TL;DR — n8n (189K⭐) is an open-source workflow automation platform that I now use daily.
The Problem: SaaS Fees Are Bleeding You Dry
If you are running a one-person operation, you know the pain:
- Zapier: $20-30/month for 100 tasks
- Make: $15/month for 1,000 operations
Your data lives on their servers. Workflow triggers fail silently. You hit task limits mid-campaign.
What Is n8n?
n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform with:
- 400+ integrations (GitHub, Slack, Google, databases, APIs)
- Built-in AI support (LangChain nodes for agents, LLMs)
- Visual flow designer (drag, drop, connect)
- Custom code nodes (write JavaScript/Python when you need)
- Self-hosted (your data, your control)
One Command to Start
npx n8n
Or Docker:
docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
Real Workflows I Built
1. AI Blog Pipeline
Schedule triggers daily -> AI generates article -> Auto-publishes to WordPress
2. Competitor Monitoring
RSS trigger -> AI analyzes content -> Generates brief -> Sends to Slack
3. Auto-Responder
Webhook on new comment -> AI analyzes sentiment and drafts reply -> Sends back
n8n vs Alternatives
| Feature | n8n | Zapier | Make |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Yes | No | No |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No | No |
| AI/LLM built-in | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free tier | Unlimited (self-host) | 100 tasks/mo | 1K ops/mo |
| Custom code | Yes JS/Python | No | No |
Why Solo Developers Love It
- Zero recurring cost - Self-host = free forever
- Full data control - Your workflows, your servers
- AI native - LangChain nodes built in
- Composable - Chain any tools together
- Sellable - Package workflows as Gumroad templates
Getting Started
npx n8n
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