n8n Alternatives: 7 Picks, Sorted by Why You're Leaving

We checked every price and license on this page on November 9, 2026.

Which n8n alternatives are worth trying?

Seven are worth a look, and they fix different problems. Start from the reason you're leaving n8n, then read across the row.

Prices come from each vendor's own page on November 9, 2026. "Free to self-host" means the software costs nothing; the server you run it on still does.

Why do people look for an n8n alternative?

Usually for one of four reasons, and only one of them is about how good n8n is. Each has a different fix.

1. The license isn't open source. n8n is free to use, but its license limits how you can use it commercially. If that matters, see the open-source section.
2. Free means you run the server. The free version only runs on your own machine, so you handle updates, backups and downtime. If you'd rather not, see the hosted options.
3. The cheap cloud plan fills up. n8n's own cloud starts at 2,500 runs a month. A workflow that checks something every five minutes uses about three times that.
4. You'd rather not build the workflow at all. Wiring boxes is a skill. Some people just want to say what they need done. See describing the job instead.

How much does n8n cost, and is it free?

The software is free if you run it on your own server. n8n's own cloud, where it runs the server for you, starts at $24 a month, or $20 a month if you pay for a year.

Here's what n8n's pricing page showed on November 9, 2026:

n8n counts one "execution" each time a workflow runs from start to finish, however many steps it has. That's generous next to tools that charge per step. Every plan includes unlimited users.

The limits that catch people are on Starter: five workflows running at once, five minutes per run at most, and seven days of history. By n8n's own math, a workflow that runs every five minutes needs about 8,600 to 8,900 runs a month. Under 20 employees? n8n offers 50% off Business.

Two catches on the free version. It runs on your own server, so the cost moves to hosting and your time. And if you buy a paid self-hosted plan, its license key checks in with n8n's server every day.

Is n8n open source, and what's the best open-source alternative?

No. n8n calls its license "fair-code", and says outright that it doesn't call itself open source. Activepieces is the closest swap if you want a true open-source license on the same kind of canvas.

Here's what n8n's license page allows, in plain words:

• Yes: use it for your own business, for personal or non-commercial projects, and change the code.
• Yes: build n8n workflows for clients, as a consultant or agency.
• No, without a deal: put n8n inside your own product so your customers connect their accounts and build workflows.

n8n switched to this license in March 2022. Before that, it used Apache 2.0 with an added clause restricting sales. For most companies automating their own work, the license is fine. It bites when automation is part of what you sell.

The open-source options:

• Activepieces looks and works most like n8n. Its core is under the MIT license, one of the most permissive there is; only its paid add-on code isn't. You can host it yourself or use its cloud.

  Its cloud Free plan gives 1,000 credits a month, refreshed daily, for up to five people. Plus is a flat $20 a month for ten times that, then $0.007 a credit. Team is $200 a month for 25 people. Some top-ranking lists still show older Activepieces prices, so check its page before you budget.

• Windmill is for people who'd rather write a few lines of code than drag boxes. You write small scripts and Windmill chains them into flows. The core is AGPLv3, a license that requires you to share your changes if you offer it to others over a network. Ask a lawyer before building it into a product you sell.

• Kestra suits data and infrastructure jobs. You describe each workflow in a text file. Apache 2.0 license.

• Node-RED is the long-standing pick for devices, sensors and home automation. Apache 2.0 license.

All four are free to run yourself. Like n8n's free version, you still pay for and look after the server.

What's the easiest n8n alternative if you don't want to run a server?

Zapier if you want the most apps and the gentlest start. Make if you want a visual canvas like n8n's, hosted for you.

Zapier connects 9,000+ apps and has nothing to install. The Free plan gives 100 tasks a month with two-step automations. Professional starts at $19.99 a month and Team at $69 a month for 25 people; paying yearly saves 33%.

