n8n vs StellarFirm

n8n

Pros

• The free self-hosted Community Edition has no execution caps and includes most integrations
• Mixing visual nodes with real code covers cases pure no-code tools can't reach
• Open source, so nothing about the workflow is locked into a vendor's cloud

Cons

• Self-hosting means owning the uptime, updates and security of the instance yourself
• The node-based canvas has a steeper learning curve than Zapier's linear Zaps
• Enterprise features like SSO and advanced RBAC are pricey relative to the free tier's generosity

StellarFirm

Pros

• You stay in control — approve before anything goes out
• Assistants are customizable, not a fixed agent catalogue
• Green mode can cut token use with smaller open-source models
• Works with hosted credits or your own API keys
• Built for complex, multi-step work, not only chat

Cons

• The marketplace for selling agentic teams is not live yet
• Best fit today is complex project work; light one-off chat may feel heavy
• English-first product, so other languages may need more tuning

n8n is the better fit for:

• Self-hosting an automation platform to keep sensitive data off a third-party cloud
• Writing a custom JavaScript step where a pre-built integration doesn't exist
• Building an AI agent workflow that also needs to touch conventional business apps
• Running high-volume workflows on your own infrastructure without per-task pricing
• Reusing one workflow as a step inside several others
• Moving an automation off a per-task SaaS bill once the volume stops making sense

StellarFirm is the better fit for:

• Researchers and university labs running multi-step analysis and teaching workflows
• Founders and operators who want agentic assistants for projects while keeping final say
• Teams that need drafts and research done fast, then human approval before anything ships