11st of 3 in Workflow automation with AI

n8n

Visual workflow automation with AI agent nodes and 1500+ integrations

Documentation ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 208.5k
License: custom license
Last commit: Oct 2026
Last release: Oct 2026
Language: TypeScript

Stars, last 30 weeks+31,200

177,255 on 26 Mar 2026208,455 on 22 Oct 2026

From GitHub's daily star counts.

Checked 24 Oct 2026 on GitHub.

n8n is hiring: 41 open roles

Overview

n8n is a node-based canvas for building workflows and multi-step AI agents, with JavaScript, Python and npm packages usable inside nodes. It connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and open-source models, and lists 1500+ integrations and 9,000+ workflow templates. It runs self-hosted or on n8n Cloud, under the Sustainable Use License rather than an OSI license.

Who it is for: Teams wiring LLMs and agents into existing SaaS tools, self-hosted or cloud

Ranked among open-source alternatives to Zapier (#1 of 3).

Strengths

1500+ integrations and 9,000+ templates cover most common SaaS wiring
Visual canvas with JavaScript, Python and npm code when needed
Model-agnostic: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models
Supports human approvals and observability for multi-step AI workflows

Weaknesses

Fair-code Sustainable Use License, not OSI open source; use is restricted
Role-based access and audit trails fall under the Enterprise License
RAM and CPU requirements are not stated in the README
Documented quick start requires Docker

What it needs

no GPU
Needs Docker
Models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, open-source models
port 5678

Quick answers

Is n8n open source?

Its code is public on GitHub under its own license terms; read them before you use it at work.

Can you run n8n with Docker?

Yes. Its repository has a Docker setup: a Dockerfile, a Compose file or a published image.

Does n8n need a GPU?

No, it runs without one.

Head to head

Also in Workflow automation with AI

See all 3

Also in Workflow automation with AI
Rank	Project	Score
2	ActivepiecesSelf-hosted workflow automation with TypeScript integrations, alternative to Zapier25.2k starscustom license	82 out of 100
3	banana-slidesAI slide deck generator that exports PPTX, PDF and narrated video Live demo ↗ (opens in a new tab)15.9k starsAGPL-3.0	69 out of 100

How to choose

Count the integrations you actually need; the long tail is where platforms differ.
Check whether AI steps can use your own model endpoint or only hosted providers.
Read the license: several are fair-code or source-available, not OSI open source.

Health

Releases: 59 in the last 12 monthsLast one 2 days ago
Top contributor: 5% of commits477 of 9,943 in the last 12 months
Security advisories: 217 published ↗ (opens in a new tab)On GitHub, in the last 12 months; 119 critical or high
OpenSSF Scorecard: 7.1 out of 10 ↗ (opens in a new tab)Run by OpenSSF on 19 Oct 2026

Read from GitHub, deps.dev and OpenSSF on 23 Oct 2026. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

custom license Custom terms

Use it at work: Check
Change it and rebrand it: Check
Sell it or host it for others: Check

Your part: GitHub could not match these terms to a standard license. Read the license before you use it at work, rebrand it or host it for others.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Set it up

Needs before it works: Docker.

Bring in an engineer who knows n8n. By the hour for upkeep and fixes, or a fixed price for a build. Our own engineering service; it never changes a rank.

Where to run it

RackNerd ↗ (opens in a new tab)Budget KVM VPS from $26.99 a year to run Docker apps yourself.
RepoCloud ↗ (opens in a new tab)n8n in one click, on its own VPS.

Referral links: if you sign up through one, we get a commission. They never change a rank.

Ask your AI assistant

The rankings as an MCP server for Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT and any MCP client. Free, no key, read-only.

Claude Codeclaude mcp add archestack -- npx -y @archestack/mcp

Connector URLhttps://mcp.archestack.com/mcp

Then ask: Compare n8n with its top alternatives on Archestack

Setup for other apps

#1 of 3 in Workflow automation with AI on Archestack, as of 24 Oct 2026.

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Best of Open-Source AI on GitHub

Each review comes from the project's README and facts we check on GitHub. The fix form opens with n8n filled in.

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