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n8n vs Tines

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
Tines — 92 vs 75 for n8n
Best fit
n8n: Technical teams that want to self-host automation with Docker, on-prem or air-gapped · Tines: Security operations teams automating triage, enrichment and response
Platforms
n8n: Web, Linux · Tines: 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 GitHubTinesWorkflow automation and AI agents for security and IT teams, with a free tier capped at three live workflows

Side by side

Factn8nTines
CategoryWorkflow Automation PlatformsWorkflow Automation Platforms
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Public APIYesYes
Trust score75 / 10092 / 100
PlatformsWeb, Linux, APIWeb, API
Companyn8n GmbHTines
Launched—2018
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

Tines

The automation platform security teams actually keep, largely because it does not force you into vendor-specific connectors and because self-hosting is a first-class option rather than an enterprise upsell. Governance over who built what is genuinely useful once several teams are automating. Pricing opacity is the cost of entry, and the free tier's three-workflow cap is hit fast.

Pros

  • Free edition with unlimited users, spaces and connectors, not just a time-limited trial
  • Cloud or self-hosted deployment, plus bring-your-own AI model
  • Vendor-agnostic: anything with an API can be wired in without waiting for a connector
  • Tracks what each workflow is, who owns it and what it can access

Cons

  • No published price for any paid edition
  • Three live workflows on the free tier is restrictive for real use
  • Learning curve is steeper than consumer-grade automation tools

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 Tines if you need

  • Security operations teams automating triage, enrichment and response
  • IT and operations groups that need self-hosted or air-gapped automation
  • Organisations wanting one automation layer governed centrally across departments

n8n vs Tines: the questions people ask

Does n8n or Tines have a free tier?

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

Which has a public API, n8n or Tines?

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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