2019
Founded
Germany-based, privately held
Report
Should I Use AI Workflow Automation Platform - n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation platform that uniquely combines AI capabilities with business process automation, giving technical teams the flexibility of code with the speed of no-code.
Depends
DependsBuy if you have engineers who can build automations and keep self-hosted instances patched.
Powerful AI automation for technical teams, but unpatched instances keep getting hijacked. Patch or pass.
Confidence: Medium
€55M
Funding
Series B
$2.3B
Valuation
2025 round; Sequoia, Highland, HV Capital
Yes
Free tier
Free to try; self-hostable edition
Value for money
4
Transparent pricing model with free self-host option
Ease of use
3
Guess: harder than Zapier for non-technical users
Feature depth
5
AI agents plus code-level control in one platform
Security posture
2
Repeated CVSS 10.0 RCEs; actively exploited in the wild
Pros
Cons
Gotchas
- highUnpatched instances get hijacked (Ni8mare, CVSS 10.0 RCE); patch immediately²
- highThreat actors use exposed n8n servers for phishing campaigns; keep instances internal⁵
- mediumCloud plans carry usage-based costs and limits; heavy AI workflows add up⁹
- mediumSelf-hosting means you own patching, backups, and security entirely
Best for
- Technical teams building AI agents
- Engineering orgs mixing code and no-code
- Self-hosters who want data control
- Ops teams automating multi-step processes
Not for
- Non-technical teams wanting point-and-click automation
- Teams with nobody to patch self-hosted instances
- Small shops needing one simple Zap, not a platform
- Security-averse orgs uncomfortable running targeted software
Pricing
Free tier: Yes
Security
Multiple maximum-severity vulnerabilities (2025–2026) and active criminal abuse — do not expose instances to the internet unpatched.
- Ni8mare: maximum-severity hijack bugMaximum severity flaw lets attackers hijack n8n instances.²
- Unauthenticated RCE (CVSS 10.0)Unauthenticated remote code execution reported; CVE-2025-68613 also flagged.³
- CVE-2026-21858Critical vulnerability reported by Cyera researchers.
- Abused for phishing and malware deliveryThreat actors exploited public n8n instances across ~150 campaigns for phishing and device fingerprinting.⁶
What users say
Reddit and tutorial sources show technical users and solo admins adopting it for AI automation, while security press documents exploitation of public instances.
Alternatives
Compare AI Workflow Automation Platform - n8n with each alternative.
Zapier
Simplest no-code automation for non-technical teams
AI Workflow Automation Platform - n8n vs ZapierMake
Visual automation; cheaper middle ground than n8n
AI Workflow Automation Platform - n8n vs MakeDify
Open-source AI agent platform alternative for builders
AI Workflow Automation Platform - n8n vs DifyFull analysis
Based on ~40 public sources; pricing specifics and numeric review scores thin.
Sources
official
- Maximum Severity 'Ni8mare' Bug Lets Hackers Hijack n8ninfosecurity-magazine.comsecurity
- Unauthenticated RCE in AI automation software n8nthestack.technologysecurity
- n8n AI workflow platform hit by CVSS 10.0 RCE vulnerabilityvibegraveyard.aisecurity
- AI platform n8n abused for stealthy phishing and malware deliverysecurityaffairs.comsecurity
security
- n8n Raises €55M Series Btechnews180.comnews
news
- n8n for AI Workflow Automation: Costs & Limitsaibesttool.comreview
- n8n Death Clock Verdict - SaaSocalypsesaasocalypse.comreview
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