open source?: Yes. n8n is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at n8n-io/n8n and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is n8n free?: Yes. n8n is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from €20 per month.
Can I self-host n8n?: Yes. n8n can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is n8n an alternative to?: n8n is an open-source alternative to Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, Workato and Tray.ai. Other open-source alternatives to Zapier include Activepieces, ByteChef and Node-RED.
Is n8n actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to n8n was on 2 October 2026. The project has 206k stars on GitHub.