Open-source workflow automation you can self-host.
1 min readupdated 2026-07-06
/ quick answer
n8n is a source-available automation platform similar to Zapier and Make, but self-hostable and with a first-class code node. It's popular for AI orchestrations that touch private data or need custom logic without vendor lock-in. Open-source workflow automation you can self-host.
Open-source workflow automation you can self-host. n8n is a source-available automation platform similar to Zapier and Make, but self-hostable and with a first-class code node. It's popular for AI orchestrations that touch private data or need custom logic without vendor lock-in. In practice: A team self-hosts n8n on a $10 VPS, runs 30k monthly executions across 12 flows (CRM sync, AI email triage, invoice OCR), and pays $0 in platform fees. This dictionary node is part of the Onexial knowledge graph and links to related concepts, workflows and tools below.
Definition
n8n is a source-available automation platform similar to Zapier and Make, but self-hostable and with a first-class code node. It's popular for AI orchestrations that touch private data or need custom logic without vendor lock-in.
Example
A team self-hosts n8n on a $10 VPS, runs 30k monthly executions across 12 flows (CRM sync, AI email triage, invoice OCR), and pays $0 in platform fees.
n8n is a source-available automation platform similar to Zapier and Make, but self-hostable and with a first-class code node. It's popular for AI orchestrations that touch private data or need custom logic without vendor lock-in.
What is an example of n8n?
A team self-hosts n8n on a $10 VPS, runs 30k monthly executions across 12 flows (CRM sync, AI email triage, invoice OCR), and pays $0 in platform fees.
Why does n8n matter for AI and automation?
Open-source workflow automation you can self-host. It connects to the workflows, prompts and tool stacks linked on this page, so you can move from definition to execution without leaving Onexial.