What is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation tool that connects apps and APIs through a visual editor with optional code, and that teams can run on n8n’s cloud or host on their own servers under its fair-code license.

At a glance

• Made by n8n GmbH in Berlin, founded by Jan Oberhauser. The first public release was in 2019.
• It’s “fair-code” rather than open source in the strict sense. Since March 2022 it has used its own Sustainable Use License, which replaced Apache 2.0 with the Commons Clause.
• You can self-host the community edition for free or pay for n8n Cloud. Paid plans are priced on workflow executions rather than on each step.
• It has hundreds of built-in integrations, an HTTP node for any API, and nodes for AI models and agents.
• For pricing and alternatives, see n8n in the tools directory.

How n8n works

A workflow starts with a trigger: a webhook, a schedule, a new row in a database, a form submission, a new deal in the CRM. Each step after that is a node that reads data, changes it, makes a decision or sends it somewhere else. Where a built-in node doesn’t exist, a code node or an HTTP request fills the gap.

Self-hosting is the main reason technical teams pick it. Data stays on infrastructure you control, and the cost doesn’t climb with every step in a long workflow. The trade-off is that someone has to run, update and monitor the server. The license also matters: you can use and change n8n inside your own business, but reselling it as a hosted service needs a commercial agreement, which is why it’s called fair-code rather than open source.

Example (illustrative): a webhook fires when someone books a demo. The workflow looks the company up in an enrichment tool, checks the CRM for an existing account and owner, applies the lead routing rules, creates the deal, and posts a summary to the rep’s Slack channel. A second branch logs any record it couldn’t match so someone can fix it by hand.

Common n8n mistakes

• Self-hosting without an owner. A workflow server nobody patches or watches fails quietly.
• No error handling. Workflows that stop on the first bad record lose data without anyone noticing. Add error branches and alerts.
• Logic hidden in automation. Business rules buried in a workflow are invisible to the team using the CRM. Write down what each workflow changes.
• Automating a process that isn’t settled. If routing or qualification rules change monthly, build them where they’re easy to change.

How n8n shows up in a revenue system

Tools like n8n do the plumbing between systems: moving enriched data into the CRM, routing leads, alerting reps and keeping records in sync. That’s the work of a GTM engineer, and it’s the kind of automation we build inside partners’ systems. See how we build AI automation.

Terms that sit next to n8n

n8n is often compared with Zapier and Make for automation, and it sits next to data tools like Clay, which builds and enriches the lists that workflows then move around.