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What is it?
n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that lets you connect applications, APIs, and AI models through a visual, node-based interface. You build workflows by drawing and configuring steps: a trigger starts the flow, and subsequent nodes carry out actions in your systems.
Because n8n is open source and self-hostable, you have full control over where your data sits and how the system is set up. That makes it popular with organisations that do not want to depend on a closed SaaS platform yet still want user-friendly automation with the ability to integrate AI steps.
Why it matters for SMEs
For SMEs, n8n provides a way to connect systems that normally operate in isolation: your CRM, your mailbox, your accounting package, your project tool. A workflow in n8n lets those systems work together in a continuous stream, without any manual copying or routing.
- You connect your own tools: n8n works with hundreds of standard integrations and with any service that offers an API, so you are not bound to the connectors a closed platform provides.
- AI steps can be built in directly: you add an OpenAI or other model node to an existing workflow, so an agent can classify, summarise, or generate text as part of an automated process.
- Self-hosting means data control: for SMEs in sectors with sensitive client data, such as accounting or legal services, it is a practical alternative to cloud platforms that process data outside the EU.
The threshold is higher than with ready-made SaaS tools, but the flexibility is greater too. For organisations with a technical colleague or partner, n8n is a powerful foundation for tailored process automation.
How it works
n8n works with nodes: each node in a workflow represents an action or integration. Nodes are connected in a sequence that determines the logic of your automation. Triggers start the workflow; action nodes perform tasks; logic nodes branch or repeat based on data.
- You open the visual editor and choose a trigger node, for example 'new form submitted' or 'new email received'.
- You add action nodes: retrieve data from your CRM, send a message, call an AI model for classification or text generation.
- You configure each node: which fields are passed through, which API key to use, which condition determines the route.
- You test the workflow on real or dummy data to verify each step works as intended.
- You activate the workflow: n8n runs it automatically whenever the trigger fires.
n8n can be hosted on your own server, via a cloud instance, or through n8n Cloud. The choice determines how much maintenance you handle yourself, but the workflows themselves work identically.
Example in practice
Picture an accounting firm wanting new client enquiries submitted through the website form to be processed automatically. An n8n workflow captures the form submission, sends the data to the CRM, calls an LLM to categorise the enquiry and draft a reply, and creates a task for the responsible colleague. That colleague sees the draft in their inbox, reviews it, and sends it after any adjustments. There is no more manual copying between form, CRM, and mailbox.
Comparison and misconceptions
Zapier and Make are comparable automation platforms but run entirely in the cloud and are closed. n8n is open source and self-hostable, which provides more flexibility and data control but also requires more technical maintenance. For standard integrations Zapier or Make is often quicker to set up; for more complex, data-sensitive, or AI-heavy workflows n8n is the stronger choice.
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