Skip to content
effecthub

n8n vs Sim

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
Sim — 96 vs 75 for n8n
Best fit
n8n: Technical teams that want to self-host automation with Docker, on-prem or air-gapped · Sim: Teams that want a visual agent builder they can also self-host
Platforms
n8n: Web, Linux · Sim: Web

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

n8nWorkflow automation with AI-agent nodes that runs on n8n's cloud or self-hosted from GitHubSimOpen-source workspace for building AI agents from a visual canvas, a prompt, or code

Side by side

Factn8nSim
CategoryWorkflow Automation PlatformsAgent Frameworks & Orchestration
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at—$25/seat/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score75 / 10096 / 100
PlatformsWeb, Linux, APIWeb, API
Companyn8n GmbHSim, Inc
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

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

Sim

Sim covers the unglamorous half of agent work — memory, tables, file storage, logs — in the same place you draw the workflow, and the open repository means you can host it yourself if the meter bothers you. The meter is the catch: credits are the unit of everything, and an agent that loops or fans out consumes them faster than the per-seat headline suggests.

Pros

  • Three ways to build the same agent: visual canvas, prompt, or code
  • Ships knowledge bases, data tables and file storage alongside the workflow engine
  • Open source on GitHub with a documented self-hosting route
  • Free tier of 1,000 monthly credits, one workspace and 5 GB of storage

Cons

  • Every plan is metered in credits, so cost tracks usage rather than headcount
  • Concurrency is capped per plan — 10 simultaneous executions on Free, 50 on Pro
  • SSO, access control and SOC2 paperwork sit behind the quoted Enterprise tier

Which one fits

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

Choose Sim if you need

  • Teams that want a visual agent builder they can also self-host
  • Connecting agents to many SaaS tools without writing the glue code
  • Prototyping an agent and keeping the traces to debug it afterwards

n8n vs Sim: the questions people ask

Is n8n cheaper than Sim?

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

Does n8n or Sim have a free tier?

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

Which has a public API, n8n or Sim?

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 n8n alternatives →All Sim alternatives →Browse all Workflow Automation Platforms →