Agents & Coding

n8n

The most-starred repo here that isn't open source

Not open source

What it is

A fair-code workflow automation platform combining visual node-based building with custom code, 400+ integrations, and native AI and agent capabilities, self-hostable or cloud.

Why it's interesting

Enormously popular and constantly described as open source — but n8n itself uses the term 'fair-code', not open source. The Sustainable Use License limits use to your own internal business, non-commercial, or personal purposes, and forbids hosting n8n as a commercial service.

Use cases

  • Internal automation and AI agent workflows
  • Webhook-driven SaaS integrations

Who it's for

Ops and dev teams automating internal processes

Setup

Easy. npx or Docker one-liner; production wants Postgres and more

Limitations & cautions

The license restricts commercial hosting and redistribution — fine for internal use, disqualifying for the open-source label.

Editorial takeaway

Excellent software, and genuinely generous terms for most users. Just not open source — for an MIT visual builder, see Langflow.

Related & alternatives