n8n Review
AI Workflows · Automation & Growth
Open-source automation you can self-host — no per-task fees, and strong AI agent support.
Our take
Where serious AI automation is being built right now. If you have someone technical, the combination of no per-task cost and real agent tooling is unmatched.
At a glance
- Category
- Automation & Growth
- Type
- AI Workflows
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Free option
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Best for
- Technical teams, AI agents
What n8n does
Self-host n8n and there are no per-task charges at all, which changes the economics completely for high-volume work. Its AI agent nodes are among the best available, so it has become a favourite for building genuinely agentic marketing workflows.
How marketers actually use it
Self-host it and the per-task meter disappears entirely, which changes what is worth automating. Its AI agent nodes then let you build workflows that reason — classify an inbound enquiry, research the company, draft a tailored reply, and escalate only the ones that need a human.
Best for
- High-volume automation without per-task billing
- Building AI agent workflows with tools and memory
- Keeping customer data on your own infrastructure
- Technical teams who want to write code where needed
Watch out for
Self-hosting means you own maintenance, updates and uptime. Without someone technical, take the cloud plan.
n8n pricing
Free and unlimited if you self-host; managed cloud plans are paid.
Checked August 2026. Pricing changes constantly — confirm on the official site before you buy. There are no affiliate links on this page.
Check current n8n pricingn8n FAQ
Is n8n free?
Free and unlimited if you self-host it. Managed cloud plans are paid.
Do I need to be technical to use n8n?
To self-host, yes — you own maintenance, updates and uptime. Without someone technical, take the cloud plan or use Make instead.
Why is n8n popular for AI agents?
Its agent nodes handle tools and memory well, and self-hosting means running thousands of AI steps does not multiply your bill. That combination is hard to find elsewhere.
Is self-hosting n8n difficult?
It needs someone comfortable with servers, updates and backups. If nobody on the team is, take the cloud plan — a broken self-hosted automation is worse than a metered one.
Why do people use n8n for AI agents?
Strong agent nodes with tool and memory support, combined with no per-task billing when self-hosted. Running thousands of AI steps does not multiply the bill.
n8n alternatives
Other automation & growth tools worth comparing before you commit: