AutoGPT vs n8n
Both can run on your own servers, and both do serious AI. The real difference is workflow-first versus agent-first.
Last updated Jun 10, 2026
Short version: n8n and AutoGPT are the two serious self-hostable options here, and the choice is about your mental model. Choose n8n if you think in workflows — node graphs you design, with code steps where you need them. Choose AutoGPT if you'd rather describe the outcome and let an agent own the job, with a marketplace of ready-made agents and a chat-first way to build.
At a glance
| AutoGPT | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription (Pro and Max; Team coming soon) plus a pay-as-you-go credit wallet; the per-run rate is the same on every plan. Self-hosting is free. | Cloud is billed per workflow execution regardless of steps, from around €20/month — no permanent free cloud tier. Self-hosting the Community Edition is free. |
| Source & self-hosting | Yes: Free to self-host with a one-line installer (Docker-based). Platform code is source-available (PolyForm Shield); the classic agent and tooling are MIT. | Yes: Free to self-host for internal use under the fair-code Sustainable Use License (source-available, not OSI open source). |
| AI-native agents | Yes: Agents are the platform's primitive: you build, run, monitor, and share agents. | Partial: Deep AI tooling — LangChain-based AI Agent nodes, RAG, MCP — running inside workflows you design. |
| Visual builder | Yes: Visual block builder, plus build-by-describing in plain language with AutoPilot. | Yes: Technical node-graph editor with inline JavaScript/Python code steps, plus an AI workflow builder. |
| Integrations | Built-in blocks for the major AI models and popular business apps, plus a marketplace of ready-made agents. | 1,800+ integrations, plus custom nodes and HTTP/code escape hatches. |
| Best for | Teams that want to describe outcomes and let agents own the job — without code. | Technical teams that want node-level control of workflow logic, with code when needed. |
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation platform under the fair-code Sustainable Use License: the source is public and self-hosting is free for internal business use, but it isn't OSI open source — you can't resell n8n as the backend of your own product. You build workflows in a node-graph editor across 1,800+ integrations, dropping into JavaScript or Python whenever a node doesn't exist.
Its AI story is among the deepest of any workflow tool: LangChain-based AI Agent nodes, vector stores, RAG patterns, MCP support, and an AI workflow builder. Cloud pricing is per workflow execution regardless of step count, which is generous for long workflows — though there's no permanent free cloud tier; self-hosting is the free path.
What is AutoGPT?
AutoGPT is an AI agent platform: the agent, not the workflow, is the unit you build, run, and share. Describe the job in plain language and let AutoPilot assemble it, or compose it from blocks in the visual builder. Agents run continuously on schedules and triggers, every run is recorded in the dashboard, and the marketplace offers ready-made agents to start from.
Like n8n, you can run everything yourself: self-hosting is free with a one-line installer (Docker-based) and your own model keys. The licensing is similarly honest-but-not-OSI — platform code is source-available under PolyForm Shield, while the classic AutoGPT agent and tooling remain MIT.
The core difference: workflow-first vs agent-first
In n8n, the workflow is the artifact: you design the graph, and AI — even an Agent node — executes inside the structure you drew. That's powerful for engineers who want determinism with islands of intelligence. In AutoGPT, the agent is the artifact: you define the goal, the blocks, and the guardrails, and the platform handles running it continuously, surfacing what happened, and letting non-technical teammates use it.
Practically, n8n rewards teams with developers who enjoy owning the logic; AutoGPT aims at teams where the person who needs the automation isn't the person who'd write a code step. On cost, both offer free self-hosting; in the cloud, n8n bills per execution while AutoGPT bills actual usage from a credit wallet.
Which should you choose?
Choose n8n if…
- You think in workflows and want node-level control over every branch
- You have developers happy to drop into JavaScript or Python mid-workflow
- Long multi-step workflows make per-execution pricing attractive for you
- You're already self-hosting n8n and the fair-code terms fit your use
Choose AutoGPT if…
- You want to describe the outcome in plain language and get a working agent
- Non-technical teammates should be able to run and adjust automations
- You want a marketplace of ready-made agents instead of building from scratch
- You want chat (AutoPilot) as a first-class way to create and steer automation
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n open source? Is AutoGPT?
Neither is fully OSI open source, and both are honest about it. n8n uses the fair-code Sustainable Use License: source-available, free to self-host for internal use, but you can't resell it as your own product. AutoGPT's platform code is source-available under PolyForm Shield, while the original AutoGPT agent and its tooling are MIT. In practice both give you the thing that matters most: free self-hosting with full source access.
Can both be self-hosted for free?
Yes. n8n's Community Edition self-hosts free for internal business use, and the AutoGPT platform self-hosts free with a one-line installer (Docker is the only prerequisite) — you bring your own model API keys in both cases. Paid tiers add managed hosting and team features on both sides.
Which is better for AI agents?
n8n has genuinely deep AI tooling, but its agents run inside workflows you design — workflow-first. AutoGPT is agent-first: the agent is the thing you build, monitor, and share, and the whole platform (AutoPilot chat, dashboard, marketplace) is organized around that. If agents are the point rather than a step, that's AutoGPT's home turf.
Which is cheaper?
Self-hosted, both are free apart from your infrastructure and model keys. In the cloud, n8n charges per workflow execution (efficient for long workflows, from around €20/month, no free tier), while AutoGPT pairs a subscription with a pay-as-you-go credit wallet billed on actual usage — see pricing. Which wins depends on your run volume and how heavy each run is.
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