From automating repetitive tasks to building AI agents, n8n has quickly become a popular option for no-code and low-code workflow automation. With n8n pricing plan flexibility, pre-built n8n templates, and n8n customized workflows, n8n makes it easier to consolidate your workflow.
In any case, regardless of whether you host n8n by yourself or use the cloud version, n8n provides more flexibility than any n8n alternative you can find. In this blog post, we will talk about what n8n is, n8n features and use cases, how to access n8n, and n8n limitations so you can decide if n8n is the best automation platform for you.
Table of contents
What is n8n?
n8n is an open-source agent building, workflow automation, and integration tool designed to help you connect applications and build agentic workflows. n8n is different from other automation tools because you have a variety of options to self-host, which enables more flexibility and avoids vendor lock-in. As a no-code/low-code tool, n8n enables people with no coding backgrounds to build powerful automated pipelines without writing a single line of code.
Another of n8n’s strengths is its AI automation capabilities, allowing it to connect to APIs that facilitate content generation: OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, and many others. n8n also has AI generators and a variety of templates built into the platform to allow you to quickly generate AI agents. n8n ultimately enables the automation of creativity in a way that allows individuals and businesses to be more accessible, efficient, and scalable.
Getting Started with n8n
Now, let’s dive into the detailed, hands-on implementation of this workflow step by step. Let’s start by signing in to n8n:
- Visit n8n’s Website
- Click on ‘Get started’ to sign up, or click on Login
- After signing in, go to the n8n Cloud Dashboard.
- Click on Create New Workflow to start automating tasks
On n8n, workflows are built using ‘nodes’. Nodes are the building blocks for a workflow that performs a range of actions. Here’s how you start working with nodes on n8n.
- Click the “+” Icon
– Locate the “+” button in the workflow editor (usually found at the center or where you want to add a new node).
– Click on it to open the node selection panel.
- Browse or search for a node.
– A pop-up window will appear with various node options.
– Scroll through the list or use the search bar to find a specific node (e.g., Gmail, OpenAI, Google Sheets).
– Click on the desired node to add it to your workflow.
– Configure the node.
– Fill in the required settings, such as authentication credentials, input parameters, and API keys.
- To add a new node, use the “+” icon appearing on the previous node to connect the nodes automatically.
- Each node will be connected to the next node.
- Run each node before moving to the next one using the ‘Test Step’ function that appears on top of each node.
Hands-on with n8n
First, let’s build a chatbot agent that is powered by an LLM and a search tool. We’ll see how easily we can implement this with n8n. To build this workflow, you’ll need an LLM API key (OpenAI, Cohere, etc.) and a SerpAPI key for web search capabilities.
In just a few minutes, we created a fully functional chatbot agent, which would have taken a long time if it were to be built with code. The best part is we did it without writing any code at all! This is a true example of the power of no-code automation with n8n.
Also Read: n8n vs LangGraph: Which is Better?
My Review of Building an AI Agent with n8n
Building this automation was an eye-opener. Here are some key takeaways from my experience:
- No Need to Write Lines of Code: The best part of n8n is that you don’t have to be a coder to build powerful AI-driven workflows.
- To Understand How Things Work: If you have little knowledge about how different components interact, you can easily create your AI-powered agent.
- Take advantage of n8n Assistant (By Nskha) – ChatGPT: You can utilize the unofficial ChatGPT integration of n8n to support building and refining your workflows effectively.
- Efficiency Boost: What used to take hours is now done in minutes, automated.
- Customizable & Scalable: The workflow can be modified to support more platforms or integrate additional research tools.
Key Features of n8n
n8n is packed with features that make workflow automation simple and efficient
- Agentic Capabilities: n8n enables the creation of AI-driven agents that can autonomously execute tasks, generate content, and optimize workflows with minimal human intervention.
- AI Generators & Pre-Made Templates: Quickly build AI agents with ready-to-use automation templates and AI-powered content generation tools.
- No-Code and Low-Code Interface: Users can visually build workflows without needing extensive coding knowledge.
150+ Pre-Built Integrations: Connects with Google Sheets, Gmail, OpenAI, Tavily Search, and many other services to facilitate smooth workflows. - Conditional Logic and Data Manipulation: Enables sophisticated automation by establishing conditions, filtering, and data manipulation.
- Scalability and Self-Hosting: Users can have complete control and better security by hosting n8n on their own devices.
- Parallel Execution: Users can run multiple automated tasks in parallel, which increases the user’s efficiency.
