Workflow automation tools
Ken is our productn8n vs Workato: Which Is Better in 2026?
Pick n8n if a technical team wants to self-host or pay per workflow run, with unlimited users. Pick Workato if you need an enterprise platform for workflows, APIs and data pipelines across 10,000+ apps.
Ken is our product. Every fact about other tools comes from their public pages on the date shown.
The Verdict
n8n or Workato?
Ken's view, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.
Pick n8n if
- You want to self-host for free with the Community Edition.
- You want unlimited users on every plan; Workato Pro allows up to 3 per workspace.
- Your workflows have many steps, since n8n counts each run once while Workato counts a task per action step.
Pick Workato if
- You need 10,000+ app and system integrations.
- You want one credit balance across workflows, API management, data pipelines and AI agents.
- You need to reach on-premise systems from a cloud platform through the on-prem agent, offered on specific plans.
At a Glance
In short Of the 9 features below, n8n has 7 and Workato has 6 in full, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.
| Feature | n8n | Workato |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes - self-hosted Community Edition; cloud is a 14-day trial | Yes - 50,000 credits once, not renewed monthly |
| Prebuilt app integrations | Yes - 500+ integrations, every integration on every plan | Yes - 10,000+ apps and systems |
| HTTP requests and webhooks | Yes - HTTP Request node and webhook triggers on every plan | Yes - HTTP connector and Webhooks connector |
| AI steps and agents | Yes - AI Agent node and MCP on every plan | Yes - genies in Agent Studio; AI by Workato on specific plans |
| Built-in B2B contact data and email finding | No - through connected apps only | No - through connected apps only |
| Native email and LinkedIn sending | Partial - email through a connected Gmail or Outlook account; LinkedIn node only posts | Partial - email through a connected Gmail account |
| CRM steps (HubSpot, Salesforce) | Yes - HubSpot and Salesforce nodes on every plan | Yes - HubSpot and Salesforce connectors |
| Custom code steps (JavaScript or Python) | Yes - JavaScript and Python on every plan; no Python libraries on Cloud | Yes - JavaScript and Python connectors |
| Self-hosting | Yes - free Community Edition under the Sustainable Use License | No - cloud service; on-prem agent reaches private networks |
Rows are the features buyers compare in workflow automation tools. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
How Much Do n8n and Workato Cost?
In short n8n's lowest paid plan is Starter, $24 a month ($20 billed yearly). Workato's lowest paid plan is Pro, $75 a month.
| Tool | Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Community Edition | $0 | $0 | Flat |
| IncludesSelf-hosted on your own servers; Code steps, HTTP requests, webhooks and AI agent nodes; No SSO, Git version control or shared projects | ||||
| n8n | Starter | $24 | $20 | Flat |
| Includes2,500 workflow executions a month; Hosted by n8n; 5 concurrent executions; 1 shared project; 1,600 Assistant credits a month | ||||
| n8n | Pro | $60 | $50 | Flat |
| Includes10,000 workflow executions a month; Hosted by n8n; 20 concurrent executions; 3 shared projects and admin roles; Workflow history and 7 days of insights | ||||
| n8n | Business | $960 | $800 | Flat |
| Includes40,000 workflow executions a month; Self-hosted only; SSO and LDAP; Git version control and multiple environments; 6 shared projects | ||||
| n8n | Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom |
| IncludesHosted by n8n or self-hosted; 200+ concurrent executions; Log streaming and external secret store; Dedicated support with SLA | ||||
| Workato | Free | $0 | $0 | Flat |
| Includes50,000 credits, one-time grant; Workflow orchestration, API management and AI agents; 10,000+ app and system integrations | ||||
| Workato | Pro | $75 | No yearly price | Usage tiers |
| Includes2,500 credits a month at the entry tier; Up to 3 users per workspace; Custom connectors; Intelligent document processing | ||||
| Workato | Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom |
| IncludesUnlimited users and workspaces; Enterprise security and governance; Multi-region deployment; Priority support and success services | ||||
Prices in USD from each vendor's pricing page: n8n checked Oct 17, 2026, Workato checked Oct 17, 2026.
- n8n: n8n bills per workflow execution. In its words: "An execution is a single run of your entire workflow. It doesn't matter how many steps are in the workflow or how much data it processes."
- n8n: Prices are the USD prices n8n shows US visitors. Visitors in Europe see euros instead: Starter €20, Pro €50 and Business €667 a month billed yearly.
- n8n: Pro also comes with 50,000 executions a month at $144 a month, or $120 a month billed yearly, with 50 concurrent executions.
- Workato: Pro tiers in Workato's self-service billing docs: $75 a month for 2,500 credits, $100 for 3,500, $275 for 10,000, $780 for 30,000 and $1,275 for 50,000. The Pro card on the pricing page shows $100 a month, the 3,500-credit tier.
- Workato: Pro is billed monthly by card; no yearly price is published. Unused Pro credits expire at the end of the billing month.
- Workato: One credit balance covers every capability: recipe tasks are counted per action step run, alongside API calls, data pipeline rows and genie actions.
What Are the Key Differences Between n8n and Workato?
In short 6 differences that change which tool fits, each from the vendors' own pages.
| Topic | n8n | Workato |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | 1 execution per workflow run | Credits, with recipe tasks counted per action step run |
| Entry paid plan | Starter, $24 a month or $20 billed yearly, for 2,500 executions | Pro, from $75 a month for 2,500 credits, billed monthly with no yearly price |
| Free option | Free self-hosted Community Edition | 50,000 credits once |
| Users | Unlimited on every plan | Up to 3 per workspace on Pro; unlimited on Enterprise |
| Integrations | 500+ integrations | 10,000+ apps and systems |
| Deployment | n8n Cloud or your own servers | Cloud service; an on-prem agent reaches private networks on specific plans |
n8n vs Workato FAQ
Is Workato more expensive than n8n?
At the entry level, yes. Workato Pro starts at $75 a month for 2,500 credits, billed monthly. n8n Starter is $24 a month, or $20 billed yearly, for 2,500 executions. Both sell Enterprise plans through sales.
Can you self-host Workato?
No. Workato is a cloud service, and on specific plans its on-prem agent connects private networks to that cloud. n8n can run on your own servers.
Which has more integrations?
Workato lists 10,000+ apps and systems. n8n lists 500+ integrations and an HTTP Request node for any REST or GraphQL API.
The new Ken opens to the waiting list in batches.
Related
Sources
Changelog
- Page published.