What is n8n ?
Discover n8n, the fair-code workflow automation tool bridging no-code simplicity with developer power. Learn how its node-based architecture interconnects apps and why self-hosting on a high-performance VPS offers superior data sovereignty, cost control, and scalability compared to traditional SaaS platforms.
Efficiency defines success, and workflow automation has become the backbone of modern business operations. While there are many tools available to connect your favourite apps, n8n stands out as a powerful, customizable solution that bridges the gap between no-code simplicity and developer-grade flexibility.
But what exactly is n8n, and why are so many professionals choosing it over traditional SaaS platforms? In this article, we dive into the capabilities of this versatile open-source automation tool, exploring how it allows you to seamlessly integrate applications and why self-hosting n8n on a high-performance VPS offers the ultimate control over your data, costs, and scalability.
Understanding n8n and Workflow Automation
At its core, n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is a free and open workflow automation tool that allows you to interconnect different applications, APIs, and data sources.
Unlike traditional public cloud automation platforms that often restrict you to a linear "trigger-action" model, n8n offers a node-based visual editor. This gives you the freedom to build complex, branching workflows that can handle sophisticated logic, loops, and data manipulation.
The primary role of n8n is to act as a central hub for your digital ecosystem. It eliminates manual, repetitive tasks by automatically moving data between the services you use every day.
Whether you need to sync customer data between a CRM and a database, automate social media posts, or generate reports from raw data, n8n orchestrates these processes in the background. Key characteristics that define n8n include:
Visual workflow builder
Users design automations by dragging and dropping "nodes" onto a canvas and connecting them with wires to define the flow of execution.
Developer-friendly features
While it is accessible to non-technical users, n8n is deeply powerful for developers, offering the ability to write custom JavaScript functions directly within the workflow.
Extensive integrations
It comes with a vast library of pre-built nodes for popular services like Google Sheets, Slack, GitHub, and Telegram, alongside a generic HTTP Request node that can connect to any REST API.
Unlike many SaaS competitors, n8n is designed to be hosted on your own infrastructure, such as a VPS, giving you full ownership of your data and execution environment.
How Does n8n Work?
n8n operates on a unique node-based architecture that gives you granular control over every step of your automation. While it offers a user-friendly visual interface, it is built on robust technical principles that allow data to flow seamlessly between disparate systems.
The Node-Based Architecture
Every workflow in n8n is a chain of nodes. A node is a specific step in your process, such as listening for a webhook, filtering data, or sending an API request. You build workflows by dragging these nodes onto a canvas and connecting them with wires, which represent the path of execution. There are two primary categories of nodes:
- Trigger nodes: These are the starting points of any workflow. They listen for external events, such as a new entry in a database, a specific time (schedule/cron), or an incoming webhook from another app.
- Action nodes: These perform tasks after the workflow starts. Actions can range from simple data formatting to complex operations like creating records in a CRM or generating PDF documents.
JSON Data Flow
Unlike some automation tools that hide the underlying data, n8n is transparent. Data is received and passed between nodes as JSON objects. When a node executes, it outputs an array of JSON items.
The next node in the chain receives this array as its input. This structure allows developers to manipulate data structures precisely using standard JavaScript if necessary.
The Visual Editor and Execution
The n8n editor acts as a frontend for generating a workflow definition file (also JSON). When you activate a workflow:
- Triggering: The workflow waits for the defined trigger condition (e.g., a POST request to a webhook URL).
- Processing: The execution engine runs the nodes in the defined order
- Branching: Using "If" or "Switch" nodes, the workflow can split into different paths based on the data it receives.
- Completion: The process ends when the final node executes, optionally returning a response to the trigger source.
For scenarios where pre-built nodes aren't enough, n8n includes a powerful Code Node. This feature allows you to write custom JavaScript (or Python) to perform advanced data transformation, complex math, or proprietary logic. This capability effectively bridges the gap between a no-code tool and a custom-coded backend script.
