Workato vs n8n
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Workato and n8n.
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Verdict: n8n wins
n8n scores 4.3/5, edging out Workato at 4.1/5. Technical teams and engineers who want code-level control and the option to self-host automation as core infrastructure.
Workato Enterprise-grade AI automation platform | n8n Workflow automation that gives you control | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1 (1 review) | 4.3 (1 review) |
| Pricing Model | paid | freemium |
| Starting Price | From $10000/mo | Free tier available |
| Best For | Enterprise IT teams running high-volume cross-system automation who want governance depth and are willing to negotiate a quote with their own usage math in hand. | Technical teams and engineers who want code-level control and the option to self-host automation as core infrastructure. |
| Free Tier | ||
| API Access | ||
| Team Features | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Tags | ssoteam features | open sourcefree tierapi access |
| Visit Workato → | Visit n8n → |
Workato
Pros
- + Self-service entry is real and published: Free (50,000 one-time credits) and Pro at $75-$1,275/month on a documented credit ladder — most reviews wrongly say no public pricing exists
- + Free tier runs the same platform as Pro per Workato's docs — a true evaluation environment, not a sandbox
- + Billing rules are unusually precise (failed and skipped actions free; reruns billed; loop math published), so heavy users can model cost before signing
- + Depth is unmatched in this batch: iPaaS, API platform, ETL, IDP, on-prem connectivity, Agent Studio under Workato ONE
- + Governance ladder (environments, SSO, RBAC, stricter controls by edition) is built for IT sign-off from the first enterprise tier
Cons
- - Workato never publishes the task-to-credit conversion — you can size a workload but not price it to the dollar
- - Pro credits expire monthly with no rollover, and reruns are billed, so debugging can outspend production
- - Enterprise editions stack separate meters (IDP, Event Streams, Workflow apps) — identical task counts can produce different invoices
- - Self-service Pro caps at 3 users; anything larger is routed to sales where estimates run $10k-$130k+/year
- - Overkill for simple automation — the machinery only pays off at cross-system, governed, high-volume scale
n8n
Pros
- + Unlimited steps per execution: my 20-node nightly sync counted as one execution, so complexity stops driving cost (n8n.io/pricing)
- + Code nodes (JS/Python) with npm and env-var access meant I finished every prototype without leaving the platform
- + Self-hostable with no licence fee under the Sustainable Use License; full run snapshots and re-run-from-failed-node debugging
- + AI agent nodes (LLM connectors, vector stores, agents calling workflows as tools) are the deepest of any general automation platform I tested
- + Strong company trajectory: $180M Series C (Accel, Oct 2025) and a SAP strategic investment at ~$5.2B in May 2026
Cons
- - Not open source — the Sustainable Use License (fair-code) forbids offering n8n as a hosted service and fails OSI procurement checks
- - Assumes engineering literacy: JSON paths, expressions, and async data structures stumped every ops-only user I watched try it
- - Self-hosting carries real ops cost — queue mode, worker scaling and upgrades took me hours that a managed platform absorbs
- - Documentation is thin at the edges; AI node options and queue-mode config sent me to community forum threads
- - Business cloud tier is self-hosted-only at time of writing (cloud waitlisted), leaving a gap between Pro's 10K executions and Enterprise
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Workato or n8n?▼
n8n scores higher at 4.3/5 vs 4.1/5 for Workato, making it the better-rated option in our comparison.
What is the difference between Workato and n8n?▼
Workato: Workato is an enterprise integration and automation platform that connects apps, data and AI agents in one place, with the governance controls larger IT teams need. n8n: n8n is a workflow automation platform that combines AI capabilities with business process automation, giving technical teams a visual builder with the option to add code when needed.
Is Workato or n8n more affordable?▼
Workato starts at €10000/mo, n8n starts at €0/mo. Check the comparison table above for current pricing.
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