# n8n > n8n is a workflow automation tool, fair-code licensed and self-hostable. A short definition, what businesses use it for and a practical example. URL: https://gradual.pro/en/glossary/n8n Updated: 2026-09-29 **n8n**: n8n is a workflow automation tool with a visual editor that connects apps, APIs and AI models. It uses a fair-code license, runs in the cloud or on your own server, and Jan Oberhauser created it in Berlin in 2019. n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n", short for *nodemation*) is a platform for automating tasks by connecting applications to each other. Each automation is a flow of nodes on a visual canvas: one node receives an event (an email arrives, a form gets filled in, someone writes on WhatsApp), others transform the data or query an AI model, and the last ones run actions in other tools. This page is the short definition. For a comparison with its main rival, read [n8n vs Make](/en/blog/n8n-vs-make). ## What are the main features of n8n? - **Self-hostable**: you can install it on your own server, so data never leaves your infrastructure. n8n Cloud, run by the company itself, also exists. - **Fair-code**: the code is public, under a license that limits reselling it as a service. For a company's internal use, the self-hosted version needs no paid license. - **Visual and code**: you build most flows by dragging nodes, but you can write JavaScript or Python when you need custom logic. - **Integrations**: it ships with hundreds of ready connectors (Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot, databases, CRMs) and an HTTP node to connect any API. - **AI nodes**: it lets you build agents with models from OpenAI, Anthropic or Google, with memory, tools and document search. ## What is the difference between n8n, Make and Zapier? All three automate tasks between applications. Zapier is the simplest to start with and has the most integrations. Make offers a more flexible visual editor with per-operation pricing. n8n stands out because you can self-host it, its cloud version charges per complete workflow execution and not per step, and it gives more technical control. The detailed comparison is in [n8n vs Make](/en/blog/n8n-vs-make). ## What does a business use n8n for? n8n removes manual work between tools that do not talk to each other. The most common uses in small businesses: - Move leads from web forms or social media into the CRM and alert the salesperson. - Read invoices received by email, extract the data with AI and record them in the accounting software. - Answer WhatsApp or web chat messages with an AI agent connected to the catalog. - Generate weekly reports combining data from several tools. - Sync orders, stock and customers between the online store and the ERP. Self-hosting appeals to companies with sensitive data, such as accounting firms, law firms or clinics, that prefer their information not to pass through third-party servers. ## Example: a training academy Picture an academy with in-person and online courses. Each enrollment involves five manual steps: check the form, create the student on the course platform, issue the invoice, add them to the WhatsApp group and send the welcome email. With n8n, one flow triggers when payment arrives. It creates the student on the platform, generates the invoice in the billing software, sends the welcome email with access details and logs the enrollment in a tracking sheet. If a required field is missing, the flow alerts the admin desk instead of continuing. A second flow with an AI node answers students' frequent questions by email using the syllabus and the course calendar. The admin desk goes from handling enrollments by hand to reviewing only the exceptions. ## Do you need a technical person to use n8n? For simple flows, no: the visual editor and templates are enough. For flows with AI, several integrations, error handling and a server of your own to maintain, technical experience helps. That is what we do in our [n8n automation](/en/services/n8n-automation) service: we design the flows, install them on your server or on n8n Cloud and maintain them. ## FAQ ### Is n8n free? You can use the self-hosted version (Community Edition) without paying a license for your company's internal use; you pay for the server and its maintenance. n8n Cloud and the enterprise editions have paid plans based on usage. ### What does it mean that n8n is fair-code? The source code is public and you can install, modify and use it in your company, but the license limits reselling it as a commercial service to third parties. It is not open source in the strict OSI sense. ### Can you use n8n with ChatGPT or Claude? Yes. n8n includes AI nodes to connect models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, build agents with tools and memory, and search your own documents.