If you’ve been shopping around for automation tools, you’ve probably come across n8n. It’s an open-source workflow automation platform that’s gained traction among developers and technical teams who want granular control over their automations.
There are plenty of things to love about n8n, but when it comes to integrations, I have to lay my cards on the table: I’m spoiled. I’ve been using Zapier for years (long before I convinced them to hire me), and I’m used to having literally thousands of pre-built, reliable integrations to choose from. If there’s an app I want to automate, odds are better than good that Zapier already has one waiting for me. n8n has far fewer integrations by comparison, and it leaves a lot more room for building and maintaining custom connections yourself.
n8n’s approach to integrations comes with its own benefits and trade-offs. So what does that actually mean for your day-to-day work? And how do you know if n8n’s integrations are right for your team? Here’s everything you need to know.
Table of contents:
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation platform that lets you connect different apps to automate repetitive tasks. Think of it as a way to move data between your tools without manual copying and pasting, like automatically creating a new row in Google Sheets when someone fills out a Typeform, or sending a Slack message when a deal closes in your CRM. To move data between these tools, you’ll need to integrate with them first—which is why it’s important to choose an automation platform with the widest integration capabilities possible.
What makes n8n different is that it’s built for technical users. It has a self-hostable Community edition, which means you can download the code, run it on your own servers, and customize it however you want. For teams with specific compliance requirements or developers who want full control over their automation infrastructure, that’s appealing. But it also means n8n assumes you’re comfortable working with APIs, reading technical documentation, and troubleshooting when things break.
n8n uses a visual workflow builder where you drag and drop “nodes” (which represent different app integrations or actions) and connect them together. It looks similar to Zapier on the surface, but it works quite differently under the hood—especially when it comes to integrations.
How many integrations does n8n have?
n8n offers about 1,500 nodes, including both official and community-built actions. Not every “node” is a separate app integration (with, say, Google Sheets or Salesforce)—some are utilities or actions, like HTTP requests and error-handling steps. In other words, those nodes are often more like building blocks than the ready-to-use integrations you’d find elsewhere.
Many of n8n’s nodes require you to configure API connections manually, set up authentication yourself, and understand the structure of the data you’re working with. Some nodes are fairly robust, while others are minimal. They give you access to an app’s API, but you’re responsible for figuring out how to use it effectively.
And if the app you need isn’t in that list, you’re building the integration from scratch using HTTP requests. That means reading the app’s API documentation, understanding how to authenticate, structuring your requests properly, and handling errors when they come up.
In the end, the number of integrations isn’t the real problem. It’s what you have to do to make them work. You’re the one updating workflows when an app changes its API and troubleshooting when something breaks, which is a very different experience from using pre-built, maintained integrations that just work out of the box.
Zapier vs. n8n: Which is best for integrations?
The comparison really comes down to what you value most: ease of use and reliability, or granular control and self-hosting. Here’s how they stack up.
Zapier | n8n self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
Time to value | Minutes to deploy | Days to weeks to set up |
Integration ecosystem | 8,000+; pre-built | ~1,500+; requires custom dev |
Total cost of ownership | Predictable operating expenses | Hidden infrastructure costs |
Security | SOC 2 Type II; GDPR; CCPA | DIY compliance burden |
Team enablement | No-code for all users | Developer-dependent |
AI integration | Native AI orchestration | Manual AI configuration |
Ease of use
n8n assumes you’re comfortable with technical concepts. Even with 1,400+ nodes, you’re often doing most of the heavy lifting yourself, like generating API keys, understanding webhook structures, or writing custom JavaScript to transform your data. The interface is visual, which helps, but you still need to understand how APIs work and how to troubleshoot when things don’t connect properly.
Zapier, on the other hand, is built for everyone—whether you’re a developer or someone who’s never written a line of code. When you connect Gmail to Slack, you’re working with an integration that Zapier has built, tested, and actively maintains. Authentication is straightforward, and triggers and actions are clearly labeled. Everything is designed to work without technical knowledge.
Here’s what that looks like in practice. Say you want to create a workflow that adds new Shopify customers to your email marketing tool. With Zapier, you’d select Shopify as your trigger, choose “New Customer,” connect your account with a few clicks, then pick your email tool as the action. The whole setup takes maybe five minutes, and you’re done.
With n8n, you’d set up Shopify’s webhook manually, configure authentication, parse the incoming data structure, and then figure out how to format that data for your email tool’s API. If your email tool isn’t one of n8n’s nodes, you’re reading API docs and building HTTP requests. It’s more work upfront—and it’s ongoing work whenever something changes.
Pre-built integrations vs. building your own
Zapier offers over 8,000 pre-built integrations that are ready to use right out of the box—fully featured, with multiple triggers and actions for each app. If Gmail changes something about its API, Zapier handles the update. You don’t have to lift a finger.
n8n’s integrations give you access to popular apps, but the experience is different. Some nodes are fairly robust and work similarly to Zapier’s. Many are more minimal: they give you access to an app’s API, but you’re responsible for figuring out how to use it effectively.
For apps outside that list, you’re building the integration from scratch using HTTP requests. And when an app updates its API or changes how authentication works, you’re the one updating your workflows. That’s a significant ongoing time investment.