Make connects 3,500+ apps on a visual canvas with branches and filters. The Free plan gives 1,000 credits a month, with at least 15 minutes between runs. Paid plans start at $12 a month for 10,000 credits. That's Make's discounted price, and monthly billing costs more. Make also has Maia, which builds automations from a conversation.

The catch is how they count. n8n counts one run per workflow. Zapier uses tasks for every step, and Make uses one credit for every module action. Take a 10-step workflow that runs 1,000 times a month:

Compare your own runs and steps with the Zapier vs n8n cost calculator.

This is a worked example from each vendor's counting rules, not a quote. For short, simple automations, the hosted tools are often cheaper than paying for a server. For long workflows that run constantly, the per-step meter adds up.

Is there an n8n alternative where you just describe the job?

Yes: an AI agent. You say what you want in plain words, and the agent works out the steps each time. It suits messy, judgment-heavy work. It doesn't suit thousands of identical runs.

A node graph needs every step decided in advance. An agent doesn't. Compare these three requests:

1. "Every Monday, read last week's support emails and group the complaints."
2. "Now send me the top three, with an example of each."
3. "And draft a reply to anyone who's waited more than two days."

Building that in n8n means classifying emails, branching, summarizing and drafting — a big graph to maintain. An agent takes the request as written.

If you want to build agents yourself, see our pick of the best AI agent builders, which covers Lindy, n8n's own agent nodes and others. If the job has to keep going after you close your laptop, here's how to keep an agent running around the clock.

Where Bento fits. You describe the outcome — the weekly report sent, the inbox sorted, the leads researched — and Bento's agent makes it. It signs in to your apps — Gmail, Slack, Notion and thousands more — browses the web, runs on a schedule on an always-on computer, and reports back.

Bento always picks the best AI for the job. The same plan makes the posts and videos around the work, and your whole team is included at no extra cost per person. Here's what that looks like for an ops team.

Bento's plans are $20, $50 or $200 a month, with seven days free and no card. Plans differ only in how much they do. The message counts on the pricing page are an estimate, not a cap: big jobs use more credits, and you can top up.

To be plain about what Bento isn't: it's not open source, you can't host it yourself, and there's no visual workflow editor. If those matter, the tools above are the better pick.

When should you stay on n8n?

Stay if your work is predictable, high-volume and has to run on your own machines. n8n is very good at that, and an agent isn't a better fit.

• The same steps, thousands of times. Syncing records between two systems, or "new payment → add a row → post to Slack". n8n bills one run for the whole workflow, and the result is identical every time.
• Your data can't leave your servers. n8n's free version runs on your own machine. Hosted tools like Bento and Zapier don't.
• You need to see every step. A visual graph with run history shows exactly what happened. That's easier to check than an agent's reasoning.
• Your team already knows it. A working n8n setup with people who maintain it is worth a lot. Switch for a reason, not a trend.
• You're on the free version and happy running the server. Nothing on this page is cheaper than free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best n8n alternative?

It depends on why you're leaving. Activepieces is the closest like-for-like swap with an open-source license. Zapier and Make are easiest if you don't want to run a server. An AI agent like Bento fits if you'd rather describe the job than build it.

Is there a free n8n alternative?

Yes. Activepieces, Windmill, Kestra and Node-RED are free to host yourself. Zapier, Make and Activepieces also have free cloud plans with monthly or daily limits.

Is n8n really free?

The Community Edition is free to run on your own server, with no set limit on runs. You pay for the server and spend time on updates. n8n's own cloud starts at $24 a month, or $20 a month paid yearly.

What about Google's n8n alternative, Opal?

Google is turning Opal off on November 17, 2026, and existing workflows won't move over automatically, according to Google's Opal FAQ. Google points people to skills in Gemini and Google AI Studio instead. Don't start new work on it.

Can I use n8n for client work?

Yes. n8n's license allows building workflows for clients as a consultant or agency. What needs a separate deal is putting n8n inside your own product so your customers build workflows on it.