N8n: implementation and integration

400+ready-made integrations to launch workflows without custom code

17LLM providers and 12 vector stores for RAG and AI agents out of the box

~200kactive users and 3000+ enterprise customers

192kGitHub stars — a mature ecosystem and community

Integrations

Change one system without rewriting the rest

The integrations block must explain four ailments of rigid exchange: data loss, a cascade of rework, source overload and inconsistency. ESB, Kafka and n8n serve different tasks, not one hammer.

50flows in 6 months — a speed benchmark for an ESB project

48flows in production with a target loosely coupled architecture

16xfaster launch of standard integrations compared to code

ESB

Routing, transformation, guaranteed delivery and low-code support of legacy exchanges.

Kafka

Durable log: an event is stored, re-read, multiple consumers read at their own pace.

n8n

Fast orchestration of a process and AI steps where heavy event streaming isn't needed.

sourcedata contractESB/Kafka/n8nmonitoringconsumers

Internal links

ESB approach Kafka n8n

Sources

Enterprise Integration Patterns Martin Fowler: Event-Driven Confluent: Kafka vs ESB

Industry solutions

What you can build with n8n

All Solutions

E-commerce and retail Syncing orders, stock, and product cards across marketplaces, warehouse, and ERP with AI-enriched descriptions Order and catalog management: less manual data transfer and fewer stock discrepanciesLearn more →Manufacturing Collecting events from systems (MES, 1C, sensors) and automatic alerts on failures and deviations Rapid response to production incidents without manual monitoringLearn more →Logistics Orchestrating delivery statuses across TMS, carriers and customer channels via webhooks Delivery transparency and automatic customer notifications at every stageLearn more →Finance and accounting Extracting data from invoices and documents via an AI step and posting it to the accounting system Processing incoming documents: less manual entry and fewer reconciliation errorsLearn more →Customer support AI classification and routing of requests from email, chats, and forms with auto-drafted replies First-pass ticket handling: faster replies and a lighter first lineLearn more →HR and recruiting Automated application screening, AI-step resume parsing and ATS updates Recruiting: faster initial candidate screeningLearn more →Marketing Collecting leads from forms and ad channels, enriching them and passing them to CRM on an event Lead management: no request lost between channel and CRMLearn more →B2B services and SaaS Wiring internal tools (Slack, Jira, databases) into end-to-end processes with AI summaries Internal operations: automating teams' routine cross-system tasksLearn more →

Capabilities

n8n capabilities

Trigger: webhook / schedule / system eventConnector node: reading data from CRM/ERP/emailAI step: classification, extraction, generation (LLM + RAG)Logic: branching, filters, custom code (JS/Python)Action: write to a system, send a notification, reply to a customerExecution log and monitoring; workflow export to Git

iPaaS workflow flow: an external event triggers a chain of nodes, an AI step processes the data, and the result goes back to the business systems. It shows loose coupling — business logic sits in the workflow alongside the systems, and the core is not modified.

Visual workflows built from nodes

An integration can be built and read not only by a developer but by an analyst or product manager — reducing reliance on a single knowledge holder.

400+ ready-made connectors

Connecting CRM, ERP, warehouses, messengers and databases takes days, not months: standard integrations aren't written from scratch.

Event-driven: triggers, webhooks, schedules

Processes run at the moment of an event (an order, an email, a system change) rather than on manual trigger — less delay and less manual work.

AI step inside the workflow

Ticket classification, document data extraction and response generation embed into an existing process without a separate AI project.

Self-hosted deployment

Data, accounts and LLM calls stay inside your perimeter — removing the compliance blocker for regulated industries.

Loose coupling of services

Business logic lives in workflows alongside the systems, not inside them: the core (e.g. ERP/CRM) is neither forked nor patched.

Custom code in a node (JS/Python)

A non-standard step is added precisely into the workflow itself — no need to spin up a separate microservice for a single transformation.

Workflow portability

A workflow exports as JSON and is versioned in Git — the process moves between teams and contractors without a rewrite.

Open-source and fair-code license

No limits on executions or integrations and no vendor lock-in: total cost of ownership stays predictable as load grows.

Approach

How we implement n8n

Minimal core modification

We don't fork or patch the n8n core. n8n stays on the standard, upgradable version — we move business logic into separate microservices alongside it, so platform updates don't break your customizations.

International Standards, Not Homegrown Hacks

Where a mature international solution exists, we use it instead of inventing our own protocol or platform. Before writing code, we study how the problem is already solved in the industry.

Transferability

The solution is loosely coupled and documented: it can be handed over between teams and contractors without rewriting. You are not tied to us.

AI compatibility

n8n in the AI stack

AI Agent built on LangChain

The AI Agent node (Tools, ReAct, SQL, Conversational, and more) builds agentic workflows with tools and memory right on the canvas, without a separate framework.