n8n
Connect tools and automate workflows with a flexible visual builder.
n8n is a workflow automation platform that can be self-hosted, which is usually the deciding factor. Automation accumulates credentials for everything it touches, and keeping that on infrastructure you control is a different risk posture than handing it to a SaaS. The other practical strength is the escape hatch: when the visual nodes run out, a code node takes over, so you are not forced to rebuild the workflow elsewhere. AI agent nodes let a model sit inside a pipeline rather than wrap it.
Best for
- Self-hosted automation with AI steps
- Engineering teams that want to own the runtime
- Workflows that need real code in the middle
Key features
- Node-based workflows with a code node when nodes run out
- Self-hostable, so data and credentials stay put
- AI agent nodes alongside several hundred integrations
Why it matters
Self-hosting is the reason to pick it: the automation layer and the credentials it holds stay inside your own infrastructure.
