n8n review

Q: How do I install n8n?

Run curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh. It needs Node.js >=24.0.0. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

Q: How do I run n8n locally with Docker?

n8n runs locally with the install script curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh, which requires Docker. You can also create the n8n_data volume and run the docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n image manually. Then open the editor at http://localhost:5678.

n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform for building AI agents and workflows with a visual canvas plus custom code, self-hosted or cloud.

Updated Nov 1, 2026. Review written Oct 22, 2026 from the project's own sources; usage data refreshed every Monday.

TL;DR

n8n is a fair-code platform for building and deploying AI agents and workflow automations. It is for technical teams who want a visual canvas combined with JavaScript, Python and npm packages. It runs self-hosted or in the cloud, connects to many integrations, and lets you switch between model providers.

209.2kGitHub stars
+865new stars, week of Oct 25
~147.7kdownloads a week, +2% vs 4-week avg
#20in Agent frameworks this week

n8n at a glance

Category: Agent frameworks
Maintained by: n8n - Workflow Automation (organization, @n8n-io on GitHub)
Language: TypeScript, Vue, JavaScript
Repository: github.com/n8n-io/n8n
Website: n8n.io
npm package: n8n 2.44.5
Latest release: stable on GitHub, Oct 21, 2026
First published: Jun 22, 2019

What n8n does

n8n builds multi-step AI workflows and agents with logic, tool use, human approvals and observability.
n8n connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models, and you can switch providers without changing your architecture.
n8n combines visual building with JavaScript, Python and npm packages.
n8n calls any API over HTTP and connects to agents or coding assistants via MCP.
n8n lets you watch agents work live or open any past run inside the same workflow.
n8n offers role-based access and audit trails for self-hosted or secure deployments.
n8n lets you add your own nodes and functionality.

How it works

n8n runs as a server that you self-host with Docker or on-prem, or use through n8n cloud. You build workflows in a browser editor, served at http://localhost:5678 when self-hosted. Workflows chain nodes that connect to integrations, HTTP APIs, MCP tools and AI models. It is written in TypeScript, and the npm package provides an n8n command.

How to install and start using n8n

With the install script (Docker)

curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh

Create a Docker volume

docker volume create n8n_data

Run with Docker

docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

Requirements

Docker for the quick-start install script and manual Docker deployment.
Node.js 24.0.0 or later for the npm package.

First steps

Start n8n with the install script or the Docker run command.
Open the editor at http://localhost:5678.
Browse the workflow templates at n8n.io/workflows to start from an existing example.
Read the AI & LangChain guide in the docs to build AI agent workflows.

Who n8n is for

Technical teams automating business processes that mix AI steps with existing systems.
Teams that want to self-host so data stays in their own environment.
Developers who want visual workflows but need custom JavaScript or Python steps.
Workflows that need human-in-the-loop approvals, such as Slack approval before an action.

Limitations to know

n8n is fair-code under the Sustainable Use License and n8n Enterprise License, not a standard open source license.
Some additional features and support require an Enterprise License.
The npm package requires Node.js 24.0.0 or newer.

Is n8n growing? Usage data

In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, n8n ranked #199 on the Devtoolwatch Board and #20 in Agent frameworks, with a momentum score of 44 out of 100. Its main package had about 147.7k downloads that week, +2% against its own 4-week average.

New GitHub stars per week for the last 12 weeks, from GitHub's stargazer history (today's stargazers by the week they starred).

Show the weekly numbers

New GitHub stars per week for n8n
Week of	New stars
Aug 9, 2026	1k
Aug 16, 2026	1.3k
Aug 23, 2026	986
Aug 30, 2026	781
Sep 6, 2026	760
Sep 13, 2026	1.4k
Sep 20, 2026	754
Sep 27, 2026	655
Oct 4, 2026	696
Oct 11, 2026	1.1k
Oct 18, 2026	819
Oct 25, 2026	865

On Hacker News

N8n.io – Workflow automation alternative to Zapier, 728 points and 196 comments (Oct 8, 2019)
n8n.io - A powerful workflow automation tool, 237 points and 99 comments (Aug 26, 2023)
N8n raises $180M, 235 points and 184 comments (Oct 9, 2025)
N8n – Flexible AI workflow automation for technical teams, 195 points and 99 comments (May 3, 2025)
N8n added native persistent storage with DataTables, 174 points and 106 comments (Oct 2, 2025)

