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Cronloop 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
Cronloop — 84 vs 75 for n8n
Best fit
Cronloop: Solo operators and small teams automating recurring, tool-connected tasks · n8n: Technical teams that want to self-host automation with Docker, on-prem or air-gapped
Platforms
Cronloop: Web · 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

CronloopRuns unattended AI agents on a schedule, defined in Markdown, with memory carried between runs.n8nWorkflow automation with AI-agent nodes that runs on n8n's cloud or self-hosted from GitHub

Side by side

FactCronloopn8n
CategoryAI Agents & Autonomous WorkersWorkflow Automation Platforms
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$25/mo—
Public APIYesYes
Trust score84 / 10075 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Linux, API
CompanyCactal, Inc.n8n GmbH
Launched2026—
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Cronloop

A good fit for someone who already has a handful of repetitive, tool-connected tasks and wants them running on autopilot with memory instead of rebuilding an automation chain each time. The free tier's 200 run-minutes is enough to validate a couple of workflows before paying $25 a month.

Pros

  • Markdown-defined jobs are easy to read and version instead of a locked visual builder
  • Persistent memory between scheduled runs lets agents build on prior context
  • MCP server support means it can be driven directly from Claude or ChatGPT
  • 50+ tool integrations including Gmail, HubSpot, Slack, and GitHub

Cons

  • Free tier's 10-minute run cap and hourly scheduling limit rule out longer or more time-sensitive jobs
  • Requires bringing your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key or subscription for the underlying model calls

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 Cronloop if you need

  • Solo operators and small teams automating recurring, tool-connected tasks
  • Users who already work inside Claude or ChatGPT via MCP

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

Cronloop vs n8n: the questions people ask

Is Cronloop cheaper than n8n?

Cronloop starts at $25/mo. n8n has a free tier; what its paid plans cost is not confirmed by us yet.

Does Cronloop or n8n have a free tier?

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

Which has a public API, Cronloop 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

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