n8n vs Pipedream
Pricing
n8n: Self-host free, cloud from $20/mo
Pipedream: Workflows closed to new users, shutting down on 31 March 2027
Description
n8n: Open source workflow automation
Pipedream: Developer workflow automation with code steps, closed to new sign-ups and shutting down on 31 March 2027; the company now sells Pipedream Connect for AI agents
Pros
- Self-hostable
- More powerful than Zapier/Make
- 70k+ GitHub stars
- Existing workflows keep running normally until 31 March 2027
- An export tool downloads the structure of your workflows as JSON, one project at a time
- Pipedream Connect, the integration API for apps and AI agents, continues and is free in development
Cons
- Steeper learning curve
- Self-hosting needs technical skill
- No new sign-ups or subscriptions for Workflows, and no new features
- All Workflows data, including connected-account credentials, is deleted by 30 April 2027
- Connect is a developer API for adding integrations to your own product, not a workflow automation tool
Details
n8n is automation for people who want control. Founded by Jan Oberhauser in 2019, it’s “fair-code”: source is open, you can self-host free, but can’t commercialize it. 70k GitHub stars. Quadrupled revenue in 8 months after pivoting to AI automation. Europe’s 25th fastest-growing startup in 2024.
Pipedream Workflows was a workflow automation platform built for developers. Unlike no-code tools, it let you write custom code in Node.js, Python, or Go alongside pre-built integrations. Workday announced in February 2026 that it had closed its purchase of Pipedream, and the company now describes itself as “the integration layer for AI agents”.
Pipedream has put Workflows (and its String product) into maintenance mode: it no longer accepts sign-ups or subscriptions, existing workflows run until 31 March 2027, subscriptions are then cancelled with a prorated refund, and all Workflows data is deleted by 30 April 2027. Its other product, Pipedream Connect, lets developers add managed authentication and 3,000+ API integrations to their own app or AI agent; it is free in development and costs $99 a month billed annually ($150 monthly) in production. For automation with code steps, n8n is the closest replacement and can be self-hosted. Activepieces is an open-source option with a simpler builder, and Zapier covers the widest range of apps without code.
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