Langflow vs n8n
Short answer
Langflow: Visual builder for AI agents and RAG flows that you can deploy as APIs or MCP servers. n8n: Workflow automation with 1,500+ integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. They sit in different categories (AI app & agent builders and Workflow automation with AI) but overlap: All of them let you build multi-step workflows or agents that call LLMs and expose or connect to other systems.
Choose Langflow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Source-available).
n8n publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
Langflow vs n8n side by side
| Langflow | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI app & agent builders | Workflow automation with AI |
| What it is | Visual builder for AI agents and RAG flows that you can deploy as APIs or MCP servers. | Workflow automation with 1,500+ integrations and built-in AI agent nodes. |
| License | MIT | Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files |
| License type | Permissive | Source-available |
| License conditions | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the copyright notice. | You may use or modify n8n for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial use. You may not sell it or offer it to others as a paid service. Files with ".ee" in the name need an n8n Enterprise License. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 156k | 208k |
| Last commit | Oct 21, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.12.7 | n8n@2.44.6 |
| Minimum hardware | 1 vCPU · 1.5 GB RAM | Not published |
| Recommended hardware | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM | Not published |
| RAM measured by us | 1.2 GiB idle, 1.3 GiB working (our test, v1.12.7, Oct 22, 2026) | 412 MiB idle, 607 MiB working (our test, v2.44.6, Oct 22, 2026) |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €11.99/mo (recommended spec: €19.99/mo) | from €11.99/mo (based on our test, not official) |
| Deploy method | Docker | Docker |
| Known gotchas | 2 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | On by default | On by default |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Yes, by default |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Free (OIDC free) | Paid / enterprise only (OIDC paid · SAML paid · LDAP paid) |
| Audit log | Yes, free | Paid / enterprise only |
| RBAC | No | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full Langflow guide → | Full n8n guide → |
Key differences
- Category: Langflow: AI app & agent builders. n8n: Workflow automation with AI.
- License: Langflow: MIT (Permissive). n8n: Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files (Source-available).
- Official hardware: Langflow: minimum 1 vCPU · 1.5 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM). n8n: not published.
- Est. server cost: Langflow: from €11.99/mo. n8n: not estimated (no official RAM figure).
- GitHub stars: Langflow: 156k. n8n: 208k.
- Last commit: Langflow: Oct 21, 2026. n8n: Oct 22, 2026.
- Latest release: Langflow: v1.12.7 (Oct 21, 2026). n8n: n8n@2.44.6 (Oct 22, 2026).
Same for both: GPU: not required or not stated; Deploy: Docker · single container; Status: Active.
Langflow vs n8n: FAQ
Langflow or n8n: which should a small business choose?
Choose Langflow if you want: fewer license conditions (Permissive vs Source-available). n8n publishes no official RAM figure, so we cannot compare hosting cost directly.
Which is cheaper to self-host, Langflow or n8n?
Langflow: from €11.99/mo. n8n: not estimated (no official RAM figure). Our estimate is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud plan that meets each project's official RAM and vCPU figure; it covers the server only.
How much hardware do Langflow and n8n need?
Langflow: minimum 1 vCPU · 1.5 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM). n8n: not published.
What is the license difference between Langflow and n8n?
Langflow: MIT (Permissive). Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep the copyright notice. n8n: Sustainable Use License (fair-code) + n8n Enterprise License for .ee files (Source-available). You may use or modify n8n for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial use. You may not sell it or offer it to others as a paid service. Files with ".ee" in the name need an n8n Enterprise License. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is Langflow or n8n more actively maintained?
Langflow: Active, last commit Oct 21, 2026. n8n: Active, last commit Oct 22, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, Langflow or n8n?
Langflow installs via Docker (single container); n8n via Docker (single container). Langflow lists 2 known gotchas and n8n lists 2; see each app page.
Related
Sources
- Langflow GitHub repository: github.com/langflow-ai/langflow
- Langflow documentation, Langflow deploy instructions: docs.langflow.org/deployment-docker
- Langflow license: github.com/langflow-ai/langflow/blob/main/LICENSE
- Langflow hardware requirements: docs.langflow.org/deployment-prod-best-practices
- n8n GitHub repository: github.com/n8n-io/n8n
- n8n documentation, n8n deploy instructions: docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/install-options/install-with-docker
- n8n license: github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md
- n8n hardware requirements: docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/configure-n8n/scaling/fix-memory-issues
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-22): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.