n8n vs PromptLab: which should you use for automation in 2026?
n8n is automation you can self-host, with code steps and execution-based pricing; PromptLab is a CRM whose workflows run on CRM events, priced per user.
Published 20 October 2026. Prices and features from each vendor's own pages.
The short answer
n8nPaid from $20/accountChoose it if you want to self-host, with the free Community edition.
PromptLabIn the CRM from $11.99/seatChoose it if you want automations that start on deals, quotes, tasks and messages.
n8n is a workflow automation platform you can use on its cloud or run yourself, with code steps and AI agent nodes. PromptLab is a CRM for B2B teams that sell products, with workflows built in. One is a technical automation tool that sits beside your CRM; the other puts the automation inside the CRM.
Below, the two are compared on price, how each one bills, integrations, webhooks, schedules, AI and hosting. We make PromptLab, so every figure comes from n8n's own pricing and product pages and PromptLab's pricing page, and we say where n8n is stronger. n8n's prices are per account a month, billed annually; PromptLab's are per user a month, billed monthly, unless we say otherwise.
n8n vs PromptLab at a glance
| Checked on 20 October 2026 | n8n | PromptLab |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Self-hosted Community | |
| Paid plans, a month | $20 – $800per account | $11.99 – $99per seat |
| Free trial | 14 days | |
| Billing | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
| Workflow automation | ||
| App integrations | 2,367 | Slack, Google Sheets |
| Billed by | Execution | Seat |
| Webhooks | From$23.99/month | |
| Scheduled runs | ||
| AI steps | ||
| Self-hosting | ||
Pricing: $20 to $800 against $11.99 to $99
n8n's Starter is $20 a month for 2,500 workflow executions, and Pro is $50 for 10,000. Business is $800 for 40,000 executions and is self-hosted only. The self-hosted Community edition is free. PromptLab has no free plan, a 14-day trial, and runs from Basic at $11.99 to Business at $99 a user a month.
n8n counts executions: one full workflow run with unlimited steps, so it does not charge per step, and every plan has unlimited users and workflows. PromptLab charges per user. Billed yearly on both sides, n8n Starter comes to $240 for the account and PromptLab Basic to $99 a user, so two users ($198) cost less on PromptLab and three ($297) cost more. n8n's plan is the automation tool alone; PromptLab's is the CRM.
Code, limits and triggers
n8n gives you code steps in JavaScript or Python and webhook triggers on every cloud plan. Starter has a 5-minute limit on execution time and 5 concurrent executions, while Pro allows 40 minutes and up to 50. A Schedule Trigger node works like cron.
PromptLab's workflows start on CRM events, on a schedule, by hand, or from an incoming webhook on Professional. Steps create tasks and sales orders, update records, send messages, call an HTTP endpoint on Professional, run AI on the record, branch, wait, loop and ask for approval.
Integrations, AI and hosting
n8n lists 2,367 integrations, all included on every plan. PromptLab's reach beyond the CRM is much narrower: Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, email, Google Sheets and an HTTP endpoint.
Agents, MCP and AI nodes are in n8n from Starter, with 1,600 Assistant credits a month. PromptLab runs AI on the record in a step, and Claude and ChatGPT can connect to it over MCP. Self-hosting is n8n's clearest edge, since PromptLab cannot be self-hosted.
Where n8n is stronger
Control and reach. You can run it on your own servers, write code in a step, and use 2,367 integrations without paying per step. If your data has to stay on your own servers, n8n can do that and PromptLab cannot.
It also does not depend on a CRM, so it works for flows that start anywhere. PromptLab's workflows are built around CRM events.
Which should you choose?
Choose n8n if…
- You want to self-host, with the free Community edition.
- You want code steps in JavaScript or Python and 2,367 integrations.
- You want to be charged per execution, not per step.
Choose PromptLab if…
- You want automations that start on deals, quotes, tasks and messages.
- You want AI steps that read the CRM record, with no second tool to connect.
- You would rather pay per user than track executions.
Frequently asked questions
Is PromptLab an n8n alternative?
For automating CRM work, yes. For code, self-hosting or 2,367 integrations, no: PromptLab cannot be self-hosted and reaches far fewer outside apps.
Is n8n cheaper than PromptLab?
From three users, yes. Billed yearly, n8n Starter is $240 for the account with unlimited users and PromptLab Basic is $99 a user, so one or two users cost less on PromptLab and three cost $297. The Community edition is free to self-host. n8n is the automation tool alone and PromptLab includes the CRM.
Can PromptLab replace n8n?
Only if your automations live in the CRM. If you need custom code, self-hosting or flows that start elsewhere, keep n8n.
Can you self-host n8n?
Yes. The Community edition is a free, standard self-hosted version on GitHub. A Business or Enterprise key unlocks those editions, and the Business plan is self-hosted only.
Do I need an automation tool if my CRM has workflows?
Often not for work inside the CRM. PromptLab's workflows start on deals, quotes, tasks and messages and act on them, on every plan from $11.99 a user a month. Keep a dedicated tool when you chain many outside apps.
Sources
- n8n, checked on 20 October 2026: n8n pricing, n8n integrations, n8n hosting docs, n8n Schedule Trigger docs, n8n Webhook docs
- PromptLab, checked on 20 October 2026: PromptLab pricing
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