n8n vs Workato

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-09-29
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At a glance

Dimensionn8nWorkato
PricingFree self-host; paid cloud tiersContact sales
DeploymentSelf-host (Docker) or cloudCloud (managed)
Integrations500+ integrations (Slack, Google Sheets, OpenAI, etc.)Hundreds of enterprise SaaS (Slack, Salesforce, SAP, etc.)
AI OrchestrationAI agent builder with multi-agent & RAG, MCP supportAgent Studio, AIRO multi-agent (GA July 2026), MCP Gateway
Governance & SecuritySSO/SAML/LDAP, RBAC, audit logs, self-hosted data controlEnterprise-grade: SSO, audit logs, on-prem agent
Target UserDevelopers, IT ops, SecOps, DevOpsEnterprise IT and business teams

If you're a large enterprise that needs governed AI agents across hundreds of SaaS apps, Workato is the control plane — but you'll pay enterprise prices and rely on their cloud. If you're a technical team wanting code-level flexibility, self-hosting, and transparent AI agent logic without vendor lock-in, n8n is the pragmatic choice — free to start, with execution-based pricing that scales predictably.

Try n8nTry Workato
n8n
n8n

n8n is visual AI workflow automation with JavaScript and Python escape hatches, self-hostable and traceable end to end

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Workato
Workato

Enterprise iPaaS and agent control plane for governing AI agents across 14,000+ apps

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Pricing
Freemium
Contact Sales
Plans
$0
20€/mo, billed annually
50€/mo, billed annually
667€/mo, billed annually
Custom
—
Popularity
5.8k views
3.2k views
Skill Level
Intermediate
Intermediate
API Available
Platforms
WebAPI
WebAPICLI
Categories
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
Features
Visual drag-and-drop canvas with inputs and outputs beside each step's settings
JavaScript and Python code steps anywhere in a workflow
500+ pre-built integration nodes plus custom HTTP and GraphQL requests
Import cURL commands to create API nodes
MCP support for legacy systems and MCP-speaking tools
Build and update n8n workflows from inside your own AI app via MCP
AI agent builder with multi-agent setups and RAG pipeline support
Swap cloud or offline models without rebuilding workflows
Traceable AI reasoning — inspect prompt, response, and next action per execution
Human-in-the-loop approvals and rule-based guardrails for AI actions
Structured input and output enforcement to control data flow to and from AI steps
Native AI evaluation against real data plus a prompt testing framework guide (Sept 2026)
Re-run single steps, replay or mock data, and debug via the logs view
Queue mode with multiple instances and external S3 storage
Self-hosting via Docker, on-prem, and air-gapped deployments
Recipe-based workflow automation with an orchestration engine that runs work exactly once
Agent Studio for building custom AI agents, with skills testable directly in the editor
Agent Orchestration for coordinating multiple agents, including third-party and A2A
Enterprise MCP Gateway and composable MCP servers for secure AI-to-process connectivity
MCP Apps with interactive UI surfaced inside AI clients
Pre-built Genies for IT, sales, HR and recruiting, support, CX, and marketing
Run one Genie across multiple Slack workspaces, Teams tenants, Workato GO, and custom interfaces
Agentic Headless API (open beta) to deploy Genies in web apps, mobile apps, and portals
End-user thumbs up/down feedback on Genie responses
AIRO multi-agent system, generally available, with a stop-generation button
AI gateway and routing to control which models each team can use
Guardrails and approvals so a person signs off on consequential agent actions
RBAC, audit and activity logs, data masking, and data residency controls
API management and lifecycle for exposing and governing APIs
Intelligent document processing for scanned and structured documents
Integrations
Slack
GitHub
Google Sheets
Salesforce
HubSpot
Notion
Jira
PostgreSQL
Microsoft Graph
Datadog
Asana
ServiceNow
Zoom
OpenAI
Anthropic
Marketo
NetSuite
Workday
SAP
Oracle
AWS
Azure
Google Cloud
Databricks
Snowflake
Zendesk

Who should pick which

  • Solo developer / startup
    Pick: n8n

    Free self-hosting and code-level control let you iterate without cost or lock-in, perfect for building custom automations on a budget.

  • Enterprise IT team
    Pick: Workato

    Workato offers governed integration, AI orchestration, and pre-built connectors for SAP, Workday, and ServiceNow — ready for large-scale, secure deployments.

  • SecOps / IT Ops
    Pick: n8n

    n8n's traceable workflows, self-hosting, and SIEM log streaming fit security-centric automation, like threat intel enrichment and incident response.

  • Revenue operations manager
    Pick: Workato

    Workato's AIRO and pre-built Genies help automate order-to-cash processes across Salesforce, NetSuite, and other business apps, with IT governance.

Frequently Asked Questions

n8n vs Workato: which should you choose?

If you're a large enterprise that needs governed AI agents across hundreds of SaaS apps, Workato is the control plane — but you'll pay enterprise prices and rely on their cloud. If you're a technical team wanting code-level flexibility, self-hosting, and transparent AI agent logic without vendor lock-in, n8n is the pragmatic choice — free to start, with execution-based pricing that scales predictably.

Can I self-host n8n with full functionality?

Yes, the Community edition is free and self-hostable via Docker, but it lacks SSO/SAML, advanced RBAC, and audit logs, which are available in paid cloud plans.

Does Workato have a free tier?

No, Workato's pricing is contact-based; you must engage sales, making it unsuitable for casual or small-scale use.

Which platform is better for non-technical business users?

Workato's low-code app builder and pre-built Genies are geared toward business teams, but n8n's building blocks are more developer-centric, so pick accordingly.

Can both integrate with LLMs like Claude?

Yes. Workato lists Claude in its integrations and supports MCP for AI connectivity. n8n supports OpenAI and Anthropic, and MCP for legacy systems.

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Explore each tool further

n8n
View n8n reviewn8n alternatives
Workato
View Workato reviewWorkato alternatives

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Last reviewed: August 13, 2026