n8n
AutomationA source-available workflow automation tool with a visual editor, code steps and a large integration library.
Self-hostable alternative to:
Zapier
What the free edition leaves out
Scroll sideways to view all columns →The free edition is genuinely usable, but some team or enterprise features need a paid plan. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.
| Feature | Free edition | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | Paid | SAML and LDAP SSO are Business and Enterprise only. | Source ↗ |
| Role-based access control | Paid | Project roles (Editor, Viewer) are listed for self-hosted Enterprise; the roles page also lists other roles for registered Community, Business and Enterprise. | Source ↗ |
| Audit logs | Paid | Log streaming is Business and Enterprise; basic logging is included. The 'n8n audit' CLI command is a security check, not an audit trail. | Source ↗ |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | All plans include unlimited users and workflows; sharing workflows and credentials between users is a paid feature. | Source ↗ |
| Backups and restore | Free | CLI export and import of workflows and credentials (with a --backup flag) is built in; it covers only workflows and credentials, not a full-instance backup. | Source ↗ |
| API access | Free | The public API is listed for self-hosted on all editions, including Community. | Source ↗ |
| Support SLA | Paid | Dedicated support with SLA is listed on Enterprise; Community has no stated support. | Source ↗ |
Best for
Technical teams that want a self-hostable, code-friendly workflow automation tool with many integrations and who can run their own server.
Why choose it over Zapier
Free self-hosting with a one-container Docker setup and the public API on all editions. Queue mode with workers is available in Community, and credentials and data stay on your own servers.
Where it falls short
Community lacks SSO, projects, workflow and credential sharing, Git version control, external secrets and log streaming. It is not OSI open source, and the license restricts commercial and hosted use. Self-hosting expects server and security skills, and Community has no support or SLA.
Self-hostable alternative to
- Zapier — n8n is a self-hostable workflow automation tool that can replace Zapier's app-to-app automations on your own infrastructure.
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