What is n8n? A Complete Guide to Workflows, Pricing, AI & Templates
Updated September 2025 for OzWebExpert readers
Table of Contents
- What is n8n?
- n8n Pricing Explained
- n8n AI Features
- n8n Templates & Workflows
- n8n Integrations & GitHub Community
- Getting Started with n8n
- Pros and Cons of n8n
- Conclusion
- FAQ
1. What is n8n?
n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that allows businesses to connect apps, services and APIs without heavy coding. Think of it as a more flexible alternative to Zapier or Make (Integromat). With over 400 integrations (“nodes”), you can automate everything from lead capture to email campaigns, data syncing and more.
- What is n8n used for? Automating repetitive tasks like sending Slack alerts, processing form submissions or syncing data between CRMs and spreadsheets.
- Key difference: Unlike Zapier, you can self-host n8n for full data control.
2. n8n Pricing Explained
n8n’s pricing model is flexible — from free to enterprise-grade. Here’s a summary:
| Plan | Features | Cost (AUD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Hosted | Full control, unlimited workflows, free forever | $0 (server costs only) | Developers, privacy-focused businesses |
| Cloud Basic | Managed hosting, 5k executions/month | Approx. $25–30/month | Startups, small teams |
| Cloud Pro | Higher limits, team features, priority support | $80+/month | Agencies, growing SMEs |
Compared to Zapier’s steep per-task pricing, n8n is far more cost-effective — especially for Australian businesses scaling their automation efforts.
3. n8n AI Features
AI automation is one of n8n’s fastest-growing use cases. You can connect n8n with:
- OpenAI / ChatGPT: Generate responses, summaries or SEO text.
- Hugging Face: Deploy custom machine learning models.
- Vision APIs: Process images for e-commerce catalogues.
Example workflow: incoming customer queries → analysed with AI sentiment detection → routed to the right support channel in Slack or HubSpot.
4. n8n Templates & Workflows
If you don’t want to start from scratch, n8n provides hundreds of ready-to-use templates. Popular examples include:
- Marketing: Auto-post to LinkedIn when publishing a new blog.
- eCommerce: Send abandoned cart reminders through WhatsApp or email.
- SaaS: Sync Stripe payments with Xero accounting for Australian businesses.
5. n8n Integrations & GitHub Community
With 400+ integrations, n8n covers most popular tools used in Australia:
- Google Workspace (Sheets, Gmail, Drive)
- Slack, Discord and Microsoft Teams
- Airtable, Notion, HubSpot
- Shopify and WooCommerce
The GitHub community is very active, contributing new nodes, bug fixes and discussions — making n8n a truly community-driven project.
6. Getting Started with n8n
You can run n8n in two ways:
- Cloud: Sign up at n8n.io and start building workflows in minutes.
- Self-Hosted: Install via Docker, npm or desktop app.
Once installed, your first workflow might be as simple as: When a new lead fills out a form → Save to Google Sheet → Notify team in Slack.
7. Pros and Cons of n8n
Pros
- Open-source and transparent
- Affordable compared to Zapier
- Highly flexible with custom code nodes
- Thriving community support
Cons
- Self-hosting requires technical setup
- Not as polished as Zapier in UX
- Some integrations still in beta
8. Conclusion
n8n is quickly becoming a favourite among Australian businesses that want affordable, flexible, and data-secure automation. Whether you’re a startup founder, marketing director, or IT lead, exploring n8n could save you hours each week and reduce SaaS costs.