Swfte vs n8n (October 2026)
TL;DR: n8n is a workflow automation tool you can self-host, with over 500 integrations and growing AI features. Swfte Studio is a managed builder for agents and workflows on the same platform as a model gateway, so the choice mostly turns on whether the AI or the integrations are the point.
Spec comparison
| Capability | Swfte | n8n | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Visual builder for agents and workflows (Studio), on the same platform as the gateway | AI workflow automation platform: build visually, go deep with code | n8n.io |
| Pricing unit and plans | Free (10 workflows, 5 agents, 2,000 executions per month); Pro $39; Team $99 (3 users included); Enterprise custom | Monthly workflow executions (one full run, however many steps). Starter 20 EUR and Pro 50 EUR per month billed annually; Business 667 EUR per month; Enterprise custom | Pricing |
| Self-hosting and license | Managed service; customer data at rest in AWS Ireland. Dedicated or private deployment is designed for and scoped as an engagement, not self-serve | Free self-hosted Community Edition under the Sustainable Use License (internal business or non-commercial use); Business plan is self-hosted | LICENSE |
| Integrations | 100+ tool integrations, plus an API for custom systems | Over 501 integrations, per n8n | n8n.io |
| AI agents and models | Any model reachable through the Connect gateway; agents and multi-agent orchestration in Studio | Multi-agent setups, RAG, swappable cloud or offline models; OpenAI, Anthropic and Google named in the docs | AI docs |
| Human approval | Role-based access and human-approval steps in workflows; configurable data-retention policies are designed for, not shipped | Agent tool calls can pause for approval through chat channels such as Slack, Teams and Gmail | AI docs |
| Evaluation | Testing and evaluation: A/B experiments between chatflow versions and safety policies on agents are built; golden sets and regression runs are in development | Evaluations compare AI workflow output against known test cases | AI docs |
| Versioning and environments | Versions with promote and rollback for chatflows and workflows; release channels and gradual rollouts are in development | Git version control and multiple environments are listed on paid plans (Business and up) | Pricing |
| SSO and access control | SAML SSO and SCIM are in development | SSO (SAML, LDAP) on paid plans; Community Edition has instance-owner and creator access only | Pricing |
| Data location and handling | Customer data at rest in AWS Ireland | n8n Cloud data is hosted in the EU; execution data deleted per retention settings | Security |
| Compliance | No SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certificate is held and no HIPAA BAA is signed today; a SOC 2 Type I audit is in preparation (see the trust page). The exact posture depends on your use case, jurisdiction and deployment | Says its security program is aligned to SOC 2 with annual independent audits; SOC 3 report is public, full SOC 2 report for enterprise customers | Security |
| Export and portability | Not verified for Studio on this page | Workflows are JSON; the editor supports download, import from URL and import from file | Export docs |
n8n values were checked against the vendor's own pages on October 6, 2026. Plans, prices and limits change; confirm on the vendor's page before you decide. Where a cell says "not verified", we could not confirm it from a primary source and chose not to guess.
Who should pick which
Pick n8n if
- Your work is mostly integration plumbing between SaaS tools and databases, and the AI is one step among many.
- You want to self-host for free (Community Edition) and your use fits the Sustainable Use License.
- You want a visual editor with code nodes, a large integration catalog and a big community.
- Your team is technical and wants to own the infrastructure.
Pick Swfte if
- The AI is the point: agents, model routing, evaluation and governance, not one node among many.
- You want the workflow builder and the model gateway (Connect) on one platform, with agent governance (Nexus) available next to them.
- You want testing, versioned releases and rollbacks in the build flow, and your integration needs are covered by Studio’s 100+ tools.
- You are comfortable with Swfte’s current gaps: SAML SSO and SCIM are in development, and dedicated or private deployment is scoped as an engagement, not self-serve.
Our read
Pick n8n when your work is integration plumbing, you want to self-host for free under the Sustainable Use License, and your team is happy to own the infrastructure. It also lists a larger integration catalogue (over 500, against 100+ plus an API in Studio) and SSO (SAML, LDAP) on paid plans. Pick Swfte Studio when agents, model routing, evaluation and governance are the point, and you want testing, versioned releases and rollbacks with the Connect gateway on the same platform. Swfte is earlier on enterprise identity, with SAML SSO and SCIM in development, and dedicated deployment is an engagement rather than self-serve.
For the full write-up, including migration steps, see n8n alternatives. Swfte does not offer an import for n8n exports, so a move is a rebuild.
Frequently asked questions
Swfte vs n8n: which is better?
It depends on the job. n8n suits integration work and can be self-hosted. Swfte Studio suits workflows where an agent or model makes the decisions, with evaluation, versioning and a shared gateway. Run one real workflow through each before you decide.
Is Swfte cheaper than n8n?
We do not claim that. n8n prices by workflow executions: Starter 20 EUR and Pro 50 EUR per month billed annually, Business 667 EUR per month, Enterprise custom, and the Community Edition is free to self-host. Swfte Studio lists Free, Pro $39, Team $99 (3 users included) and Enterprise custom, with execution limits per plan. Compare on your own workload, and check the Swfte pricing page for how model usage is billed.
Can I self-host Swfte like n8n?
Not as a self-serve product. Swfte Studio is a managed service with customer data at rest in AWS Ireland. Dedicated or private deployment is designed for and scoped with us as an engagement.
Which is better for AI agents?
Both support agents. n8n lists multi-agent setups, RAG, swappable models, evaluations against test cases and approval for tool calls. Studio lists agents and multi-agent orchestration, A/B experiments between chatflow versions and version rollback, with golden sets, regression runs and release channels in development, with Nexus for agent governance. Compare them on the controls you need.
Can I use Swfte and n8n together?
Yes. A common split is to leave integration plumbing in n8n and move the workflows where a model makes decisions to Studio, calling one from the other where needed.
Which is better for compliance?
n8n says its security program is aligned to SOC 2 with annual independent audits, and publishes a SOC 3 report. Swfte does not hold a SOC 2 report or an ISO 27001 certificate and does not sign HIPAA BAAs today; a SOC 2 Type I audit is in preparation, and the trust page has the current status. Ask each vendor for its current reports and confirm scope for your use case.
Trying Swfte against n8n?
Pick the workflow where a model makes the decisions, rebuild it on the free plan, and compare results on your own data.
Free plan · Managed service