GitHub vs n8n

GitHub hosts code and runs build and deployment automation inside repositories. n8n connects apps and AI agents on a visual canvas with code and self-hosting. Pick by what you are automating.

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The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

If you ship code with more than one contributor, human or agent, pick GitHub. It is the spine of a delivery pipeline and nothing in n8n replaces it. If you need parallel branches, loops, custom logic and AI agents across apps, and you have someone technical, pick n8n. It is also the better fit when data rules push you towards self-hosting. A technical small team will often use both: GitHub for the code, n8n for the flows between CRM, chat and databases. If you only want to push code through checks to a host, stay with Actions. Do not build business automation in YAML when a canvas will do.

What the data says

n8n covers more of the features we compared: 7 of 7, against 4.
Both have a free plan, so you can try each before you pay.
Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
In our Automation ranking, n8n places 1 and GitHub 2 of 11.

Side by side

GitHub and n8n compared
11 points compared	GitHub	n8n
Starts at	$4/mo	€20/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Yes	Yes
AI / LLM nodes	No	Yes
Built-in AI	Yes	Yes
Custom code steps	Yes	Yes
Integrations & API	Yes	Yes
Open source	No	Yes
Self-hosting	Yes	Yes
Visual builder	No	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

GitHub

FreeUnlimited public and private repos, 2,000 CI/CD minutes per month, 500 MB Packages.Free
TeamPer user per month, 3,000 CI/CD minutes, 2 GB Packages, code owners and repo rules.$4/mo/seat
EnterprisePer user per month, SAML SSO, audit log, 50,000 CI/CD minutes, 50 GB Packages.$21/mo/seat

n8n

Community Edition (self-hosted)Free standard self-hosted version of n8n, offered by n8n on GitHub.Free
StarterHosted by n8n with 2,500 workflow executions a month; 20 per month billed annually.€240/yr
ProHosted by n8n with 10,000 executions a month and 3 shared projects; 50 per month billed annually.€600/yr
BusinessSelf-hosted only with 40,000 executions a month, SSO and Git version control; 667 per month billed annually.€8,004/yr

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose GitHub if…

Pick GitHub if you write software, or direct agents that do. Pull requests turn every change into a reviewable unit with a discussion attached, and merging is deliberate. Actions covers most CI/CD needs, and hosting platforms and AI coding tools mostly assume you are on GitHub. There is a free plan with private repositories, a public REST API and an official MCP server. It is a poor planning tool, so keep your roadmap elsewhere if it is serious. Actions workflows can grow fiddly, so begin with a few. It is also owned by Microsoft, which suits most teams.

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Choose n8n if…

Pick n8n if you have technical people and want visual automation with code-level control. A flow you would split over several Zaps lives in one canvas, and cost follows executions, not steps. I host client workflows on my own VPS, so costs stay flat even when automations run thousands of times. Self-hosting needs an owner for updates, backups and security. Some smaller apps lack native nodes, so you may call their API yourself, and the interface is less polished than Zapier's. Colleagues who are not comfortable with JSON may need guidance. The free Community Edition is the place to start.

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