Head to head
n8n vs Lindy (2026)
Building custom agentic automations that need to plug into other systems, want self-hosting for data control, or want flat, predictable per-execution pricing → n8n.
n8n is an open, self-hostable workflow-automation platform with a public API and 400+ integrations (you build the agentic automation yourself, on flat, per-execution pricing), while Lindy is a closed, cloud-only, ready-made AI executive assistant you text over iMessage/SMS with no API at all, priced on metered usage credits, so the real choice is build-your-own automation infrastructure versus a finished assistant product.
1 with a free plan · prices checked 24 October 2026
Reviewed by The Agents Index editorial team.
How n8n and Lindy compare
| Question |  n8nOps and automation teams who want to build agentic workflows visually while keeping data on self-hosted infrastructure.Visit site |  LindyTeams that want an AI teammate embedded in Slack and a no-code app builder under the same plan, with usage that pauses at the credit cap rather than overage-billing.Visit site |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Price | n8n: free, then €24/month (about $27) | Lindy: from $49.99/seat/month |
| API | n8n: Yes | Lindy: NoNo public REST or SDK API for building on top of Lindy from your own code. Lindy is reached through Slack, iMessage, SMS, the web UI, or as an MCP client connecting to external MCP servers, not through an inbound Lindy API. |
| Category | n8n: Agent platforms, AI workflow automation | Lindy: Agent platforms, AI workflow automation |
| Pricing model | n8n: freemium | Lindy: subscription |
| Model / LLM | n8n: Model-agnostic (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama…) | Lindy: Model-agnostic |
| Interface | n8n: Visual | Lindy: Visual |
| Deployment | n8n: Both | Lindy: Cloud |
| Limitations | n8n: Fair-code licence is source-available, not OSI open-source; check terms for commercial resale. Complex agent logic can get unwieldy on a visual canvas. Cloud Business tier jumps to €667/month (about $747); there is no mid-market hosted tier between Pro and Business. | Lindy: Cloud-only and closed-source. No self-host option, no public API, and a returning teammate does not get a second free week. Credit use varies widely by task (2 to 2,500 credits), so the bill tracks activity. Cost is hard to predict for a busy workspace. Direct signups are billed right away. The 7-day free trial is reserved for teammates who join through Slack. |
| Tags | n8n: API, Autonomous, Claude, Enterprise, Free tier, GPT, Multi-agent, No-code, Open models, Open source, Self-hosted | Lindy: Autonomous, Browser use, Enterprise, Multi-agent, No-code |
| What it does | ||
| Writes code | n8n: Partlydocs.n8n.io | Lindy: PartlyLindy Buildlindy.ai |
| Debugs and fixes | n8n: Partlyn8n.io | Lindy: PartlyLindy Buildlindy.ai |
| Writes tests | n8n: Nodocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlylindy.ai |
| Reviews code | n8n: Nodocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Ships it | n8n: Partlydocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Done-for-you service | n8n: Non8n.io | Lindy: Nodocs.lindy.ai |
| How much it does unattended | ||
| Runs autonomously | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Multi-agent | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: PartlyLindy Buildlindy.ai |
| Agent permissions | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Which models it runs on | ||
| Claude | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Yeslindy.ai |
| GPT | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Yeslindy.ai |
| Open models | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Not stated |
| Model choice | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Where you use it | ||
| In your editor | n8n: Partlydocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Nodocs.lindy.ai |
| On the command line | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Nodocs.lindy.ai |
| In your pipeline | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Nodocs.lindy.ai |
| In a browser | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Whose machine it runs on | ||
| Self-hosted | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Nolindy.ai |
| Open source | n8n: Partlydocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Nolindy.ai |
| What it costs to run | ||
| How it meters | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Price per 1,000 requests | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Not stated |
| Free credit | n8n: Not stated | Lindy: Yes$50 of free usage, once, at signup.lindy.ai |
| Free tier | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| API access | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Not stated |
| MCP server | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Bring your own key | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Buying it for a team | ||
| A company can buy it | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Yeslindy.ai |
| Seat model | n8n: Non8n.io | Lindy: Yeslindy.ai |
| Pooled budget | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Admin controls | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
| Audit log | n8n: PartlyEnterprise plan and upn8n.io | Lindy: PartlyEnterprise plan and updocs.lindy.ai |
| Single sign-on | n8n: PartlyBusiness plan and upn8n.io | Lindy: PartlyEnterprise plan and uplindy.ai |
| What happens to your code | ||
| Opt out of training | n8n: Yesdocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Yeslindy.ai |
| Data residency | n8n: Yesn8n.io | Lindy: Partlylindy.ai |
| Getting out | n8n: Partlydocs.n8n.io | Lindy: Partlydocs.lindy.ai |
| Certifications | n8n: Partlyn8n.io | Lindy: Yesdocs.lindy.ai |
n8n and Lindy both sit in the "agent platforms" category, but they start from opposite premises. n8n gives you a visual canvas, 400+ app integrations and native AI-agent nodes, and you build the automation yourself: self-hosted for free under its fair-code license, or on n8n's managed Cloud. Lindy skips the building step: connect your phone number, Gmail or Outlook and your calendar, and it starts texting you over iMessage (iOS) or standard SMS (Android), triaging email, prepping meetings, chasing follow-ups, with a no-code "App Builder" for custom agents still available underneath, though that is no longer what Lindy leads with.
