Lesson 1. What Is n8n and Why Use It

Lesson 1. What Is n8n and Why Use It#

Goal: understand what n8n is, how it differs from other platforms, and when to use it.

What Is n8n#

n8n is an open-source platform for automation and workflow creation. It lets you connect services, databases, APIs, and AI models without coding (or with minimal code).

Key features:

• Open-source — source code is open; you can modify it for your needs

• Self-hosted — you can deploy it on your own server (or use the cloud version n8n.cloud)

• 400+ ready-made nodes — integrations with popular services (Google, Telegram, Stripe, OpenAI, Airtable, etc.)

• Flexibility — you can write JavaScript code directly in workflows

• Visual editor — workflows are built from blocks (nodes) connected by arrows

How n8n Differs from Zapier and Make#

When to Use n8n#

Use n8n if:

• you've outgrown Zapier and need more flexibility

• you need complex scenarios with branching, loops, and error handling

• you want full control over your data (self-hosted)

• you need to integrate AI models (OpenAI, Claude, local models)

• you're willing to learn the interface (steeper learning curve than Zapier)

Don't use n8n if:

• you need to quickly test an idea (use Zapier)

• you're uncomfortable with technical terms and settings

• you need integration with a very specific service (there may be no ready-made node)

Example Use Cases for n8n#

---