Agentic AI Comparison:
Flowise vs n8n
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Introduction
This report provides a detailed, metric-based comparison between n8n and Flowise, two leading automation frameworks with significant relevance for workflow and AI agent development. The comparison covers autonomy, ease of use, flexibility, cost, and popularity, synthesizing insights from recent expert analyses and community feedback as of September 2025.
Overview
Flowise
Flowise is a low-code visual platform specializing in the orchestration and deployment of AI agents, particularly those built around Large Language Models (LLMs) and LangChain.js. Its drag-and-drop builder is exceptionally accessible for non-coders, focusing on rapid prototyping of conversational AI, chatbots, and knowledge bots. Flowise excels in LLM workflow management but is less suitable for broad, general-purpose process integration. The platform is open-source, and its adoption is especially strong among developers focused on natural language processing applications.
n8n
n8n is a source-available workflow automation platform that combines classic workflow features with advanced AI agent capabilities. It is recognized for its extensive integration ecosystem (400+ connectors), visual workflow builder, and hybrid approach that allows both no-code and code-driven automation. While AI agent capabilities are offered, they often require more manual setup than AI-native counterparts. n8n supports both self-hosted (community edition, free) and cloud deployments (starting at 24€/month). Its permissive licensing is popular, though not fully open-source, imposing some limitations for SaaS providers.
Metrics Comparison
autonomy
Flowise: 7
Flowise automates conversational AI and LLM-centric processes with high autonomy for those domains. However, its autonomy is narrowly scoped to AI agent and LLM workflows, and less versatile for general enterprise automation beyond AI-specific use cases.
n8n: 8
n8n enables high levels of autonomous workflow automation, including AI agent tasks, through its flexible orchestration and customizable node logic. It can operate fully unattended in complex business processes but may require additional manual configuration for advanced agentic behaviors compared to dedicated AI platforms.
n8n provides greater overall autonomy across both traditional workflows and AI agents, whereas Flowise achieves strong autonomy but is limited to LLM and conversational AI workflows.
ease of use
Flowise: 9
Flowise’s UI is highly intuitive and purpose-built for quick prototyping by non-coders. Its low-code, visual interface makes it accessible for users with minimal technical background, particularly in the context of designing LLM or chatbot workflows.
n8n: 7
n8n features a powerful visual workflow builder and supports drag-and-drop design, but the learning curve is steeper for advanced automations or when integrating custom code, especially for less technical users.
Flowise is generally easier to use for AI-centric workflows, particularly for rapid prototyping or less technical users, while n8n may require more onboarding time but remains accessible overall.
flexibility
Flowise: 7
Flowise offers strong flexibility within LLM and AI workflow domains, but is less adaptable for traditional enterprise integration or general-purpose automation requiring connections to a broad array of external systems.
n8n: 9
n8n supports a broad range of automation scenarios, from simple to highly complex, and is extensible with custom code in JavaScript or Python. Its 400+ pre-built connectors enable diverse integrations far beyond AI agents alone.
n8n is significantly more flexible due to its extensive connector ecosystem and dual support for no-code and custom code solutions.
cost
Flowise: 9
Flowise is fully open-source, allowing free commercial use and self-hosted deployments. This makes it an attractive option for cost-sensitive or open-source oriented teams.
n8n: 8
n8n’s self-hosted community edition is free, making it cost-effective for many users. The managed cloud version starts at 24€/month, with further discounts for startups. Licensing is permissive for most uses, though not fully open-source for SaaS providers.
Both platforms are low-cost for self-hosters, but Flowise’s fully open-source status offers more long-term cost benefits, especially for organizations wanting complete control and freedom.
popularity
Flowise: 7
Flowise is an emerging force in the AI automation sector, rapidly rising in popularity among LLM and chatbot developers, but with a smaller and more specialized user community relative to n8n.
n8n: 9
n8n has broad community adoption, a mature ecosystem, and sustained industry recognition for general automation and workflow tools. Its established user base and extensive documentation further support its popularity.
n8n remains more popular overall due to maturity and breadth of use cases, though Flowise is quickly growing within niche AI agent and LLM communities.
Conclusions
n8n is the best choice for organizations needing enterprise-grade, flexible automation with broad integration capabilities and a strong AI extension layer. Flowise excels for fast, low-code AI agent and LLM workflow prototyping, particularly in the context of conversational AI. For pure LLM/AI agent use cases where open-source status and rapid deployment are priorities, Flowise is recommended. For mixed automation, enterprise complexity, or when integration breadth is paramount, n8n is superior.