Key Use Cases for n8n
One of the biggest advantages of n8n is its versatility. Because it can connect to almost any API, it is used by everyone from marketing agencies automating content calendars to DevOps engineers managing infrastructure alerts. Here are some of the most powerful ways to use n8n in a production environment:
Marketing and Content Automation
Marketing teams often juggle dozens of tools for social media, email, and analytics. n8n allows you to unify these platforms into a single automated pipeline.
For example, when a new lead arrives via a Typeform or website webhook, n8n can automatically enrich the data using Clearbit or LinkedIn, score the lead based on set criteria, and sync it to your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot).
Business Operations and CRM Syncing
Manual data entry is a primary source of operational inefficiency. n8n ensures your databases and tools are always in sync without human intervention.
For example, you can trigger a workflow when a "Deal Won" status is set in your CRM. n8n can generate a PDF invoice using a template, upload it to Google Drive, email it to the client, and notify your finance channel on Slack.
DevOps and Technical Workflows
For developers and IT administrators, n8n acts as "glue code" that is easier to maintain than a folder full of Python scripts.
You can monitor your server health using Prometheus or incoming webhooks, data pipeline, and ETL processes. If a service goes down, n8n can create a ticket in Jira, alert the on-call engineer via Twilio (SMS), and even attempt to restart the service via SSH.
Or, schedule a Cron node to run every night, trigger a database dump script, compress the file, and upload it to an S3-compatible object storage bucket (like OVHcloud Object Storage).
AI Agents and Chatbots
With the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs), n8n has become a popular platform for building custom AI agents without complex code or API connections.
Build a workflow that receives incoming support emails, processes the text using OpenAI or a local LLM to draft a response, and saves the draft for a human agent to approve.
Alternatively, create a tool where users upload PDF reports. n8n can extract the text, summarize key points using AI, and save the summary directly to a Notion database.
Why Host n8n on a VPS?
While n8n offers a managed cloud version, self-hosting n8n on a private cloud or Virtual Private Server (VPS) unlocks the platform's true potential by removing the execution caps and escalating costs associated with standard SaaS tiers.
Hosting n8n on a VPS or hybrid cloud grants you complete sovereignty over your infrastructure, ensuring that sensitive data remains entirely within your control—a critical requirement for strict GDPR compliance and cloud security. Furthermore, a VPS provides dedicated computing resources, ensuring consistent uptime and superior performance for complex or high-volume automations, all while maintaining a predictable, flat-rate cost regardless of how many workflows you run, with improved application security to boot.
How to Deploy n8n on OVHcloud VPS
Deploying n8n on an OVHcloud VPS is a straightforward process that balances control with ease of setup, primarily relying on Docker for containerization.
After provisioning your Ubuntu or Debian-based VPS from the OVHcloud control panel, connect to your server via SSH and install Docker and Docker Compose, which serve as the engine for running the application.
n8n vs Zapier vs Make and Other Workflow Automation Tools
While Zapier is often the first stop for beginners due to its massive library of pre-built integrations and simple linear logic, it can quickly become prohibitively expensive as task volumes rise.
Make (formerly Integromat) offers a middle ground with a more visual, bubble-based interface that handles complex logic better than Zapier, but it is still primarily a SaaS product with "operation" limits. n8n distinguishes itself by targeting technical users and developers who value freedom over hand-holding; its node-based approach allows for intricate branching, merging, and custom JavaScript execution that other platforms struggle to match.
Crucially, while Zapier and Make automation lock you into their cloud infrastructure and pricing tiers, n8n is the only major player that offers a self-hosted version, meaning your costs are tied to your server specs (like an OVHcloud VPS) rather than the number of steps in your workflow, effectively removing the "automation tax" on high-volume processes.
OVHcloud and n8n
By combining n8n’s limitless cloud integration automation with the robust performance of OVHcloud Virtual Private Servers, you gain complete control over your data, predictable pricing, and the reliability needed to keep your critical integrations running 24/7. Discover how our infrastructure supports your automation journey.
VPS Hosting: Experience the perfect balance between the freedom of a dedicated server and the flexibility of the cloud. Host your data closer to your users with our global network of datacentres and manage your infrastructure with complete autonomy.
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