If you have ever thought “surely a robot could be doing this for me,” then congratulations, you have stumbled into the world of automation. And if you have ever cried into a Zapier invoice or wished Integromat made more sense, you will be happy to know that n8n exists. It is an open source workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps, APIs, and databases together without needing to become a full time developer or a part time wizard. In short, it is like Zapier but cheaper, more flexible, and with no limits, although it does ask you to use your brain occasionally.
What is n8n?
n8n (pronounced “n eight n”) is short for “nodemation” which is a mashup of “nodes” and “automation.” The idea is simple: you create workflows by connecting “nodes” together. A node could be Gmail, Slack, Airtable, or even a custom API you are calling. You tell n8n what to do when something happens, such as a new email arriving, a row getting added to a sheet, or a lead signing up on your website, and n8n executes a chain of actions automatically.
It is open source, meaning you can run it on your own server for free if you are technical enough, or you can pay for their hosted cloud version if you do not want to spend your evenings learning Docker commands. Either way, you get more flexibility than Zapier because you can handle data transformations, loops, branching logic, and other things Zapier likes to lock behind its most expensive pricing tier.
What Can n8n Actually Do?
Here is the short answer: if it has an API, n8n can probably connect to it. Here are some real world examples that founders, marketers, and developers use it for:
- Lead Generation Automation: When someone fills out a form on your website, n8n can add them to Airtable, tag them in Brevo, ping you in Slack, and send a personalized welcome email.
- Social Media Scheduling: Connect Twitter, LinkedIn, or Mastodon with Google Sheets and automatically publish your content without paying for another scheduling tool.
- Data Syncing: Keep your CRM, newsletter tool, and database in sync so you are not copying and pasting emails manually like it is 2005.
- Reporting Dashboards: Automatically pull numbers from Stripe, Google Analytics, and Notion, then send yourself a Monday morning “state of the business” email.
- Ecommerce Workflows: Trigger abandoned cart sequences, sync Shopify orders with your fulfillment service, or automatically request reviews after delivery.
- Custom Alerts: Monitor APIs, RSS feeds, or even your own servers and get pinged when something breaks.
The beauty of n8n is that you are not limited to pre defined “zaps.” You can build multi step workflows with conditional logic, branches, error handling, and data transformations in a way that is closer to building mini programs than point and click automations.
How to Get Started with n8n
Getting started is surprisingly straightforward, depending on how adventurous you are:
- Cloud Version (Easiest): Sign up at n8n.io and start building workflows in their hosted environment. No setup required.
- Self Hosting (Cheapest): Install n8n on your own server using Docker, npm, or even on services like Railway or Heroku. This is free but involves more tinkering.
- Desktop Version (Playground): Download the desktop app if you just want to experiment locally before committing to cloud or self hosting.
Once inside, you will be greeted with a drag and drop editor where you connect nodes together. Each node represents an app, an API call, or a piece of logic such as an if else or a merge. You string them into workflows, hit execute, and watch as n8n automates away hours of your life admin.
How to Learn n8n Without Losing Patience
The best way to learn is by building actual workflows that solve problems you care about. Start small, like syncing new Gmail attachments into Google Drive. Once you get the hang of nodes, inputs, and outputs, you can level up into data transformations, webhooks, and custom code nodes.
Resources worth checking out:
Templates: n8n provides pre built templates for common workflows, so you can copy, tweak, and learn.
Official n8n Docs: Surprisingly clear for open source software.
n8n Community Forum: Great for asking “why does this loop keep exploding” without feeling dumb.
YouTube Tutorials: Plenty of walkthroughs that take you from beginner to advanced.
Pros and Cons of n8n
Pros:
- Open source and free to self host.
- Much more flexible than Zapier or Make for complex workflows.
- Large library of integrations with the ability to add custom APIs.
- Active community with constant new features.
- Can scale from simple automations to near full on backend logic.
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier.
- Self hosting requires some technical knowledge.
- The interface can feel intimidating at first if you are new to automation.
- Cloud pricing is cheaper than Zapier but not the absolute cheapest.
Why n8n Wins Overall
If you are just looking for very simple “when X then Y” automations, Zapier might still be easier. If you want to build advanced automations without becoming a full stack developer, n8n is the best choice. It sits in the sweet spot between flexibility, cost, and community support. And the fact that it is open source means you are not locked into one company’s pricing model forever.
For startups, freelancers, and businesses who want more control over their data and processes, n8n offers the most value. It is powerful enough to automate your workflows at scale but approachable enough to learn step by step.
So, the real question is not “should I use n8n?” It is “why am I still manually copying leads into a spreadsheet when a free open source tool will do it for me while I sleep?”
