What's the main difference between Beam AI and n8n?

Beam AI is a commercial product; n8n is open-source and self-hostable.

Is Beam AI or n8n better?

Neither is universally better. Beam AI is the stronger fit for a managed, commercially-supported product; n8n for Self-hostable workflow automation with native AI agent nodes and 400+ integrations. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

Is Beam AI or n8n free?

Beam AI is a paid product; n8n is free to run and self-host.

Which is more popular, Beam AI or n8n?

We rank open-source projects by GitHub adoption, but at least one of these is a commercial product and stars don't measure commercial adoption — so compare them on capabilities and pricing instead.

Workflow & Productivity · Head-to-head

Beam AI vs n8n

Beam AI and n8n are both workflow & productivity. Beam AI is Agentic process automation platform for self-learning AI agents, while n8n is fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations. Here's an independent, side-by-side look at how they compare — and which fits.

Beam AI

Platform· Paid product

Agentic process automation platform for self-learning AI agents.

Visit Beam AI →

n8n

Platform· Open source

Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.

Visit n8n →

Bottom line

Beam AI and n8n take different routes to the same job: one is a commercial product, the other open-source and self-hostable. Choose based on whether you want a managed experience or full control.

Building one yourself? How to build AI workflow automation →

Side by side

Spec	Beam AI	n8n
Type	Platform	Platform
Model	Commercial	Open source
Pricing	Paid product	Open source
GitHub stars	—	206,196
Language	—	TypeScript
Last activity	—	Sep 2026

Key differences

Beam AI is a commercial product; n8n is open-source and self-hostable.
Pricing model differs — Beam AI is a paid product, n8n is open source.

Choose Beam AI if

you want a managed, commercially-supported product.

Choose n8n if

Self-hostable workflow automation with native AI agent nodes and 400+ integrations.

About Beam AI

Agentic process automation platform for self-learning AI agents.

Full Beam AI profile →

About n8n

Fair-code workflow automation platform with native AI capabilities. Combine visual building with custom code, self-host or cloud, 400+ integrations.

Full n8n profile →

Frequently asked

What's the main difference between Beam AI and n8n?: Beam AI is a commercial product; n8n is open-source and self-hostable.
Is Beam AI or n8n better?: Neither is universally better. Beam AI is the stronger fit for a managed, commercially-supported product; n8n for Self-hostable workflow automation with native AI agent nodes and 400+ integrations. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.
Is Beam AI or n8n free?: Beam AI is a paid product; n8n is free to run and self-host.
Which is more popular, Beam AI or n8n?: We rank open-source projects by GitHub adoption, but at least one of these is a commercial product and stars don't measure commercial adoption — so compare them on capabilities and pricing instead.

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