Dev Toolsdocker-ready1-click-deploy

n8n: the best Open Source alternative to Zapier in 2026

n8n is a workflow automation tool with a visual node editor, 400+ integrations and the ability to write JavaScript/Python code whenever you need it.

License Sustainable Use License (Fair-code) 202.8k stars liveUpdated hoyWebsite GitHub Repository

Technical profile

License: Sustainable Use License (Fair-code)
Category: Dev Tools
Replaces: Zapier, Make
Tech stack: Node.jsVue.jsPostgreSQL

Preview

Public image provided by n8n on its own website.

Key features

Visual flow editor with 400+ nodes
JavaScript and Python code nodes when you need them
Self-hosted execution with no task limit

n8n vs. Zapier

Pros

No charge per execution when self-hosted

Things to consider

The Fair-code license restricts offering it as a SaaS competing with n8n Cloud

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →

docker-compose.yml

version: "3.9"
services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=n8n-db
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=n8n
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-super-secret
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      - n8n-db
  n8n-db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=n8n
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=n8n
      - POSTGRES_DB=n8n
    volumes:
      - n8n_pg_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  n8n_data:
  n8n_pg_data: