N8N Review: Why I Ditched Zapier for This Free Tool

Verdict

Overall, N8N is a powerful choice for fully controlled, unlimited automations (when self-hosted) and the freedom to tailor workflows exactly how you like. Just be ready for a steeper learning curve and a bit more hands-on setup than tools like Zapier or Make.

What is N8N?

N8N (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is an open-source workflow automation platform that connects with different apps and services with little to no coding. In other words, you're making connections between your favorite tools with data flowing automatically between them.

N8N was founded in 2019 by Jan Oberhauser. Their core philosophy is to give users complete control over their data and workflows.

Workflow Editor

The visual workflow editor is pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it. You drag and drop nodes onto a canvas, connect them with lines, and configure each step. It’s like designing a flowchart that runs your automations exactly how you want.

However, it’s crucial to set up solid error handling to prevent unexpected workflow failures. Be sure to add notification nodes so you’re immediately alerted if anything goes wrong.

Free Self-Hosting

What caught my attention was that (unlike Zapier or Make), N8N is completely free if you self-host it. That means you won't have to worry about paying recurring fees. You simply run it on your server, maintaining full control over your workflows and data.

N8N vs. Zapier

The biggest difference between N8N and its competitors is its flexibility.

With platforms like Zapier, you're pretty much stuck with their pre-built triggers and actions. But with N8N, you can write custom JavaScript code right inside your workflows. That means you can build complex automations that would be impossible on other platforms!

However, while N8N is more flexible, it tends to skew more technical than something like Zapier. While more non-technical users can usually figure out basic Zapier workflows, they get lost pretty quickly in N8N's interface. The learning curve is steeper, but the payoff is huge if you stick with it.

If you're more technically inclined and want maximum flexibility without recurring costs, N8N is worth exploring!

Who is N8N Best For?

Here are the types of people who get the most out of using N8N:

• Developers can use N8N for granular control over automations, write custom code, build complex workflows, and connect to any API.
• Small to medium businesses can use N8N to automate repetitive tasks, integrate tools, and streamline internal processes.
• Teams needing self-hosted options can use N8N to maintain full control over data and privacy by running it entirely on their own infrastructure.
• Marketers can use N8N to automate multi-step processes like lead management and campaign workflows across multiple apps.
• Enterprises can use N8N’s enterprise plan to plug in their existing user authentication services (SSO, SAML, and LDAP), audit logs, version control, and multi-user collaboration.
• Freelancers, indie developers, and agencies can use N8N to build and deploy custom automations for clients.

N8N Key Features

Here are N8N's key features to be aware of:

• Visual Workflow Editor: Drag-and-drop interface for building workflows.
• Integration Library: 1,000+ integration library for popular apps and services, with the ability to connect to virtually any API using HTTP requests.
• Custom Code Support: Option to write JavaScript or Python directly in workflows for advanced logic.
• AI Automation: Native support for integrating AI models (like OpenAI, Hugging Face, Anthropic).
• Self-Hosting & Cloud Deployment: Flexible options to run n8n on your own infrastructure for full data control, or use the cloud-hosted version for convenience.
• Error Handling & Notifications: Built-in error triggering nodes; send notifications (email, Slack, etc.) if a workflow fails.
• Data Transformation: Advanced nodes for splitting, sorting, and aggregating data.
• Scheduling & Triggers: Start workflows with app events, webhooks, or other workflows for real-time or scheduled automation.
• Debugging & Testing Tools: Execute individual steps, replay data, and view logs for fast debugging and development.
• Collaboration & Version Control: Multi-user collaboration and role-based access for team workflows.
• Community & Templates: Access to 3,000+ workflow templates and a strong community for support and sharing.
• Custom Node Development: Build and add your own nodes for specialized automation needs.

How to Use N8N

Here's how I used N8N to create a workflow:

1. Start a Free Trial
2. Start a New Workflow from Scratch
3. Add a Trigger
4. Fill Out the Parameters
5. Test the Execution
6. Visualize & Pin the Data
7. Add a True/False Node
8. Add Parameters
9. Choose Your Operation
10. Add a Node to the False Branch
11. Add a Slack Node
12. Save & Activate the Workflow

Step 1: Start a Free Trial

I started by going to n8n.io and selecting “Get started for free” to start my 14-day free trial.

