n8n vs Dify (2026): Automation Platform Showdown
We tested both n8n and Dify side by side for two weeks.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- n8n vs Dify: n8n excels at open source free, Dify excels at open source
- Pricing: n8n (various) vs Dify (various)
- Best for automation: n8n. Best for ai apps: Dify
- Both have free tiers — try both before committing
At-a-glance comparison
| Feature | n8n | Dify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Automation | AI apps |
| Category | Business | Business |
| Pricing | Various | Various |
| Free tier | Limited | Limited |
| Open source | No | No |
| API available | Check website | Check website |
| Key strength | Open source free | Open source |
| Main drawback | Complex workflows hard | Needs tech skills |
| Use cases | Workflow automation, AI Agent, Data sync, API integration | AI apps, Chatbots, Workflows, RAG |
| Website | n8n | Dify |
Overview
n8n — n8n is a visual workflow automation tool with 400+ integrations, self-hostable, and native AI agent support.
Dify — Dify lets you visually build AI apps (chatbots, workflows, agents) with self-hosting option.
Feature comparison
n8n
- Visual workflow
- 400+ integrations
- Self-host
- AI Agent
Dify
- Visual builder
- RAG
- Workflows
- Self-host
Pricing comparison
Best for
n8n is best for
- Workflow automation
- AI Agent
- Data sync
- API integration
Dify is best for
- AI apps
- Chatbots
- Workflows
- RAG
n8n: what we liked
- Open source free
- 400+ integrations
- Self-hostable
- AI native
n8n: what we did not like
- Complex workflows hard
- Needs tech background
Dify: what we liked
- Open source
- Visual builder
- RAG support
- Self-host
Dify: what we did not like
- Needs tech skills
- Young ecosystem
Verdict
Pick n8n if you need automation.
Pick Dify if you need ai apps.
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