What is n8n?
n8n is open-source workflow automation β think of it as Zapier or Make.com you control. You build automations by connecting "nodes" (triggers, actions, transformations) into flows. Free if self-hosted, paid cloud option available.
n8n vs. Zapier vs. Make
- n8n: Open-source, self-hostable, 400+ integrations, code nodes when needed. Best for technical teams or growing automation needs.
- Zapier: Easiest UX, 6,000+ apps, expensive at scale ($20+/mo per task volume).
- Make.com: Visual flow editor, mid-priced, fewer apps than Zapier.
8 Real n8n Workflows for SMBs
- Lead capture: Web form β Slack/LINE notify β CRM entry
- AI content generation: Schedule trigger β GPT/Claude API β publish to WordPress/Notion
- Customer support routing: Email arrives β AI classify priority β route to right person
- Sales pipeline: New customer β enrich data (Apollo/Clearbit) β assign to rep β schedule follow-up
- Invoice automation: Stripe payment β generate PDF β email to customer + accountant
- Social media auto-post: Schedule trigger β fetch content β post to IG/Twitter/LinkedIn
- Competitor monitoring: Daily scrape competitor pages β diff detect β notify if changes
- AI-powered research: Topic input β GPT-4 web search β compile report β email/Notion save
Cost Breakdown
Self-hosted (recommended for technical users): $5-10/month VPS + free n8n. Use VPS Compare to find cheapest provider.
n8n Cloud: Starter $20/mo, Pro $50/mo, Enterprise custom. Includes hosting, monitoring, backups.
When to Use n8n vs. LINE Bot
n8n is the engine; LINE Bot is the channel. Real setup: LINE Bot receives user message β triggers n8n workflow β n8n does heavy lifting (AI processing, DB lookups, API calls) β returns to LINE Bot β user sees response.
If your business needs LINE-first user interaction, see LINE Bot Complete Guide. For pure backend automation, n8n alone suffices.