Also Read: Build a Content Creator Agent with n8n Using No-Code
N8n vs Make vs Zapier
Make is a widely adopted visual automation platform known for its powerful data transformations and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It is best suited for users who are focused on building complex, automated workflows without having to code extensively. Make is a balanced approach to workflow automation that is suitable for mixed teams who perform medium to intermediate automation workflows.
Zapier is the most widely adopted, mass-market automation tool. It has the largest app integration catalogue (more than 6,000 apps) and the user interface is hyper-intuitive for non-developers. Zapier shines for quickly creating simple to moderately complex automations. However, in terms of complexity and customization, it does have limitations.
Make, Zapier, and n8n (which is an outrageous level of technical flexibility, self-hosting, and AI) are three very different approaches to workflow automation: balanced visual builders, ease-of-use, and developer-heavy power users. Let’s compare all 3 and find out how they all stand different from each other.
| Feature/Aspect | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per workflow execution; free self-hosting; paid cloud starts at ~$22/month for 2,500 executions | Per operation; free for 1,000 ops/month; paid starts at ~$9/month for 10,000 ops | Per task; free for 100 tasks/month; paid starts at ~$19.99/month for 750 tasks |
| Self-hosting | Yes (full control, data sovereignty) | No | No |
| Integrations | 1,000+ (growing, custom possible) | 2,000+ native integrations | 6,000+ (largest catalog) |
| Workflow Complexity | Highly flexible, supports multiple triggers per workflow, and advanced logic | Unlimited modules per scenario, unlimited routes, strong visual builder | Up to 100 steps per Zap, limited branching (max 10 branches per Path) |
| Customization | Full code editor, custom nodes/scripts | Limited scripting (more in Enterprise) | Very limited scripting |
Which one to choose?
- Choose n8n: if you have technical expertise, want full control over your data, and want to build highly customized or AI-powered workflows, and refer self self-hosting options.
- Choose Make: if you want a highly visual, easy-to-use automation platform that also has advanced features for teams with mixed technical skills.
- Choose Zapier: if you want an automation platform that is easy to use, has the most app integrations available, and allows you to quickly deploy simple to moderately complex automations that don’t require code.
In conclusion, n8n is the most adaptable or developer-friendly option. Make offers some flexibility with good visual tools. Zapier is the most straightforward in terms of use and integration coverage. The best decision for you should depend on your technical skills, the complexity of your workflow, data control preferences, and how much you are willing to spend.
Applications of n8n
This workflow can extend beyond content creation. Some potential use cases include:
Automation of Market Research Reports
Gathers and decodes data from various sources to create meaningful, accurate reports, maximizing the use of features and AI-driven reasoning to extract key insights and recognize trends at high speed. Automated report generation takes time away from a manual process and will ensure reports are timely.
Automation of Email Campaigns
Automated, personalized content creation using AI helps to improve engagement, segmenting people based on behavior and preference for marketing campaigns, optimizing the subject line and delivery times, not to forget the all-important cadence of engagement, to maximize open rates that lead to conversion.
Automation of the Personal Newsletter
Uses AI to adapt content to the user’s own interests and preferences, while automatically designing, formatting, and distributing newsletters, ensuring efficient use of resources and effective messaging. AI encourages users to engage through dynamic recommendations and personalization.
Automation of Trend Summaries for Social Media Managers
Compiles real-time data from social media, blogging, and news sites, uses AI-powered summaries of insights and trending topics to assist managers in developing timely, data-driven content to transition effortlessly into audience engagement.
Conclusions
n8n is a unique workflow automation tool that is open source and tailored for the AI age. Whether you’re a developer who requires deep customization or a non-coder who simply wants to automate without code, n8n provides a comprehensive visual system with agentic behavior and AI integrations. Their self-hosting support means you’ll have full control of your data and the way you access it, and the expanding library of templates and nodes allows for rapid automation without restriction.
When comparing n8n to Make and Zapier, n8n offers more depth and flexibility in a technical sense. If you’re looking to boost your productivity and create intelligent, scalable automations, then n8n is a future-proof option.
Data Scientist | AWS Certified Solutions Architect | AI & ML Innovator
As a Data Scientist at Analytics Vidhya, I specialize in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and AI-driven solutions, leveraging NLP, computer vision, and cloud technologies to build scalable applications.
With a B.Tech in Computer Science (Data Science) from VIT and certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect and TensorFlow, my work spans Generative AI, Anomaly Detection, Fake News Detection, and Emotion Recognition. Passionate about innovation, I strive to develop intelligent systems that shape the future of AI.
