The best n8n alternatives in 2026
We rate n8n 4.6 out of 5. For a team with an engineer to spare, n8n is the cheapest serious automation platform there is, and self-hosting it costs nothing but a server and some patience. These are the 6 alternatives we have reviewed, ranked, with what each one does better.
Updated Oct 23, 2026 · No affiliate commissions · How we review
Why people look for a n8n alternative
The weak points from our n8n review:
- Steep jump from Pro (€50) to Business (€667) with no published middle tier
- Business plan is self-hosted only; Cloud version on a waitlist
- Sustainable Use License bars reselling it as a hosted service
- Assistant, agents and tracing still marked preview
| Alternative | Rating | Paid plans from | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n(for comparison) | 4.6/5 | €20/month | Yes |
| Zapier | 4.5/5 | From $19.99/month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly) | Yes |
| Make | 4.4/5 | $9/month | Yes |
| Manus | 4.1/5 | From $20/month (4,000 credits) or $40/month (8,000) | Yes |
| Lindy | 4.0/5 | $50 in credits | No |
| Gumloop | 3.8/5 | From $37/month | No |
| Relevance AI | 3.6/5 | Paid | No |
- 1
Rated 4.5, 0.1 below n8n; paid plans from From $19.99/month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly) against n8n's €20/month; both have a free plan.
Choose it over n8n if you are a small team or a non-developer who wants common business apps connected in minutes and values coverage over price.
Its strongest point: 9,000+ app integrations, the largest catalogue of any automation tool
4.5/5 - 2
Rated 4.4, 0.2 below n8n; paid plans from $9/month against n8n's €20/month; both have a free plan.
Best for: Ops teams and freelancers who build complex visual workflows and care about cost.
Its strongest point: Canvas makes branching and error routes easy to audit
4.4/5 - 3
Rated 4.1, 0.5 below n8n; paid plans from From $20/month (4,000 credits) or $40/month (8,000) against n8n's €20/month; both have a free plan.
Best for: Researchers, analysts and founders who want an agent to deliver finished research and documents.
Its strongest point: Delivers finished files: reports, sheets, slides and sites
4.1/5 - 4
Rated 4.0, 0.6 below n8n; paid plans from $50 in credits against n8n's €20/month; n8n has a free plan and it does not.
Best for: Founders and small teams in Slack and Google Workspace who want shared help with email, scheduling and meeting follow-ups.
Its strongest point: Inbox, calendar, meeting notes and routines in one assistant
4.0/5 - 5
Rated 3.8, 0.8 below n8n; paid plans from From $37/month against n8n's €20/month; n8n has a free plan and it does not.
Best for: Ops, sales and marketing teams that want to build AI agents on company data without engineers.
Its strongest point: Unlimited seats, teams and agents on Pro with one shared credit pool
3.8/5 - 6
Rated 3.6, 1.0 below n8n; paid against n8n's €20/month; n8n has a free plan and it does not.
Best for: Mid-size and large sales or operations teams that want a supported multi-agent rollout.
Its strongest point: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and US, EU or Australian data residency
3.6/5
When to stay with n8n
Technical teams that run many or complex automations, or need to self-host. Read our full n8n review
Common questions
- What is the best alternative to n8n?
- Zapier, which we rate 4.5 out of 5. Zapier still wins on reach and ease, and charges for both: the per-task bill is the price of never having to host anything.
- What is the best free alternative to n8n?
- Zapier, the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5).
- How did you choose these?
- They are the alternatives named in our n8n review plus the best-rated tools we have reviewed in the same category, ranked by our rating. Reviews are written by Andrew Miller and Sheela from each product's own pricing, docs and policies; we take no affiliate commission.