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n8n.io

n8n is an open‑source, fair‑code workflow automation platform that empowers technical teams to build powerful, scalable, and secure automations.

It combines the intuitiveness of visual drag‑and‑drop workflows with the flexibility of custom code (JavaScript/Python), and supports hosting anywhere—from local servers to cloud deployments which means you can run this locally on your own machine.

Core features

  1. Visual + code hybrid
    • Use a node-based editor to visually map workflows.
    • Add custom JS/Python code or npm packages when needed.
  2. Extensive integrations
    • Supports over 400 native integrations (e.g., Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable, GitHub) plus webhooks and HTTP API connections. This is N8N’s real party trick.
  3. Open source and self hostable
    • Distributed under a fair‑code license—source is visible, and it’s free to self-host with full control.
    • Also offers a cloud-hosted option (n8n.cloud) for managed use.
  4. AI native automations
    • Native integrations with LLMs (OpenAI, LangChain) enable AI-driven workflows and agents. You just need to bring your own API keys.
  5. Enterprise features
    • Advanced permissions, SSO, audit logs, error handling, retries, and support for air‑gapped or self-hosted enterprise environments.
  6. Templates & Community
    • Over 900 community templates and an active forum (100M+ Docker pulls, 110k stars on GitHub). This platform has a lot of support.

What its popular for:

  • Marketing and social media: Automate RSS-to-social posts, lead capture, email campaigns.
  • Customer support: Auto-assign tickets, escalate issues, integrate chatbots with knowledge bases.
  • DevOps & IT: CI/CD triggers, backup management, error alerts, infrastructure tasks.
  • Data integration & ETL: Sync databases, clean data, generate reports, connect CRM systems.
  • Personal productivity: Task automation, email filtering, home automation integration.

etting Started

  1. Launch Instantly (No Install):
    2. npx n8n
  2. Via Docker:
    3. docker volume create n8n_data
docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n n8nio/n8n

    Access via http://localhost:5678. community.n8n.iogithub.com+1github.com+1

  3. Cloud option: Sign up for a free trial at n8n.cloud with paid plans also available
  4. First workflow tutorial:
    • Create a scheduled trigger → fetch data (e.g., NASA API) → apply logic nodes → send output.
    • Learn via official docs quickstart.

Why choose n8n?

  • Maximum control: Fully open source and self‑hostable for total data sovereignty.
  • Powerful flexibility: Visual building + code customization = perfect for both non‑devs and pros.
  • Enterprise ready: Security, compliance, monitoring built-in.
  • AI‑enhanced workflows: Native LLM integration for smart automations.
  • Thriving ecosystem: Large community, rich template library, extensible node framework.

Conclusion

n8n offers open-source workflow automation with visual building and code flexibility, extensive integrations, and self hosting options - perfect for teams needing powerful, customisable automations with complete data control.