n8nFreemium
Open-source workflow automation tool with a visual builder — self-host or use their cloud.
Automation comparison
n8n vs UiPath
Pricing, pros, cons, and ideal use cases — side by side.
UiPathPaid
The RPA incumbent turned agentic automation platform — robots, AI agents, document processing, and orchestration under one control plane.
At a glance
| n8n | UiPath | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | FreemiumFree to self-host. Cloud Starter from $20/month. Cloud Pro from $50/month. | PaidAutomation Cloud Basic starts at $25/month with limited scale, European hosting only, and Bronze support. Standard and Enterprise are contact-sales; Standard adds agents, document classification, and process orchestration with no scale limits, and Enterprise adds self-healing UI automation, bring-your-own-model, customer-managed encryption keys, and credential vaults. Test Cloud is licensed separately. Users, robots, and specialised capabilities are purchased on top of every tier. |
| Category | Automation | Automation |
| Ideal for | Tech-savvy SMBsAgenciesSaaSAny business wanting data control | Large enterprises with an existing RPA estateAutomation centres of excellence adding agents to deterministic robotsShared services and back-office operations at scaleRegulated organisations needing credential vaults and audit on automation |
Pros & cons
n8n
Pros
- Open source and self-hostable
- No per-execution pricing
- Custom code nodes
- Active community and integrations
Cons
- Self-hosting requires technical knowledge
- Smaller integration library than Zapier
- UI less polished than commercial alternatives
UiPath
Pros
- Agents inherit mature orchestration, governance, and credential management
- Combines reasoning agents with deterministic robots for the steps that must not vary
- Intelligent document processing is genuinely strong
- Huge partner and implementation ecosystem
- A published entry price exists, unusual at this end of the market
Cons
- Only the limited Basic tier is priced publicly; agents require contact-sales tiers
- RPA maintenance burden is real and agents do not eliminate it
- Users, robots, and capabilities are all separate purchases — the quote gets complex
- Basic is European-region hosting only
- Requires an automation CoE or partner to get value; this is not self-serve
Which should you choose?
n8n is the lighter-weight option (Freemium), while UiPath sits higher on the pricing ladder (Paid). n8n is built around tech-savvy smbs; UiPath leans more toward large enterprises with an existing rpa estate. Shortlist the one whose strengths line up with your biggest constraint.
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