· n8n
n8n or a custom script: choosing how to automate a job
Some automations belong in a visual workflow tool you can edit yourself. Others need code. The questions I ask before picking one.
What it is
n8n is a workflow tool: boxes joined by lines on a canvas, each box a step such as "new email", "read the attachment" or "add a row". It can run on your own server.
When I pick it
When the job is a chain of simple steps between tools you already use, and someone in your office wants to change it later without calling me. The canvas is readable by a non-developer.
When I write code instead
When the job needs judgement over many cases, careful error handling or tests. A workflow with forty boxes is harder to maintain than a short, tested script, and that cost lands on you.
What it costs you
Self-hosted, the community edition costs nothing in licences. Check the makers’ current licence terms before relying on it for something you sell to others.
Verdict
Good for short chains you want to edit yourself. Past about fifteen steps, I would rather write and test the code.