The Board ranks tools by four signals each week: new stars, new stars for the repo's size, added downloads and download growth beyond the market. How the ranking works.

n8n alternatives

Other AI agent frameworks on the Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum:

Agent frameworks ranked by momentum, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026
Rank	Tool	Stars	Downloads/wk
#1	Harness²Harness² is a Python framework from Google Research for recursive agent harnessing, refining an agent's prompts, tools, memory and…	21.7k	–
#2	HyperFramesHyperFrames is an open-source framework that turns HTML, CSS, media, and seekable animations into deterministic MP4 videos, built for AI…	76.6k	1.5M
#3	AgentScopeAgentScope is a Python agent framework with an SDK for building ReAct agents and an agent service backend with a web UI.	35k	51.4k
#4	AG-UIAG-UI is an open, event-based protocol that standardizes how AI agents connect to user-facing frontend applications.	16.9k	4.6M
#5	LangGraphLangGraph is a low-level orchestration framework and runtime for building, managing, and deploying long-running, stateful agents in…	44.2k	18.5M
#6	BifrostOpen-source, high-performance AI gateway that works as your LLM gateway, MCP gateway and agent gateway. One OpenAI-compatible API for…	9.3k	–

All AI agent frameworks, ranked

Recent n8n releases

beta (pre-release), Oct 21, 2026
[email protected] (pre-release), Oct 21, 2026
stable, Oct 21, 2026
[email protected], Oct 21, 2026
[email protected] (pre-release), Oct 20, 2026

n8n FAQ

Is n8n free and open source?

n8n's code is on GitHub (n8n-io/n8n), but the repository doesn't declare a standard open-source license. Check its license file before using it commercially. Its website links to a pricing page: https://n8n.io/pricing/.

How do I install n8n?

Run curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh. It needs Node.js >=24.0.0. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

Is n8n still maintained?

Yes. The n8n-io/n8n repository was last updated on Oct 22, 2026, and the latest release, stable on GitHub, came out on Oct 21, 2026.

How popular is n8n?

n8n has 209.2k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 865 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 922 a week. Its main package had about 147.7k downloads that week, +2% against its own 4-week average. That made it #20 among AI agent frameworks on the Devtoolwatch Board.

n8n vs LangChain: how do they compare?

n8n and LangChain are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI agent frameworks. n8n has 209.2k GitHub stars and LangChain has 148.8k. In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, n8n's main package had 147.7k downloads and LangChain's had 41.1M. LangChain review.

n8n vs LangGraph: how do they compare?

n8n and LangGraph are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI agent frameworks. n8n has 209.2k GitHub stars and LangGraph has 44.2k. In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, n8n's main package had 147.7k downloads and LangGraph's had 18.5M. LangGraph is a low-level orchestration framework and runtime for building, managing, and deploying long-running, stateful agents in Python or JavaScript. LangGraph review.

What are the best alternatives to n8n?

Other AI agent frameworks on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Harness² (#1), HyperFrames (#2), AgentScope (#3), AG-UI (#4), LangGraph (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

Is n8n open source?

n8n is fair-code and source available, not under a standard open source license. It is distributed under the Sustainable Use License and the n8n Enterprise License. The source code is always visible, and you can self-host it.

How do I run n8n locally with Docker?

n8n runs locally with the install script curl -fsSL https://get.n8n.io | sh, which requires Docker. You can also create the n8n_data volume and run the docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n image manually. Then open the editor at http://localhost:5678.

Which AI models does n8n support?

n8n connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or open-source models. You can switch providers without changing your workflow architecture.

Can n8n work with coding assistants?

n8n can connect to any agent or coding assistant via MCP. It can also call any API over HTTP.

What does the name n8n mean?

n8n is short for "nodemation" and is pronounced n-eight-n. "Node" refers to its Node-View and its use of Node.js, and "mation" comes from automation.

Sources

n8n README badge

Maintainers can show the tool's weekly Board rank in their README:

[![Devtoolwatch](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/badge/n8n.svg)](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/n8n/)

How this page is made: Devtoolwatch writes each review from the project's README, releases, package metadata and website, with an AI model, then checks every claim against the source it cites and drops what the sources don't support. The numbers come from Devtoolwatch's daily GitHub snapshots, GitHub's stargazer history, and the npm and PyPI download APIs. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].