Web servicesLocal & self-hosted appsn8n GmbH (Jan Oberhauser)
n8n
Decision matrix
n8n app decision matrix
Overview
Verdict: the best first automation tool if you want to own what you build. Start in the cloud trial; move to your own server only when someone on your team is happy to run one. We run n8n ourselves (self-hosted, version 2.40.5) for parts of this curriculum's own operations, and it charges per completed run rather than per step, so a long workflow doesn't cost more than a short one.
Other good fits
Wanting the data in the EU or on your own machine: n8n Cloud stores data in Frankfurt, and self-hosting keeps it wherever you run it.
+ Pros
Read pros
n8n makes automation plumbing visible instead of hiding it behind a fixed recipe. A workflow can receive an event, call an API, transform data, branch on a condition, and route the result, and every step shows exactly what went in and what came out. That inspection is where you actually find mistakes, and it's the feature we use most running our own workflows.
Pick it when…
Your process has more than a couple of steps, such as form → check → spreadsheet → email. n8n charges per complete run, not per step, so long workflows don't cost more.
You want the data in the EU or on your own machine. The cloud plans store data in Frankfurt, Germany.
You want to see what happened. After a run, every step shows exactly what went in and what came out.
− Cons
Read cons
Workflows live inside n8n, not in files by default; if you want a change history, export them regularly, since exported copies drift whenever someone edits in the browser and forgets to export. Credentials are the fragile part: a workflow can run fine for weeks and then fail silently when a token expires, so put an error notification on anything that matters. Large workflows get harder to review the bigger they grow, and self-hosting makes availability and data retention entirely your own responsibility.
Pick something else when…
It's a simple "when X happens in app A, do Y in app B" and nobody wants to maintain anything.Zapier is quicker to set up and harder to break for that narrow case.
You want a visual canvas with a different plan structure to compare.Make is a comparable option worth checking against n8n's execution-based pricing.
Your team already knows a different flow tool and its connectors fit your project.Activepieces is worth comparing if its AI, tables or MCP capabilities match what you need.
Avoid if
Nobody on your team can look after a server; self-hosting is free in money but not in time.
Workflow
Start with a trigger (webhook, schedule, or manual) → parse and validate the incoming data → branch valid and invalid cases apart → send valid data to its destination (an API, a spreadsheet, a database) → route invalid or failed cases to a labelled review output → check the run history to confirm the counts match what you expected.
Free trial: 1,000 executions, no credit card. The free self-hosted Community edition excludes some features kept for paid tiers: custom variables, environments, external secrets, log streaming beyond basic logging, projects, SSO and Git-based version control. Self-hosting is free in money, not in time: updates, backups and credential rotation for every connected account are yours to handle.
Restrictions
n8n's license is the Sustainable Use License, not a conventional OSI-approved open-source license; .ee (Enterprise) source files are licensed separately. If your organisation requires conventional open-source licensing without negotiating those terms, check the license text before adopting n8n.
First project
Documentation-based suggestion — not run here.
Read first project
Build a small validation workflow before trusting n8n with anything real.
Create a workflow with six made-up rows of data (for example: an ID, a category, and a status field), including one row with a missing field and one with an invalid status.
Start with a manual trigger, then parse the rows.
Split valid rows from invalid ones with a condition check.
Send valid rows to a mock endpoint or a simple data table; route invalid rows to a labelled review output with the row, the failed rule, and a timestamp.
Check that the final counts match: every valid row reached exactly one action, every invalid row reached review.
This follows the same idea as T05-L01, Your first automation with n8n: a web form that writes each answer into a table. Do this with made-up data first; don't connect real credentials or production data until you've confirmed permissions, retention and failure handling.
Links & evidence
Documentation-based · not hands-on · Sep 23, 2026
Rests on n8n's pricing page, deployment-choice documentation, first-workflow tutorial and repository license, checked 23 September 2026. The curriculum team runs n8n itself (self-hosted, version 2.40.5, the current stable release) for parts of its own operations, which informs the "what we learned" observations about credentials and workflow history; this is direct operational experience, not a formal audit or benchmark.
n8n plans and pricing · Sep 23, 2026 — Starter/Pro/Business/Enterprise prices, execution allowances, Frankfurt EU data location, free trial terms.
Choose how to use n8n · Sep 23, 2026 — Cloud vs. self-hosted distinction, free Community edition, maintenance responsibilities.
Build your first workflow · Sep 23, 2026 — Official tutorial: trigger, credentials, API, expressions, branching.
n8n official repository license · Sep 23, 2026 — Sustainable Use License terms; separate licensing for .ee source files.
Further review notes & alternatives
Alternatives and trade-offs
Zapier wins for a single-trigger, single-action automation where nobody wants a visual canvas to maintain.
Make wins when you want a different visual canvas and pricing structure to compare against n8n's per-execution model.
Activepieces wins when your team already knows its flow model and its specific connectors or AI features fit your project better.
Chain APIs, models, databases, and files into visual workflows.
Inspect requests, errors, outputs, and branching logic directly.
Build multi-stage research pipelines without creating a backend.
View sourced imageOwner-supplied screenshot of an actual n8n workflow; not an independently verified course run.
Owner-approved n8n workflow capture
Owner supplied and explicitly approved this screenshot for use as-is on 8 September 2026. Original pixels preserved; n8n trademarks belong to their owners.
