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Adapt vs n8n

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Adapt — 91 vs 75 for n8n
Best fit
Adapt: Engineering orgs that want one agent reachable from Slack, GitHub and Linear · n8n: Technical teams that want to self-host automation with Docker, on-prem or air-gapped
Platforms
Adapt: Web, Slack app · n8n: Web, Linux

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

AdaptOne company-wide agent across Slack, GitHub and Linear, with model routing and sandboxed code execution.n8nWorkflow automation with AI-agent nodes that runs on n8n's cloud or self-hosted from GitHub

Side by side

FactAdaptn8n
CategoryAgent Frameworks & OrchestrationWorkflow Automation Platforms
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$50/mo—
Public APIYesYes
Trust score91 / 10075 / 100
PlatformsWeb, API, Slack appWeb, Linux, API
CompanyAdapt, Inc.n8n GmbH
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Adapt

Adapt is the rare agent platform that charges for usage instead of seats, which suits teams where a handful of heavy users carry the load. The routing layer and microVM sandboxes are the substance; the integration model, plain TypeScript files in your repo, means you are not locked into a visual builder. The catch is that spend is unpredictable by design and the entry Pro commitment starts at $50 a month.

Pros

  • Router chooses between frontier and open-weight models per task rather than pinning one model
  • MicroVM sandboxes with persistent filesystems, scoped secrets and cron scheduling
  • Integrations are TypeScript files you own, scaffolded by one command
  • Usage-based credits with unlimited seats, so read-only users cost nothing
  • Self-host, VPC and on-prem options alongside the managed cloud

Cons

  • Credit spend scales with usage and the Pro band tops out at $5,000 a month
  • No per-seat option for teams that budget by headcount
  • Company founding year and team size are not published

n8n

The automation tool to pick when you want agents and integrations on one canvas and the option to run it on your own hardware; self-hosting from GitHub is the escape hatch Zapier and Make do not offer. Cloud pricing is per execution rather than per task, which rewards long workflows, but the monthly figures hide behind a toggle and the Business tier is a self-hosted licence at a very different price point.

Pros

  • Self-hosted Community Edition on GitHub under a fair-code licence, with 207k stars
  • Agent, model, MCP and RAG nodes alongside 500+ app integrations
  • JavaScript or Python at any step, with a canvas that traces agent reasoning
  • Execution-based cloud billing with unlimited steps per execution
  • Public REST API on all self-hosted editions and on cloud Starter and above

Cons

  • Cloud prices were shown only in euros and only as annual-billing figures
  • Business tier (€667 a month) is self-hosted only, with cloud availability on a waitlist
  • Fair-code licence is not OSI open source, which matters for some corporate policies
  • Forum-only support below Enterprise

Which one fits

Choose Adapt if you need

  • Engineering orgs that want one agent reachable from Slack, GitHub and Linear
  • Teams that need code execution with real filesystems and secrets
  • Companies with VPC or on-prem deployment requirements

Choose n8n if you need

  • Technical teams that want to self-host automation with Docker, on-prem or air-gapped
  • Builders combining LLM agents, MCP tools and RAG with ordinary app integrations
  • Workflows with many steps, since billing counts executions rather than individual operations

Adapt vs n8n: the questions people ask

Is Adapt cheaper than n8n?

Adapt starts at $50/mo. n8n has a free tier; what its paid plans cost is not confirmed by us yet.

Does Adapt or n8n have a free tier?

Both: Adapt has a free tier, and n8n has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Adapt or n8n?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

All Adapt alternatives →All n8n alternatives →Browse all Agent Frameworks & Orchestration →