Pricing follows the same split. n8n's Community edition is free to self-host; its Cloud starts at €20/month (about $22) (Starter: 2,500 workflow executions/month, 5 concurrent, 2,300 AI credits), scaling to €50/month (about $56) (Pro: 10,000 executions, 20 concurrent, up to 13,700 AI credits) and €667/month (about $747) (Business: 40,000 executions, SSO/SAML/LDAP, Git version control), with custom Enterprise above that. Lindy has no permanent free plan (only a 7-day free trial), then Plus at $49.99/month (2 inboxes, standard usage), Pro at $99.99/month (3x usage, 3 inboxes, computer-use browser automation, model choice) and Max at $199.99/month (7x usage, 5 inboxes), with custom Enterprise (SSO, SCIM, HIPAA/BAA) above that. n8n meters by workflow execution; Lindy meters by usage credit, and once a plan's monthly allotment runs out, overage work bills at 2x the standard credit rate.
Access is the other real gap. n8n is source-available (fair-code, not OSI-approved open source; check the licence before commercial resale of a self-hosted deployment) and ships a public API; its root GitHub repository has 197,636 stars and 59,566 forks, checked live 2026-07-23. Lindy is closed-source, cloud-only, and publishes no API at all. Everything runs through its own text interface and web app. That matters for anyone who wants to wire agent automation into other software: n8n's API and 400+ integrations make it embeddable into a broader stack, while Lindy is a closed product you use as-is, leaning instead on 100+ native integrations (Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, Zoom) that cover most everyday business tools without needing an API.
Who each one is for
n8n
Ops and automation teams who want to build agentic workflows visually while keeping data on self-hosted infrastructure.
From Free
Watch for: Fair-code is source-available, not OSI open-source, so check the licence before commercial resale.
Lindy
Teams that want an AI teammate embedded in Slack and a no-code app builder under the same plan, with usage that pauses at the credit cap rather than overage-billing.
From $49.99/seat/month
Watch for: Cloud-only and closed-source, no self-host option
Verdict: n8n or Lindy?
Building custom agentic automations that need to plug into other systems, want self-hosting for data control, or want flat, predictable per-execution pricing → n8n. Want a working AI assistant today without building anything, and are fine texting over iMessage/SMS with credit-metered usage → Lindy. Want the finished-assistant experience but still need occasional custom workflows → Lindy's underlying no-code "App Builder" agent product still exists, just isn't the headline pitch. Need an API to integrate agent automation into your own software → only n8n has one; Lindy has none at any tier.
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Frequently asked questions
- Does n8n or Lindy have an API?
- n8n does: it ships a public API alongside its 400+ app integrations. Lindy has no API at any tier; it is a closed product you interact with only through its text interface (iMessage/SMS) and web app.
- Is either n8n or Lindy free?
- n8n's Community edition is free to self-host under its fair-code licence, with paid Cloud tiers starting at €20/month (about $22). Lindy has no permanent free plan (only a 7-day free trial with full Plus access), after which paid plans start at $49.99/month.
- Can I self-host either tool?
- n8n, yes: self-hosting is a core strength, free under its fair-code licence. Lindy is cloud-only with no self-host option.
- How does the pricing actually work?
- n8n meters by workflow execution: 2,500/month on the €20 (about $22) Starter tier up to 40,000/month on the €667 (about $747) Business tier, with custom Enterprise above that. Lindy meters by usage credit inside fixed monthly tiers ($49.99-$199.99), and once a plan's monthly credit allotment runs out, overage work bills at 2x the standard rate.
- Which is easier to get started with for a non-technical user?
- Lindy: connect your phone number and inbox and it starts texting you, no workflow to build. n8n's visual canvas is more approachable than writing code, but you still design and wire the automation yourself, which suits ops and technical users more than someone who wants a finished assistant on day one.
Sources and method
Every price here was read on the maker's own pricing page.
- n8n: n8n.io/pricing, checked 24 October 2026
- Lindy: lindy.ai/pricing, checked 24 October 2026
The digestFree
Which agents actually ship.
New agents and articles, by email, at most once a week.
Last issue · No. 1 · 13 October 2026Devin vs Claude Code: Which Should You Pick?
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At a glance
n8n is an open, self-hostable workflow-automation platform with a public API and 400+ integrations (you build the agentic automation yourself, on flat, per-execution pricing), while Lindy is a closed, cloud-only, ready-made AI executive assistant you text over iMessage/SMS with no API at all, priced on metered usage credits, so the real choice is build-your-own automation infrastructure versus a finished assistant product.
The Agents Index digest
The agents we added and what we wrote about them, by email, no more than once a week.
Last issue: Devin vs Claude Code: Which Should You Pick? · 13 October 2026