n8n
Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.
Workflow automation you can run yourself: connect apps and APIs on a canvas, or drop into JavaScript for the steps that need it, with the whole thing on your own server.
Write the three workflows you actually run, as code. BE HONEST - n8n is free to self-host. Build only if three cron jobs beat a whole platform STACK - A small Node worker, Postgres, one HTML page for the run log A WORKFLOW IS A FILE - An exported async function with a name and a schedule - Steps are ordinary function calls; the canvas is a diagram in the README RUNNING - One scheduler process reading the schedules - Every run writes a row before the first step: workflow, started, status - Each step appends its input, output and duration to that run FAILING WELL - Retries with exponential backoff, a cap, and then a dead letter - Idempotency keys on anything that writes to a third party, so a retry cannot double-charge or double-post SECRETS - From the environment only; never in the workflow file, never in the run log - Redact anything matching a secret pattern before writing a step output Include the scheduler, the run schema and one example workflow.
What you lose
- Hundreds of integrations with their authentication, pagination and rate limits already solved
- A canvas that makes a workflow readable to somebody who did not write it
- Execution history with the data at each step, which is how you debug an automation at all
If you would rather not build
- A cron job and a script, which is often the honest answer
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Windmill
$0Turns scripts into scheduled workflows with a run history.
windmill-labs/windmillfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
77/100
Verdict yes at 77: three automations as code beat a platform. Recording each step's input and output is what makes the home-made version debuggable.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
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Questions about n8n
answered from the record above
Is n8n free?
No — the plan we track is $24 a month. Starter from around €24/month billed monthly on n8n Cloud; the source-available version is free to self-host.
Can you replace n8n by building your own?
YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 77 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does n8n cost?
$24 a month on Starter — $288 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing n8n?
Hundreds of integrations with their authentication, pagination and rate limits already solved; A canvas that makes a workflow readable to somebody who did not write it; Execution history with the data at each step, which is how you debug an automation at all. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to n8n?
Yes: n8n, Windmill. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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