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It's a split decision.
Pick n8n for a visual builder, step-by-step AI-agent visibility, and a published Cloud entry price: Starter is $20/month billed annually or $24 monthly, with 2,500 executions/month. Pick Windmill for a code-first platform covering scripts, apps, pipelines, and Git-based deployments. Both offer free options, but their limits differ: n8n Community Edition is self-hosted, while Windmill Free caps workspaces, users, and storage. Windmill’s paid Pro price is not specified; Enterprise starts at $120/month.
01Side by side
| n8n | Windmill | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Cloud from $20/month annually; $24 monthly | Enterprise starts at $120/month; Pro price unpublished |
| Free plan | Self-hosted; executions limited by your server | Unlimited executions; 3 workspaces and 50 users |
| Best for | Visual workflows and visible AI-agent runs | Code-first scripts, apps, workflows, and pipelines |
| Core strength | Error recovery and human approval steps | Git-based deployments and rollback |
| Learning curve | Visual builder with optional code | Code-first, with visual workflow editing |
| Integrations and data | Specific integration count not published | Scripts in 20+ languages; agents on 12 providers |
| Team and seat costs | Starter includes unlimited users | Builders $20; non-builders $10 per month |
| Support | Enterprise includes dedicated support with SLA | Enterprise: 24/7 priority support, 3-hour response |
n8n Choose n8n if
- Choose n8n if you want a visual workflow builder.
- Choose n8n if you need unlimited users on Starter.
- Choose n8n if you want a published Cloud entry price.
Windmill Choose Windmill if
- Choose Windmill if your team prefers code-first automation.
- Choose Windmill if you need scripts in 20+ languages.
- Choose Windmill if you want Git-based deployment and rollback.
02Pricing compared
n8n publishes a lower Cloud entry price: Starter costs $20/month with annual billing or $24 month to month. It includes 2,500 executions per month; Cloud plans have hard caps and no overages, so more volume means upgrading. Pro starts at $50/month annually or $60 monthly. Business is self-hosted only and starts at $800/month annually or $960 monthly.
Windmill’s Free and Open-source plan costs $0 and includes unlimited executions, but limits you to 3 workspaces, 50 users and 10 GiB of object storage. Enterprise starts at $120/month; Pro pricing is not published on the vendor's site. Check seat and infrastructure costs too: listed add-ons include $20 per builder and $50 per worker/month. Windmill offers monthly and annual billing, but annual prices are not published.
03Features and depth
n8n centers on a visual workflow builder, with the option to add code. Its AI-agent visibility is a differentiator: the product lets teams watch agents work live or review runs step by step. You can add human approvals, inspect errors and rerun only a broken step. Self-hosting is available, while SSO/SAML, LDAP, queue mode and other controls depend on the plan; Community Edition does not include SSO or LDAP.
Windmill is broader in its code-first scope. It turns scripts in 20+ languages into APIs and forms, and supports visual or Python and TypeScript workflows with retries, approvals and parallel branches. Its agents work with 12 providers or a team’s own model behind an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Windmill also includes custom React or Svelte apps, Git-based staging and production deployments, rollback, and run inputs, logs, traces, metrics and audit records. Choose based on whether visual workflow tracking or scripts, apps and deployment controls matter more.
04Ease of use and learning curve
n8n is the more natural starting point if the team wants to assemble workflows visually and only drop into code when needed. Its run-by-run visibility and ability to rerun a failed step can also make troubleshooting easier to follow, according to the product description. Cloud avoids managing infrastructure, while Community Edition requires self-hosting.
Windmill offers a visual DAG editor, but its positioning is code-first: scripts, Python and TypeScript workflows, and Git-based deployment are central. That may suit developers who want scripts and workflows in one platform, but teams without coding or deployment experience may need more setup. Both have free options; Windmill also lists a one-month trial, while n8n lists a 14-day Cloud trial with no credit card required.
Questions people ask
Is n8n or Windmill cheaper?
n8n has a published Cloud Starter price of $20/month with annual billing, or $24 monthly. Windmill’s Free plan costs $0, but its paid Pro price is not published; Enterprise starts at $120/month. Compare expected seats and workers too, since Windmill lists paid add-ons for builders and workers.
Do both platforms have free plans?
Yes. n8n Community Edition is free and self-hosted, with executions limited by your own server; vendor hosting and support are not included. Windmill Free includes unlimited executions, 3 workspaces, up to 50 users and 10 GiB of object storage.
Can I self-host n8n and Windmill?
Both offer self-hosting. n8n Community Edition is self-hosted, while its Business plan is self-hosted only. Windmill describes its platform as open source and available through self-hosting or its cloud service. Check plan-specific controls before choosing; n8n Community Edition lacks SSO and LDAP.
Which is better for AI agents?
Both list AI-agent capabilities. n8n emphasizes watching agents live or reviewing past runs step by step, with human approvals for actions. Windmill supports agents on 12 providers or a team’s own model behind an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Pick based on whether run visibility or provider and code flexibility matters more.