Step 2: Start a New Workflow from Scratch

After creating my account, I was taken to my “Overview” page. Here, I could view my executions, failure rate, time saved, and average run time in the past week.

Below that were my workflows, credentials, and executions. There were two ways I could create a workflow: from scratch or a simple AI Agent example. I selected “Start from scratch.”

Step 3: Add a Trigger

Immediately, I was taken to an empty workflow canvas. This was where I could build out my workflow and activate it.

I started by clicking “Add first step” in the middle. This opened a panel on the right where I could add a trigger to start my workflow.

I wanted to create a webform automation, so I chose “On form submission” as my first trigger.

Step 4: Fill Out the Parameters

The node was added to the canvas, but I had to fill out the parameters to execute the step. I gave the form a title, description, and fields.

Once my parameters were filled out, I hit “Execute step.”

Step 5: Test the Execution

N8N showed me what my form would look like in a preview window. I filled it out and hit “Submit” to test it.

Step 6: Visualize & Pin the Data

My submission executed successfully. There were three ways I could visualize the data:

• JSON
• Table
• Schema

I'd recommend pinning the data by selecting the pin icon on the top right to output the same data when executing the workflow, rather than having to reenter the data each time.

Step 7: Add a True/False Node

Back on the canvas, I hit the “+” button to choose what happens next. Once again, the right panel swung open with some options.

This time, I selected “Flow” and “If” to create multiple true or false outputs.

Step 8: Add Parameters

Within my “If” node, I had to set up my parameters by setting up one or multiple conditions.

The first thing I wanted to find out was if the preferred install date was seven days in the future.

To set up this condition, I clicked and dragged “Preferred install date” from the input on the left and dragged it into the empty field under “Conditions.” Doing this immediately turned it into an expression.

Step 9: Choose Your Operation

Next, I chose my operation from value1 to value2. I selected “is before or equal to” within “Date & Time.”

For the second value, I manually added an expression: “{{ $now.plus(7, ‘days').toString() }}” for seven days from now. I hit “Execute step” to run it to see if it worked, and it did!

Back in my canvas, I could see the item I just added had been applied to my “true” branch.

Step 10: Add a Node to the False Branch

For the false branch, I hit “+” and added a “No Operation” node.

Step 11: Add a Slack Node

Next, I added a Slack node to the true branch to send a notification to Slack. To do this, I hit “+” on the true branch and searched for “slack” and selected it.

From there, I selected “Send a message.” I just had to connect my Slack account, choose where the message would be sent to (channel or user), and what the message would be.

Step 12: Save & Activate the Workflow

The final and most important steps were to save the workflow by hitting “save” at the top, and turning the toggle on to “Active” to get the workflow functioning automatically. Just make sure everything is connected and run a few tests to confirm it’s working exactly as you expect.

Overall, N8N made it easy to build a custom workflow from scratch. I liked how simple it was to test each step and see my data flow in real time.

Top 3 N8N Alternatives

Here are the best N8N alternatives I'd recommend:

Albato

The first N8N alternative I’d recommend is Albato. Albato is a no-code automation platform that makes it easy to connect your favorite apps, sync data, and automate workflows. Its user-friendly interface and growing app library make it especially appealing for anyone looking to simplify and streamline business operations without technical hurdles.

Both N8N and Albato are powerful workflow automation tools used to automate repetitive tasks, integrate cloud services, and manage complex processes. They support custom workflows, API integrations, and a wide range of app connections. They're excellent for automating business operations and boosting productivity.

However, Albato stands out with its ease of use. It features a drag-and-drop builder, over 800 app integrations, and workflow templates. Albato is designed for non-technical users for a smoother onboarding experience and a lower learning curve compared to N8N.