AI orchestration and advanced features
n8n does offer AI capabilities, including support for LangChain and the ability to build AI agents. But with n8n—and stop me if you’ve heard this before—you’re building and configuring these AI workflows yourself. You need to understand how to connect AI models, set up vector databases, configure prompts, and handle errors when things go wrong. To connect ChatGPT to Salesforce for automated lead scoring, you’d manually set up API authentication, write data transformation logic, implement error handling, and configure usage monitoring. Zapier handles all of that automatically with pre-built integrations.
AI integration separates modern automation platforms from legacy workflow tools, and Zapier has made this a core focus.
AI by Zapier lets you bring AI into any workflow across your 8,000+ integrations, including over 500 AI tools. And you can integrate Zapier’s AI agents directly into workflows, so your systems can go beyond following instructions and intelligently adapt to each situation. This hybrid deterministic AI setup gives you structured automation for predictable tasks and smart AI decision-making when things aren’t. Plus, human-in-the-loop controls via Slack approvals keep your team involved in critical decisions, so you can review AI-generated content and maintain quality while moving at AI speed.
Zapier also offers AI-first templates that speed up your time to value based on proven workflows from real companies using AI for everything from lead qualification to support and sales ops. And with Tables and Forms, you get the building blocks to create complete AI-powered systems that anyone can use, no coding required.
Flexibility and customization
Because n8n’s code is essentially open source, you can modify it yourself if you need functionality that doesn’t exist yet. You can also host n8n on your own servers, so your data never leaves your infrastructure. For companies with strict compliance requirements, that’s a major advantage.
Zapier offers flexibility in a different way. You can build complex, multi-step workflows with conditional logic, filters, and custom code steps when needed. The platform is designed to handle the vast majority of business automation needs without requiring you to modify the underlying code. That said, if you specifically need to self-host or run everything on-premises, Zapier won’t work for you—but for most businesses, Zapier’s cloud-based, managed approach means you get all the flexibility you need without the overhead of maintaining your own infrastructure.
Support and maintenance
With Zapier, you get dedicated support when something goes wrong. If an integration breaks or you can’t figure out how to set up a workflow, you contact Zapier’s support team and get help. The platform also includes documentation, templates, and a community forum. If you’re on an Enterprise account, you’ll also get a technical account manager.
With n8n, you’re mostly on your own—especially if you’re self-hosting. There’s community support through forums and Discord, and n8n’s documentation covers the basics. But if you run into issues with an integration or need help troubleshooting an API connection, you’ll need the technical knowledge to solve it yourself. n8n does offer paid support plans through its cloud offering, but the level of hand-holding isn’t the same as what you get with Zapier.
Cost
n8n is free if you self-host it, which sounds great until you factor in the hidden costs. You need servers to run it on, someone to maintain those servers, and—most importantly—developer time to build and maintain your workflows. For small teams, those costs often exceed what you’d pay for a Zapier subscription.
n8n also offers a cloud-hosted version with paid plans, but at that point, you’re paying for hosting without getting the pre-built integrations that make other platforms easier to use.
Are n8n integrations right for you?
n8n makes sense if you have technical builders on your team who can create and maintain workflows, if you need to keep your data on your own infrastructure for compliance reasons, or if you’re working with internal tools and custom APIs that other platforms can’t access. It’s also a good fit if you want to avoid ongoing subscription costs and don’t mind investing time to set things up.
But for most businesses, the maintenance burden of n8n outweighs the benefits. Building integrations from scratch takes time—time your team could spend on more strategic work. And when something breaks (which it will), you need someone who can troubleshoot API issues, not just click a few buttons to reconnect an account.
If you’re looking for integrations that just work, don’t require ongoing technical maintenance, and give you access to thousands of apps without reading API documentation, Zapier is the better choice. You can start automating in minutes, not hours, and trust that your workflows will keep running smoothly.
n8n integrations FAQs
How many integrations does n8n have?
n8n has 1,400+ nodes for different apps and services, but these aren’t the same as the pre-built, maintained integrations you’d find on other platforms. Many require manual configuration and API knowledge to use effectively. For apps outside that list, you’ll need to build integrations from scratch using HTTP requests.
Is n8n an integration tool?
Yes. n8n is a workflow automation and integration tool—it lets you connect different apps and move data between them. But it’s designed more for technical users who are comfortable working with APIs and building their own connections, not for teams looking for ready-to-use integrations.
Is n8n good for small businesses?
n8n can work for small businesses with technical team members who have time to build and maintain workflows. But most small businesses are better served by tools with pre-built integrations that don’t require coding or API knowledge. The time you save by using a more user-friendly platform like Zapier usually outweighs any cost savings from n8n’s open-source model.
Are UiPath and n8n the same?
No, UiPath is a standalone robotic process automation (RPA) platform focused on enterprise-level automation. If you’re exploring different automation options, check out Zapier’s roundup of the best AI automation tools for a comprehensive comparison.
What are the limitations of n8n?
n8n’s main limitations come down to its DIY approach to integrations. You need technical knowledge to set up and maintain workflows, especially for apps without robust nodes or for custom integrations. You’re also responsible for troubleshooting when something breaks and updating workflows when apps change their APIs.
And while n8n is open source and free to self-host, you’ll need to factor in the cost of servers and the time required for setup and maintenance.
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