Browse / Agents & Automation / AutoGPT vs n8n AI

HEAD-TO-HEAD

AutoGPT vs n8n AI — which one should you pick in 2026?

Reviewed May 23, 2026 by Faisal Saleem · no paid placements, ever.

AutoGPT is free — Open-source platform for building and running autonomous AI agents. n8n AI starts at $20/mo — Open-source workflow automation with AI nodes. Both are agents & automation tools. We compared pricing, features, agent capability, pros & cons, and which workflows each is best for — full head-to-head below.

IN ONE LINE

Both AutoGPT and n8n AI are credible agents & automation options — the right pick depends on your specific use case. See the head-to-head below.

Pick AutoGPT if… vs. Pick n8n AIif…

Pick AutoGPT if…

Budget is a constraint — it has a free tier with no card required.
You specifically need Visual builder or Open source, which n8n AI doesn't ship.
Your primary use case is Agent prototyping or Research bots — n8n AI doesn't list this.

Pick n8n AI if…

You specifically need Self-hosted or LangChain nodes, which AutoGPT doesn't ship.
Your primary use case is AI workflows or Self-hosted automation — AutoGPT doesn't list this.

FULL HEAD-TO-HEAD

AutoGPT vs n8n AI — side-by-side

TOOL	AutoGPTAGENT Agents & Automation Open-source platform for building and running autonomous AI agents.	n8n AIAGENT Agents & Automation Open-source workflow automation with AI nodes.
PRICING MODEL	Free	Freemium
STARTING PRICE	Free	$20/mo
CATEGORY	Agents & Automation	Agents & Automation
AI AGENT	Yes	Yes
EDITOR'S PICK	No	No
KEY FEATURES	Visual builder Open source Self-host Marketplace Scheduled runs	Self-hosted LangChain nodes Vector store nodes 400+ integrations Code nodes
USE CASES	Agent prototyping Research bots Content workflows Automation	AI workflows Self-hosted automation RAG pipelines Internal tools
TAGS	#agent#open-source#workflow	#automation#open-source#self-hosted
WEBSITE	agpt.co	n8n.io/ai

PRICING

AutoGPT vs n8n AI pricing

AutoGPT

Free

2 plans available — see breakdown below.

n8n AI

Freemium · entry tier from $20/mo

4 plans available — see breakdown below.

AutoGPT plans

POPULAR

Free (Open Source)

Free open-source agent

$0forever

Self-hosted, BYOK

Self-hosted AutoGPT
GitHub repository
BYOK for LLM providers
Community support

AutoGPT Platform

Hosted platform (beta)

Beta

Beta access

Hosted agent builder
Block-based workflows
Marketplace for agents
Cloud execution

n8n AI plans

Starter

For solo automators (€20/mo)

$22billed annually

2,500 executions / month

2,500 monthly executions
1 shared project
5 concurrent executions
Unlimited users, 50 AI credits

POPULAR

Pro

Business

For larger teams (€667/mo)

$733billed annually

40,000 executions / month

40,000 monthly executions
SSO/SAML/LDAP
Self-hosted option
Git version control

Enterprise

For larger orgs

Custom

Custom executions

Custom executions
200+ concurrent
External secret store
Dedicated support with SLA

USE CASES

What each is best for

Each use case listed by either vendor, with which tool actually covers it.

USE CASE

AutoGPT

n8n AI

Agent prototyping
Research bots
Content workflows
Automation
AI workflows
Self-hosted automation
RAG pipelines
Internal tools

PROS & CONS

Strengths and trade-offs

AutoGPT

Pros of AutoGPT

Completely free to use — no paid tier required
Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
Visual builder
Open source
Self-host

Cons of AutoGPT

Competition is strong in this space — see n8n AI for comparison

n8n AI

Pros of n8n AI

Free tier available; paid plans from $20/mo
Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
Self-hosted
LangChain nodes
Vector store nodes

Cons of n8n AI

Competition is strong in this space — see AutoGPT for comparison

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

AutoGPT vs n8n AI — frequently asked questions

Is AutoGPT better than n8n AI?

It depends on your workflow. AutoGPT ships with autonomous-agent capability, while n8n AI also includes an AI agent. Neither is currently our Editor's Pick — both are credible options. See the side-by-side table above for specifics.

Is AutoGPT cheaper than n8n AI?

Both tools have similar entry pricing — AutoGPT Free and n8n AI $20/mo. Pricing at higher tiers varies; check the pricing breakdown above.

Does AutoGPT have an AI agent?

Yes — AutoGPT ships with autonomous-agent capability (it can plan and execute multi-step tasks, not just answer a single prompt).

Does n8n AI have an AI agent?

Yes — n8n AI includes autonomous-agent capability.

What's the difference between AutoGPT and n8n AI?

Both are agents & automation tools. The key differences come down to pricing (AutoGPT: Free, from Free; n8n AI: Freemium, from $20/mo), agent capability (AutoGPT: yes, n8n AI: yes), and feature focus. Use the comparison table above to weigh which axis matters most for your work.

What's a good alternative to AutoGPT and n8n AI?

Beyond AutoGPT and n8n AI, the strongest alternatives in Agents & Automation depend on whether you prioritise price, agent capability, or specific features. See our "AutoGPT alternatives" and "n8n AI alternatives" pages for a hand-picked ranking of each.

Best AutoGPT alternatives

Best n8n AI alternatives