Meanwhile, N8N is open-source and self-hostable. This provides advanced users with full control over data privacy, custom scripting (in JavaScript and Python), and the ability to create unlimited automations. It's best for developers and teams with technical expertise.

For full control, complex logic, and unlimited workflows, choose N8N. For quick setup and easy integration with lots of apps, choose Albato!

Pabbly

The second N8N alternative I’d recommend is Pabbly. Pabbly is a user-friendly platform used to automate tasks with AI agents. It's appealing to small businesses and marketers who want to automate tasks quickly without technical expertise.

Both platforms provide powerful workflow automation, but they cater to different audiences and use cases.

On the one hand, Pabbly stands out with its library of over 2,000 integrations and an intuitive interface that makes setup fast and easy. It’s great for automating marketing, data entry, and customer management tasks across a wide range of popular apps.

On the other hand, N8N is open-source and self-hostable. You can create highly customized workflows with complex logic and even modifications to the source code. N8N is best for developers and technical teams who need maximum flexibility and control over their automations.

For a straightforward automation solution with plenty of integrations, choose Pabbly. For deep customization, self-hosting, and advanced workflow management, choose N8N!

Decisions

The final N8N alternative I’d recommend is Decisions. Decisions is an AI automation platform for anyone wanting to handle complex business processes at scale.

Both platforms offer visual workflow builders to automate tasks without extensive coding. This makes both tools great for technical and non-technical users.

However, N8N stands out with its flexible open-source approach. It excels at connecting a wide range of applications and supports advanced data processing tasks. N8N’s drag-and-drop interface and custom JavaScript support make it a great option for businesses needing deep customization and control over their automations.

Meanwhile, Decisions distinguishes itself with AI process automation tools, including document data extraction and smart semantic search. It's designed for intelligent automation, with features like AI decision-making and enterprise-grade security and compliance. This makes Decisions best for large enterprises and organizations with strict regulatory requirements.

For flexible, open-source workflow automation with deep integration capabilities, choose N8N. For AI-powered automation, intelligent document handling, and advanced enterprise security, choose Decisions!

N8N Review: The Right Tool For You?

Building workflows in N8N showed me it's a powerful tool for full control. While the learning curve is real, it's worth it if you’re comfortable tweaking logic, writing custom code, and self-hosting.

For maximum flexibility, choose N8N. But if you want something more user-friendly, consider these alternatives:

• Albato is best for no-code automation with quick setup and easy app connections.
• Pabbly is best for simple workflows with lots of built-in integrations.
• Decisions is best for AI automation, smart document handling, and enterprise-grade security.

Thanks for reading my N8N review! I hope you found it helpful.

N8N offers a 14-day free trial. Try it for yourself and see how you like it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does N8N mean?

N8N stands for “nodemation,” a combination of “node” (referring to its visual, node-based workflow interface) and “automation.”It's pronounced “n-eight-n”. The name highlights its core purpose: to automate processes by connecting different apps and services through a node-based system.

Is N8N completely free?

N8N is not completely free. However, it offers a free, self-hosted Community Edition for unlimited workflows if you manage your own server. For cloud-hosted versions with support and additional features, N8N charges monthly fees.

Is N8N a Chinese company?

No, N8N is not a Chinese company. It was founded by Jan Oberhauser in 2019 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

What are the disadvantages of N8N?

N8N is more complicated for beginners compared to Zapier or Make, and it offers fewer templates and connectors than its competitors. Self-hosting and advanced features require technical skills; large workflows can become hard to manage visually, and the platform may be slow or unstable at scale.

Is learning N8N worth it?

Learning N8N is worth it for building flexible, scalable, and intelligent automations that go beyond simple workflows. It offers a powerful mix of visual workflow design and deep integration capabilities. It's valuable for anyone looking to automate complex business processes or boost their productivity.

Is N8N cloud worth it?

N8N Cloud is worth it for its convenience, no setup, automatic updates, and official support. It's especially convenient for non-technical users or teams that want to avoid server management. However, it comes at a higher monthly cost and offers less flexibility and customization than self-hosting. Self-hosting is better for full control, custom integrations, and lower costs.