Company Overview

n8n was founded in 2019 by Jan Oberhauser in Berlin, Germany. It is an open-source workflow automation platform licensed under Fair-code, designed as a self-hostable alternative to Zapier. With 400+ integration nodes and a visual workflow editor, n8n has built a community of millions of developers worldwide.

Related providers: n8n Workflow Automation Service

Core Products

  • n8n (Self-Hosted): Open-source workflow automation engine deployable on your own infrastructure
  • n8n.cloud: Managed cloud version requiring no self-hosting
  • n8n Enterprise: Enterprise edition with SSO, audit logs, and advanced access control
  • 400+ Integration Nodes: Pre-built connectors for databases, cloud services, CRM, email, social media, AI platforms, and more
  • AI Nodes: AI workflow nodes introduced in 2024, supporting OpenAI, Anthropic, and other LLMs
  • Sub-workflows: Reusable nested workflows for building complex automation chains

Core Strengths

Open Source & Self-Hosted: Complete data control on your own infrastructure for security and compliance
Fair-Code Licensed: Free for personal and small team use with reasonable commercial restrictions
Rich Integration Library: 400+ pre-built nodes covering major apps and API services
Visual Workflow Builder: Drag-and-drop node editor for building complex automations without coding
AI-Native: Built-in AI nodes for easily constructing AI Agent workflows

Key Milestones

  • 2019: Founded by Jan Oberhauser in Berlin; first commit to the n8n repository
  • 2020: Released n8n 1.0 stable version; rapid community growth
  • 2021: Launched n8n.cloud hosted service; raised $12M Series A
  • 2022: Completed $12M Series A funding to accelerate product development
  • 2023: Major n8n 1.30+ release with significant performance and scalability improvements
  • 2024: Introduced AI nodes for building AI Agents and intelligent workflows
  • 2025+: Continuing expansion of enterprise features and open-source automation leadership

Market Position

n8n competes with the following providers in the workflow automation market:

  • Zapier: Market-leading no-code automation platform with 5000+ app integrations
  • Make (formerly Integromat): Visual workflow automation platform supporting complex multi-step scenarios
  • Activepieces: Open-source workflow automation platform, a key open-source competitor
  • Huginn: Open-source event-driven automation system for technical self-hosters