Interactive n8n Demo
Walk through an interactive demo of n8n, a workflow automation tool where you connect apps and APIs on a visual node canvas. See how triggers, nodes, and branching logic fit together without setting up your own server first.
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation tool that connects apps, APIs, and services through a visual canvas of nodes. Each node does one thing, like fetching rows from a database, calling an HTTP endpoint, or sending a Slack message, and you wire them together to describe a process from trigger to result. The name is short for "nodemation," and the project leans heavily on that node-and-connection model.
What sets n8n apart from most automation tools is that it is source-available and can be self-hosted. You can run it on your own infrastructure with Docker, which means the data passing through your workflows never has to leave servers you control. There is also n8n Cloud if you would rather not manage hosting yourself. Either way, the editor is the same: you drag nodes onto the canvas, connect them, and run the workflow to see exactly what data each step produced.
The tool sits in a useful middle ground. It is more visual and approachable than writing automation scripts from scratch, but it does not hide the technical layer the way simpler tools do. When a built-in node does not exist for something, you can drop in a Code node and write JavaScript or Python, or call any REST API directly. That flexibility is why n8n tends to attract developers and technical operations people rather than people who want a fully no-code experience. You can also embed an interactive Supademo walkthrough in your internal docs to show teammates how a particular workflow is wired before they touch it.
How to get started with n8n
- 1
Choose self-hosted or n8n Cloud
The first decision is where n8n runs. n8n Cloud gives you a hosted instance with a free trial, and you are building workflows within minutes. Self-hosting with Docker takes more setup but keeps everything on your own infrastructure. If you are evaluating the tool, Cloud is the faster way to see how it works.
- 2
Create a workflow and add a trigger
Every workflow starts with a trigger node that decides when it runs. That might be a schedule, an incoming webhook, or an event in a connected app like a new row in a spreadsheet. Pick the trigger first, because the rest of the workflow reacts to whatever data it produces.
- 3
Add nodes and connect your accounts
From the trigger, you add nodes for each step and draw connections between them. The first time you use a service, n8n asks you to add credentials, usually an API key or an OAuth login. Once a credential is saved, any future node for that service can reuse it.
- 4
Map data and run a test
This is where most of the real work happens. You tell each node which fields from the previous step it should use, and n8n shows you the actual data flowing through after a test run. Seeing the output at every node makes it clear where a mapping is wrong instead of guessing.
- 5
Activate the workflow
When the test run looks right, you flip the workflow to active and it starts running on its trigger. The executions list keeps a record of every run, including failures, so you can open a past run and see exactly what happened. Edits to an active workflow apply once you save them.
Who is n8n most useful for?
n8n covers a broad range of automation work, but a few groups get clear value from it.
Developers and technical teams are the core audience. If you are comfortable reading API docs and the occasional bit of JavaScript, n8n removes the boilerplate of building automations without taking away the control you would have in code. The self-hosting option matters here too, since it keeps sensitive data inside your own environment instead of routing it through a third-party platform.
Operations and internal tooling teams use n8n to stitch together the systems a company already runs on. Syncing records between a CRM and a billing tool, posting alerts when a metric crosses a threshold, generating reports on a schedule: these are the everyday jobs n8n handles well. Because workflows are visual, someone other than the original author can usually open one and understand what it does.
AI and data teams have started reaching for n8n as a way to orchestrate LLM calls and data pipelines. It has nodes for working with language models, vector stores, and agent-style chains, so you can build a process that pulls data, runs it through a model, and acts on the result. For teams documenting any of this, recording a Supademo of a finished workflow gives new hires a hands-on tour they can click through rather than a static diagram. n8n is less of a fit for people who want automation with zero technical involvement, and that is worth knowing before you commit to it.
Zapier is the tool to reach for when the people building automations are not developers. It hides the technical layer almost completely and has the largest catalog of pre-built app connections of any tool in this space. The trade-off is less control and task-based pricing that climbs as volume grows. n8n asks more of you upfront but does not meter you the same way.
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Make also uses a visual canvas, and it sits closer to n8n than Zapier does in terms of flexibility. Its scenario editor exposes a lot of detail, which is good for complex branching but can feel crowded. The main thing n8n offers that Make does not is self-hosting, so if data residency is a hard requirement, that decides it.
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Retool overlaps with n8n only partly. Its focus is building internal tools and admin panels with a UI, while n8n focuses on the automation running behind the scenes. Teams sometimes use both: Retool for the interface a person clicks, n8n for the workflow that fires afterward. Pick Retool when the deliverable is a screen, not a background process.
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Power Automate is Microsoft's automation product, and its strength is depth inside the Microsoft ecosystem: Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Dynamics. If your company already lives in Microsoft 365, that integration is hard to match. It is a weaker fit outside that world, where n8n's open connector model and self-hosting give you more room to move.
FAQs on n8n
Commonly asked questions about n8n. Have more? Reach out and our team will be happy to help.
Is n8n free to use?
n8n is free if you self-host it. The core tool is source-available under a fair-code license, so you can run it on your own server at no cost and use it commercially within the license terms. n8n Cloud, the managed hosted version, is a paid product with a free trial, and it is priced by workflow executions rather than per task.
Can I self-host n8n?
Yes, self-hosting is one of the main reasons teams choose n8n. You can run it with Docker on your own server or a cloud VM, which keeps every piece of data that passes through a workflow inside infrastructure you control. Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups, and uptime yourself, so weigh that against the convenience of n8n Cloud.
Do I need to know how to code to use n8n?
You do not strictly need to code, but n8n is easier if you are comfortable with technical concepts. Many workflows can be built entirely from pre-built nodes with no code at all. When you hit something the nodes do not cover, the Code node lets you write JavaScript or Python, and that escape hatch is part of why developers like the tool.
How is n8n different from Zapier?
The clearest difference between n8n and Zapier is control and hosting. Zapier is fully managed, no-code, and aimed at non-technical users, while n8n can be self-hosted and exposes more of the technical layer. n8n is also priced by execution rather than per task, which usually works out cheaper for high-volume workflows. Zapier wins on sheer breadth of app integrations.
What integrations does n8n support?
n8n ships with hundreds of pre-built nodes for common apps like Slack, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, and major databases. Beyond those, it has a generic HTTP Request node that can call any REST API, which means you are not limited to services with a dedicated node. If an app has an API, you can almost always connect it.
Can n8n handle AI and LLM workflows?
Yes, n8n has become a popular tool for AI automation. It includes nodes for working with language models, vector databases, and agent-style chains, so you can build workflows that retrieve data, send it to a model, and act on the response. This pairs naturally with its existing connectors, since the AI step is just one node among the rest.
What happens when an n8n workflow fails?
When a workflow fails, n8n logs the failed execution so you can open it and see which node broke and what data it received. You can also build a separate error workflow that triggers on any failure to send a notification or retry. For self-hosted instances, keeping an eye on the executions list is part of normal operation.
Is n8n a good fit for non-technical teams?
n8n can work for non-technical teams, but it is not the most natural fit. It shows more of the underlying mechanics than tools built purely for no-code users, and self-hosting adds a layer most non-technical teams will not want to manage. If nobody on the team is comfortable with APIs, a fully managed tool like Zapier is usually the smoother choice.