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The technical breakdown that shows why N8N is the automation platform of choice for power users
Most platforms lock you in
Proprietary systems, no export options, vendor dependency
Pricing scales with success
The more you automate, the more you pay (forever)
Limited by their imagination
Can only do what they've pre-built, no custom code
Data lives on their servers
Privacy concerns, compliance issues, no control
Own your automations forever, modify anything, contribute back
See your entire workflow logic at a glance
No artificial limitations on what's possible
// Full JavaScript/Python support
const customLogic = items.map(item => {
// Any transformation you can imagine
return processComplexData(item);
});Mix visual nodes with custom code seamlessly. API doesn't support what you need? Write it yourself.
Pay for support, not usage
| Feature | N8N | Zapier | Make.com |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting option | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Visual workflow builder | ✅ (Node-based) | ⚠ (Linear) | ✅ (Scenario) |
| Custom code support | ✅ Full JS/Python | ⚠ Limited | ⚠ Limited |
| Pricing for 100k executions | $0-20 | $750+ | $200+ |
| Data privacy control | ✅ Complete | ❌ | ❌ |
| Workflow export/import | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠ |
| Community nodes | ✅ 300+ | ❌ | ❌ |
When data can't leave your servers
When you need to move fast and cheap
When margins matter
When you need real programming
$20/month, no setup required
npx n8nOr with Docker:
docker run -it --rm \
-p 5678:5678 \
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