Many businesses spend hours every week on tasks a computer could handle. Forwarding form submissions, sending emails after a purchase, copying data from one place to another. n8n automates this kind of work — without requiring any programming.
What exactly is n8n?
n8n (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is a workflow automation tool. You build workflows with it: when this happens, do that. For example:
- When someone submits a contact form → send an email + save to a spreadsheet
- When a new invoice comes in → check the amount and send a notification
- Every day at 8:00 AM → fetch the latest orders and compile a report
The main difference from tools like Zapier or Make: n8n is self-hosted. Your data stays on your own server, not with a third party.
What does it cost?
n8n has a free open-source version that you can run on a VPS. A small server costs €5-10 per month. That’s enough for most small businesses.
There’s also a cloud version, but for privacy-sensitive applications I recommend the self-hosted option.
When does it make sense?
n8n is useful if you recognize at least one of these:
- You send the same emails manually every week
- You copy data from one system to another
- You sometimes forget to respond to inquiries on time
- You work with multiple tools that don’t talk to each other
When is it NOT useful?
If you only need to do something once or twice, automation takes more effort than it saves. n8n is most valuable for tasks you repeat weekly or daily.
How to get started
The easiest way: have someone build your first workflow for you. That way you’ll see what’s possible and what it delivers, without spending weeks figuring it out yourself.
Want to know if n8n can help your business? Get in touch — I’ll be happy to discuss it.