n8n
n8nWorkflow automation platform with native AI and agent capabilities. It pairs a visual node-based canvas with drop-in JavaScript and Python, several hundred integrations, and LangChain-based nodes for building agents and AI workflows. It is a general automation platform first, with AI as a native layer, and runs self-hosted or on the vendor's cloud.
Openness
2 high confidence- license
- Sustainable-Use-License(fair-code,non-OSI: internal-use-only,no-resale/SaaS)+n8n-Enterprise-License
- source
- public
- commercial
- n8n-Cloud/Enterprise
Source-available fair-code, not OSI open source: the license restricts commercial/hosted use.
- https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n recorded 2026-08-13
README - "n8n is fair-code distributed under the Sustainable Use License and n8n Enterprise License", with "Source Available - always visible source code" and self-hosting; LICENSE.md and LICENSE_EE.md both at the repo root; 200.5k stars, 60.1k forks
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n/master/LICENSE.md recorded 2026-09-29
The LICENSE.md says most code is under the Sustainable Use License, permitting use "only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use", while files with ".ee." in their name are NOT licensed under it and need an Enterprise License.
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n/master/README.md recorded 2026-09-29
The README states "n8n is [fair-code](https://faircode.io) distributed under the [Sustainable Use License]" and lists "Source Available" with "Always visible source code", plus "Self-Hostable" deployment.
Adoption
4 high confidencen8n runs overwhelmingly as a self-hosted Docker container, with the npm package only a minor install path, so this reading combines Docker Hub pulls since 2019-06-22 with npm downloads across n8n's real distribution channels. The cumulative Docker figure understates the current pace, so the level is a floor rather than a ceiling.
- https://api.npmjs.org/downloads/point/last-month/n8n recorded 2026-10-08
"downloads":408701,"start":"2026-09-05","end":"2026-10-04","package":"n8n"
- https://hub.docker.com/v2/repositories/n8nio/n8n/ recorded 2026-10-08
"pull_count":269154951 since "date_registered":"2019-06-22", about 3.1M a month as a lifetime average
Capability
4 medium confidenceBroad automation/iPaaS scope with AI as one native layer; wider but shallower on pure agent depth than the dedicated frameworks. At dify and langflow, the other visual builders on this map.
- https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n recorded 2026-08-13
'The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation' - visual canvas with custom code, integration library, native AI and agent nodes, self-host or cloud; no benchmark figure
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n/master/README.md recorded 2026-09-29
The README titles n8n "The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation" and lists "1500+ integrations", "Combine visual building with JavaScript, Python, and npm packages" and self-hosting or cloud.
Verified 2026-09-29