The Curious AI Guy

Library / Automation & agents

n8n

Build automations and AI agents you host yourself.

Replaces
LicenseSustainable Use License
GitHub stars207k
Last code update12 October 2026
SetupIntermediate about 15 minOur estimate
Paid version costs about$29.99/moZapier Professional, monthly billing, 750 tasks
Per year~$359.88

New to this? What open source means and how to read this page.

What it is

A visual workflow builder with hundreds of integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. You can self-host it for your own use at no licence cost.

Good for

Anything you would build in Zapier, plus agent workflows, with no per-task fee when you host it.

The catch

It is source-available, not open source in the strict sense: the Sustainable Use License limits commercial resale. Self-hosting means you run, update and secure the server.

n8n versus

n8n
PriceFreeThe software is free. The computer or server to run it is yours to provide.ca. $29.99/moZapier Professional, monthly billing, 750 tasks
LicenseSustainable Use LicenseCommercial license
Source codePublic, with limits on how you may use itNot public
SetupIntermediate, about 15 minSign up and pay
Where it runsOn a computer or server you controlThe vendor's app or service, under their terms

The paid product's own plans and terms change. Check its site before you decide.

Install it with an AI assistant

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT or another assistant that can work on your computer (Claude Code or Claude Desktop, for example). It is written from the project's official repository and tells the assistant to show you every command first. Setup time is our estimate: about 15 min.

I want to install and try n8n on my own computer.

Official repository: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
Official site: https://n8n.io
License: Sustainable Use License

Before you do anything:
1. Read the README and install notes in the official repository above, and nothing else. Do not follow third-party tutorials or mirrors.
2. Tell me in plain words what will be installed, what it needs (operating system, memory, graphics card, disk space, accounts) and what it will cost me, if anything.
3. Check my computer against those needs and tell me honestly if it will not work well.

Run it with Docker. First check whether Docker is installed and running, and if it is not, guide me through installing Docker Desktop. Use the official Docker or compose instructions from the README, keep the data in a volume so it survives updates, and tell me the address to open in my browser. Tell me how much memory and disk it will use, and how to remove it cleanly.

Rules:
- Show me each command before you run it, and say what it does.
- Ask before anything that deletes files, changes system settings, opens a network port or needs an administrator password.
- Never put my passwords or keys on a command line, or in a file I did not choose.
- When it is installed, help me check it with one small test, and tell me how to start and stop it.
- If something goes wrong, explain it in plain words and do not guess your way around it.

Good to know before you start: It is source-available, not open source in the strict sense: the Sustainable Use License limits commercial resale. Self-hosting means you run, update and secure the server.

We have not run this prompt ourselves yet. Read what the assistant plans to do before you say yes.

Facts checked on 12 October 2026. We have not yet run a hands-on test of this tool. When we do, it gets a "Tested" mark here. Approximate US list prices for an individual plan, from third-party price trackers checked on 12 Oct 2026. Monthly billing where it exists. Regions, taxes and promotions change them. Confirm at the vendor before you decide.

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