Posts

TL;DR — 3-4 sentence summary covering what n8n is, key differentiators (open-source, self-hosted, fair-code license), who should use it, and primary benefits vs. cloud alternatives n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps, APIs, and AI models without writing extensive code. Unlike cloud-only competitors like Zapier or Make.com, n8n operates under a fair-code license and offers self-hosting options, giving you complete control over your data, workflows, and infrastructure costs. It’s ideal for developers who need custom integrations, operations teams managing sensitive data, and organizations wanting to avoid per-execution pricing that scales unpredictably with cloud alternatives. ...

TL;DR n8n webhooks let you trigger workflows from any external source by exposing a unique URL endpoint. Instead of polling for changes or manually starting workflows, external systems can push data directly to n8n the moment an event occurs—whether it’s a GitHub commit, a Stripe payment, a custom Python script, or an AI agent completing a task. ...

TL;DR Make.com wins for small businesses needing complex, multi-step workflows with visual debugging and better pricing at scale. Zapier is better if you need the fastest setup, the largest app ecosystem (7,000+ vs 2,000+), and don’t mind paying more per task. Pricing Reality: Make.com offers 10,000 operations/month on their $9 Core plan, while Zapier’s $19.99 Starter plan gives you only 750 tasks/month. For a small business running 5,000 monthly automations (syncing Stripe payments to Google Sheets, sending Slack notifications, updating HubSpot contacts), Make.com costs $9/month versus Zapier’s $49/month Professional plan. ...

1 Why n8n + OpenAI for Chatbot Automation n8n’s open-source workflow automation platform combined with OpenAI’s language models creates a powerful foundation for building intelligent chatbots without vendor lock-in. Unlike proprietary platforms like Zapier or Make.com, n8n gives you complete control over your data, hosting options, and customization depth—critical when handling customer conversations or sensitive business logic. ...

1) Why Automate Gmail with n8n vs Other Tools n8n offers distinct advantages for Gmail automation compared to Zapier, Make.com, and custom Python scripts. The platform provides self-hosted control over your email data, eliminating per-task pricing that can quickly escalate with high-volume workflows. While Zapier charges $29.99/month for 750 tasks and Make.com starts at $10.59/month for 10,000 operations, n8n’s open-source version runs free on your infrastructure. ...

TL;DR Zapier excels at speed and simplicity for AI workflows, offering 6,000+ pre-built integrations and native AI features like ChatGPT, Claude, and OpenAI nodes. It’s ideal for marketers and non-technical teams who need quick automation—think sentiment analysis on customer emails or auto-generating social media content from blog posts. However, costs escalate rapidly: AI-heavy workflows can consume 10-20 tasks per execution, and you’ll pay $29.99/month minimum for premium AI apps. ...

TL;DR n8n’s AI Agent nodes let you build intelligent workflows that combine large language models with your existing tools and APIs. Instead of hardcoding every decision path, AI agents can reason through problems, call the right tools, and adapt to different scenarios—all within your n8n workflows. What you’ll learn: How to configure AI Agent nodes with OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or local models; connect tools like Google Sheets, Slack, and PostgreSQL; implement memory for context-aware conversations; and handle errors when AI agents make unexpected decisions. ...

TL;DR Make.com (formerly Integromat) is a visual workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps, APIs, and AI services without writing code. In this tutorial, you’ll build your first AI-powered workflow that monitors Gmail for customer inquiries, uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 to generate personalized responses, and saves conversation summaries to Google Sheets. ...

TL;DR Self-hosting n8n with Docker gives you complete control over your workflow automation infrastructure without vendor lock-in or usage limits. This guide walks you through installing n8n using Docker Compose, configuring persistent storage, setting up SSL with Traefik or Nginx Proxy Manager, and connecting to external databases like PostgreSQL. You’ll learn how to create a production-ready n8n instance with proper environment variables, secure your installation with Let’s Encrypt certificates, and configure backup strategies using tools like Restic or Duplicati. We cover essential security practices including firewall configuration with UFW, setting up fail2ban for brute-force protection, and implementing proper authentication methods. ...

TL;DR n8n is a powerful open-source workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps, APIs, and AI services without writing extensive code. In this tutorial, you’ll build a complete automation that monitors a Google Sheet for new leads, enriches them using OpenAI’s GPT-4, and sends personalized Slack notifications—all in under 30 minutes. ...