AI Automation (Level 5)
Topic Guide · 2026
n8n
n8n guide — the open-source workflow automation platform for AI agents, RAG pipelines and self-hosted enterprise automation.
Quick Answer
n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool similar to Zapier and Make, but self-hostable and code-friendly. It is the fastest way to ship a production AI agent in 2026.
What you'll learn
- Installing n8n (cloud vs self-host)
- Nodes, triggers and expressions
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini nodes
- Building an AI agent in n8n
- Vector stores (Qdrant, Pinecone) inside n8n
- Deploying webhooks to production
Recommended tools
n8n Cloudn8n self-hostn8n Enterprise
Deep-dive guides
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free?+
Yes. Self-hosted n8n Community edition is free forever. n8n Cloud starts at $24/mo. Enterprise adds SSO, LDAP and audit logs.
n8n or Zapier for AI agents?+
n8n. It has native LangChain nodes, vector store nodes, and lets you run unlimited executions cheaply — perfect for agent workloads.
Want n8n training for your team?
Nirmal Rabari delivers this topic as a live corporate workshop across India, UAE, UK and US.