N8n is the open source alternative to Zapier. It gives you a visual workflow builder where you drag nodes, connect them, and watch data flow through. Over 400 integrations built in.

Self-hosting is free under a 'sustainable use' license (not fully open source, you can't resell it as a service). The cloud version starts at $24/mo. The self-hosted version has no feature restrictions, no execution limits, and no user limits.

The catch: setting up n8n in Docker and keeping it running takes real skill. Updates can break workflows. The 'sustainable use' license means you can't build a competing automation platform on top of it. And while the visual builder is powerful, complex logic (loops, error handling, conditional branches) gets messy in a node graph. Sometimes a Python script is cleaner than 40 connected nodes.

**Self-hosted (free):** All features, unlimited workflows, unlimited executions. Requires Docker. The license (Sustainable Use) is not OSI-approved. You can use it freely for your own automation but can't offer n8n as a managed service.

**Cloud pricing:** - Starter ($24/mo): 2,500 executions, 5 workflows - Pro ($60/mo): 10K executions, unlimited workflows - Enterprise: Custom

**The self-hosting math:** A $6/mo VPS runs n8n comfortably. Compare that to Zapier ($20/mo for 750 tasks) or Make ($9/mo for 10K operations). Self-hosted n8n with unlimited executions for $6/mo is dramatically cheaper than any cloud automation tool.

**When cloud makes sense:** If you don't want Docker ops, the $24/mo starter plan is cheaper than Zapier and includes AI capabilities. But 2,500 executions/mo is tight if you have busy webhooks.

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