What is the difference between n8n and Windmill?

n8n is best for Technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches, while Windmill is best for Developer teams wanting an open-source internal tool and automation platform. n8n starts at Free (self-hosted) and Windmill starts at Free.

Is n8n or Windmill cheaper?

n8n starts at Free (self-hosted) and is free. Windmill starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Windmill?

Both n8n and Windmill offer free tiers.

n8n vs Windmill (2026) — notanothertool

At a glance

	n8n	Windmill
Best for	Technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches	Developer teams wanting an open-source internal tool and automation platform
Starting price	Free (self-hosted)	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓

n8n

Strengths

Open source and self-hostable
Can write custom code within workflows
No per-execution pricing (self-hosted)
Growing integration library

Weaknesses

Requires technical setup if self-hosting
Smaller app library than Zapier/Make
Cloud version is relatively expensive
UI less polished than commercial alternatives

Try n8n → Full review

Windmill

Strengths

Open source with self-hosting option
Supports TypeScript, Python, Go, and Bash
Built-in app builder for internal tools
Fast execution with Go-based runtime

Weaknesses

Requires developer knowledge
Newer product with smaller community
Self-hosting needs infrastructure management
Less polished than commercial alternatives

Try Windmill → Full review

The bottom line

n8n and Windmill serve similar needs but take different approaches. Technical users who want self-hosted automation with code escape hatches while Windmill is developer teams wanting an open-source internal tool and automation platform.