n8n vs Parabola (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, n8n grades higher than Parabola: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
n8n grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick n8n if
- Fits if you want automations on your own servers, where the Community Edition is free
- Works for workflows that need a few lines of JavaScript or Python in the middle
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free hosted plan, because n8n Cloud only has a 14-day trial
- Not for you if nobody on the team is technical, since it's pitched at developers
- Pricey if you need SSO or Git version control, which start on Business at €667 a month, self-hosted only
- Watch out: the free Community Edition leaves out projects, environments and workflow sharing, and you maintain it
- Watch out: prices are in euros, and no US dollar price list was found on n8n's site
Pick Parabola if
- Fits if you do repeated spreadsheet and data work for finance or operations
- Works for one person trying it on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want paid prices up front, as credit prices are not shown
- Tight if you work in a team, as free Basic is for 1 user
- Watch out: SSO, roles and SLAs are Business only, sold through sales
- Watch out: AI on the free plan is limited
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAn8nFair | 2.2GPAParabolaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCloud Starter is €20 a month billed annually for 2,500 executions, the dear end of this category, and a whole workflow run counts as one execution however many steps it has. Self-hosting the Community Edition costs nothing but your server, while SSO and Git version control start on Business at €667. | CPaid credit prices are not shown on the pricing page. Business is custom, so it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan on the hosted service, just a 14-day trial capped at 1,000 executions with no card needed. Free here means self-hosting the Community Edition, which is nearly the full product but leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git and workflow sharing, and you maintain it. | CBasic is free indefinitely for 1 user, with 1,000 credits and limited AI. Credits run out as you use it. |
| Features | BA canvas with JavaScript or Python available in any step, single steps you can re-run while debugging, AI agents whose reasoning you can inspect and gate with approvals, 500+ integrations, custom API calls, and the option to run the lot air-gapped. The job, covered. | CA plain-language agent builder, integrations and version history, but limited AI on the free plan and the paid plans are not shown. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and it's pitched at developers: accounts to connect, a canvas to learn, and code in the middle of a workflow when the nodes run out. The hosted version at least saves you installing it; the free route doesn't. | CNo store rating on record. You describe and build each agent, with accounts to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web app, hosted or on your own Docker setup, with no phone or desktop app. It cites 500+ integrations, reaches anything else through custom API calls, and the paid plans open up its own API. | BWeb app with connections to Shopify, NetSuite, Google Sheets, Snowflake, Amazon Seller Central and Dynamics Finance. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | technical teams who want to host their own automation | no-code data tasks for finance and operations |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: n8n and Parabola. How we grade
Where they differ
- n8n is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Parabola also covers AI agents and spreadsheets.
At a glance
| n8n | Parabola | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter) | Not published |
| Free plan | The self-hosted Community Edition is free with almost the complete feature set, but without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing. n8n Cloud has no free plan, only a trial. | Basic plan: 1 user, 1,000 credits and limited AI, usable indefinitely. |
| Free trial | 14-day n8n Cloud trial of Pro features, capped at 1,000 executions, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | n8n | Parabola |
| Price read from | n8n.io | parabola.io |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
n8n
- n8n Cloud has no free plan; the free option is self-hosting the Community Edition, which you run and maintain yourself.
- The Community Edition leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing.
- The Business plan is self-hosted only and starts at €667 a month, billed annually.
- The pricing page showed prices in euros when checked; no US dollar price list was found on n8n's site.
Parabola
- Paid credit prices are not shown on the pricing page.
- The free Basic plan is for one user with limited AI.
- SSO, roles and SLAs are in Business plans, which are sold through sales.
Key features
n8n
- Visual builder with code steps
- Workflows are built on a canvas, and JavaScript or Python can be written anywhere in them. Single steps can be re-run and earlier data replayed while debugging.
- AI agents
- Agents are assembled from AI nodes on the same canvas, with each step of their reasoning open to inspection and the option to require human approval.
- Self-hosting
- n8n can run on your own infrastructure with Docker, including air-gapped setups. The Community Edition is free; Business and Enterprise add SSO, environments and Git version control.
- Execution-based pricing
- One run of a whole workflow counts as a single execution, however many steps it has. Going over the plan quota does not stop workflows, but overage charges may apply.
- Integrations and custom APIs
- The homepage cites 500+ integrations, including Google Sheets, Slack and OpenAI, and other services can be reached through custom API connections.
- Shared projects
- Shared projects group workflows for a team: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro, 6 on Business and unlimited on Enterprise. Pro adds admin roles and workflow history.
Parabola
- Plain-language agent builder
- Describe a task and ship an agent.
- Credit-based usage
- Credits are used when agents run, not while building; there is no cap on the number of agents.
- Integrations
- Connectors for ERP, warehouse, shipping, spreadsheets and email, plus an API step for the rest.
- Version history
- Business plans track every change with one-click rollback.
- Applied AI team
- Business plans include live training, a proof of concept on production data and deployment support.
Plans
n8n
Community Edition€0
Self-hosted from GitHub. Almost the complete feature set, without SSO, projects, environments, Git version control or workflow sharing.
Starter€20
per month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions
Hosted by n8n. Unlimited steps per workflow, 1 shared project, 5 concurrent executions, and agents, MCP and AI nodes.
Pro€50
per month, billed annually, for 10,000 executions
Hosted by n8n. 3 shared projects, up to 50 concurrent executions, 7 days of insights, admin roles and workflow history.
Business€667
per month, billed annually, for 40,000 executions
Self-hosted only. 6 shared projects, SSO with SAML and LDAP, multiple environments, Git version control, queue mode and 30 days of insights.
EnterpriseCustom
Hosted or self-hosted. Custom executions, unlimited shared projects, 200+ concurrent executions, external secret store, log streaming and SLA support.
Parabola
Basic$0
Self-serve for 1 user with 1,000 credits and limited AI; more credits can be added pay-as-you-go.
BusinessCustom
Custom credit volumes, role-based access, SSO, SOC 2 Type II, SLAs and a dedicated account manager.
Ways to pay less
n8n
- Annual discount
Save 17% with annual billing
n8n's pricing page shows a 17% saving when a plan is billed annually instead of monthly. The prices listed here are the annual rates.
- Startups
Start-up Plan: 50% off Business
Companies with fewer than 20 employees can check whether they qualify for the Start-up Plan, which takes 50% off the Business plan.
Parabola
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, n8n or Parabola?
As of Nov 12, 2026, n8n starts at €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter), and Parabola publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, n8n or Parabola?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both n8n and Parabola have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.