The Automation Platform Problem
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
What Makes N8N Revolutionary
100% Open Source Freedom
Own your automations forever, modify anything, contribute back
What this means:
- ✓ Self-host on your infrastructure
- ✓ No vendor lock-in ever
- ✓ Modify core functionality
- ✓ Build custom nodes
- ✓ Export/import workflows
Real impact:
- • Run unlimited workflows
- • Process millions of executions
- • Keep sensitive data private
- • Scale without cost increase
- • True ownership of IP
Node-Based Visual Programming
See your entire workflow logic at a glance
Superior to linear builders:
Code When You Need It
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.
Pricing That Makes Sense
Pay for support, not usage
Self-Hosted
- • $0 forever
- • Unlimited workflows
- • Unlimited executions
- • Your infrastructure
Cloud
- • $20/month
- • Managed hosting
- • Automatic updates
- • Still unlimited*
Head-to-Head Comparison
| 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+ | ❌ | ❌ |
Real-World N8N Success Stories
E-commerce Company: $94K Annual Savings
A 50-person online retailer was paying Zapier $7,800/month for order processing automation across Shopify, ShipStation, QuickBooks, and Klaviyo.
The Switch to N8N:
- • Migrated 47 Zapier workflows to N8N self-hosted in 3 days
- • Added custom inventory sync logic (impossible in Zapier)
- • Processing 850K operations/month at zero marginal cost
- • Running on $40/month DigitalOcean droplet
Annual savings: $93,120
SaaS Startup: Built MVP in 2 Weeks
Early-stage startup needed customer onboarding automation but couldn't afford Zapier at scale or hire engineers yet.
What They Built:
- • Stripe payment → create customer in PostgreSQL
- • Send welcome email sequence (7 emails over 14 days)
- • Provision user account in app backend via REST API
- • Notify team in Slack with customer details
- • Add contact to HubSpot with custom properties
Built by non-technical founder using N8N's visual interface. Scaled from 10 to 500 customers/month without changes.
Result: Onboarding time reduced from 4 hours → 2 minutes (automated)
Content Creator: 15 Hours/Week Saved
YouTube creator (200K subs) manually posted clips to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Twitter – 12-15 hours weekly.
The Automation:
- • Watch Google Drive folder for new clips
- • Auto-generate captions with Whisper API
- • Add template overlays (branding, CTAs)
- • Post to 4 platforms simultaneously
- • Schedule posts at optimal times per platform
- • Track performance in Airtable dashboard
Time investment:
6 hours to build workflow
Weekly time saved:
15 hours (ROI in first week)
Where N8N Shines Brightest
Enterprise Automation
When data can't leave your servers
- • GDPR/HIPAA compliance requirements
- • Internal system integration (databases, APIs)
- • Custom security policies (VPNs, firewalls)
- • Audit trail requirements
Startup Scale
When you need to move fast and cheap
- • Rapid prototyping (build MVP in days)
- • Cost-effective scaling (no per-execution fees)
- • Custom integrations (write code when needed)
- • Iterate without vendor dependency
Creator Business
When margins matter
- • Content distribution (multi-platform posting)
- • Customer onboarding (email sequences, provisioning)
- • Revenue automation (payment processing)
- • Analytics aggregation (cross-platform metrics)
Developer Tools
When you need real programming
- • CI/CD pipelines (deploy automation)
- • API orchestration (complex integrations)
- • Data transformation (ETL workflows)
- • Webhook processing (event-driven logic)
💡 When NOT to Use N8N
If you need zero technical knowledge: N8N assumes some comfort with APIs, webhooks, and data structures. Absolute beginners might prefer Zapier's hand-holding.
If you want fully managed infrastructure: Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups, and monitoring. Cloud version solves this but costs $20/month minimum.
If you only need 1-2 simple workflows: Zapier's free tier (100 tasks/month) might be sufficient. N8N's value shows at scale (1000+ operations monthly).
Start Using N8N Today
🌥 Cloud (Easiest)
- 1. Sign up at n8n.cloud
- 2. Create your first workflow
- 3. Connect your apps
- 4. Activate and watch magic
$20/month, no setup required
Self-Host (Free)
npx n8nOr with Docker:
docker run -it --rm \
-p 5678:5678 \
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