Beginner

What Is n8n

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an open-source workflow automation platform. It lets you connect apps, APIs, and databases with a visual node editor — and adds AI agents and LLM integration directly into those workflows.

The Core Idea

Think of n8n as Zapier or Make — but open-source, self-hostable, and with native AI built in. You build workflows by connecting nodes visually: a trigger fires (a webhook, a schedule, a new email), data flows through transformation nodes, and actions execute at the end (send a Slack message, write to a database, call an API).

What sets n8n apart in 2026 is its first-class AI layer. You can drop an AI Agent node into any workflow, connect it to any LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, Hugging Face), give it tools from your existing n8n integrations, add memory, and let it reason over your data — all without writing a line of LangChain code.

Trigger

Webhook

Schedule

Email / Slack

AI Layer

AI Agent node

LLM Sub-node

Memory

Tools

Action

Send notification

Write to DB

Call API

n8n workflow: trigger → AI reasoning → action

Self-Hosted vs n8n Cloud

Self-Hosted (free)

Source code on GitHub — MIT licensed core
Run with Docker in minutes
Unlimited workflows and executions
Full data sovereignty — nothing leaves your infra
Some enterprise features (SSO, audit logs) require paid license

n8n Cloud (paid)

Managed hosting — no server to maintain
Starter: ~$24/month (2,500 executions)
Pro: ~$60/month (10,000 executions)
Built-in monitoring, logs, and version history
Best for teams who want zero ops overhead

Quick Start — Docker

docker run -it --rm   -p 5678:5678   -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n   n8nio/n8n

# Open http://localhost:5678 in your browser

Integration Ecosystem

n8n has 500+ native integrations in 2026 — covering the major SaaS tools, databases, cloud providers, communication platforms, and developer tools. The full list spans:

Google Workspace

Slack / Teams

Notion / Airtable

GitHub / GitLab

PostgreSQL / MySQL

AWS / GCP / Azure

Stripe / Shopify

HubSpot / Salesforce

Twilio / SendGrid

Jira / Linear

OpenAI / Anthropic

Ollama (local)

Where n8n Fits

n8n occupies a unique position: more powerful than Zapier (which is simple consumer automation), comparable in breadth to Make, but with much deeper AI capabilities than either. The self-hosted option makes it the only serious choice when data privacy or per-execution pricing is a constraint.

Checklist: Do You Understand This?

Can you explain what n8n does and how it differs from Zapier?
Do you know the difference between self-hosted n8n and n8n Cloud?
Can you start n8n locally with the Docker command above?
Do you understand where AI fits in an n8n workflow?