Softwr

AI · head to head

Arize AI vs n8n

Arize AI logo

Arize AI

AI

AI engineering platform for observability and evaluation of agents and LLM apps

From
Free
Rated
-
n8n logo

n8n

Automation Integration

The fair-code workflow automation tool

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arize AI the free plan caps trace spans at 25,000 per month with only 15 days of retention.; n8n starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions
  • They diverge on capability: Arize AI covers End-to-end tracing, n8n covers Workflow automation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arize AI and n8n actually diverge.

Attributes where Arize AI and n8n differ
AttributeArize AIn8n
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Platformsweb, apiWeb, Docker, Self-hosted
CategoryAIAutomation Integration
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arize AI

  • End-to-end tracing
  • Evaluation framework
  • Prompt testing and improvement
  • Alyx AI engineering agent
  • Custom dashboards
  • Data warehouse integrations

Only in n8n

  • Workflow automation
  • Visual editor
  • Conditional execution
  • Looping
  • Error handling
  • Scheduling
  • Webhooks
  • REST API

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arize AI

  • Tracing and debugging production AI agentsnot n8n
  • Running large-scale evaluations across traces and sessionsnot n8n
  • Improving prompts before production rolloutnot n8n
  • Storing and querying GenAI traces alongside a data warehousenot n8n

n8n

  • Building AI agents and workflow automation for technical teamsnot Arize AI
  • Visual workflow design with capability to write custom JavaScript or Python codenot Arize AI
  • Enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud optionsnot Arize AI
  • Integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom API connectionsnot Arize AI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arize AI

  • The free plan caps trace spans at 25,000 per month with only 15 days of retention.
  • Self-hosted deployment and Data Fabric integration are restricted to the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Pricing beyond the $50/month Pro plan requires a custom quote, making cost planning less transparent at scale.
  • Advanced compliance features like HIPAA are only available on Enterprise.

n8n

  • Starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions
  • Starter and Pro tiers restricted to Cloud hosting only, not self-hosted
  • Business tier requires 6 months minimum commitment at €667/month
  • SSO/SAML/LDAP authentication requires Business or Enterprise tier
  • Dedicated support with SLA available only on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Arize AI

Free
  • AX FreeFree
    • 25k trace spans/month
    • 1 GB storage/month
    • 15-day retention
  • AX Pro$50/month
    • 50k trace spans/month
    • 10 GB storage/month
    • 30-day retention
  • AX Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom trace spans, storage, and retention
    • SaaS or self-hosted deployment
    • Managed agents and Data Fabric

n8n

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free self-hosted version on GitHub
    • Open source
  • Starter$20/month
    • 2,500 workflow executions
    • 5 concurrent executions
    • 2,300 AI credits/month
  • Pro$50/month
    • 10,000 workflow executions
    • 20 concurrent executions
    • 13,700 AI credits/month
  • Business$667/month
    • 40,000 workflow executions
    • Self-hosted option
    • 6 shared projects

Which should you pick?

Choose Arize AI if

  • You need end-to-end tracing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want evaluation framework.

Choose n8n if

  • You need workflow automation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want visual editor.

Questions people ask

Is Arize AI or n8n better?
Neither clearly leads. Arize AI starts at Free and n8n at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arize AI or n8n?
Arize AI starts at Free and n8n at Free.
Does Arize AI or n8n run on more platforms?
Arize AI runs on web, api. n8n runs on Web, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Arize AI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Arize AI best used for?
Arize AI is most often used for tracing and debugging production ai agents, running large-scale evaluations across traces and sessions, improving prompts before production rollout, storing and querying genai traces alongside a data warehouse. Of those, tracing and debugging production ai agents and running large-scale evaluations across traces and sessions are not what n8n is typically brought in for.
What can Arize AI do that n8n cannot?
Arize AI covers End-to-end tracing, Evaluation framework, Prompt testing and improvement, Alyx AI engineering agent. n8n covers Workflow automation, Visual editor, Conditional execution, Looping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arize AI: What does Arize AX cost?

Arize AX offers a free plan, a Pro plan at $50/month, and a custom-priced Enterprise plan, with pricing based on trace spans, storage, and retention needs.

Source
n8n: Is there a free version of n8n?

Yes, n8n Community Edition is free and open-source, available for self-hosting on GitHub with unlimited users and workflows.

Source
Arize AI: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The AX Free plan includes 25,000 trace spans and 1 GB of storage per month with 15-day retention, plus unlimited users, evaluations, and experiments.

Source
n8n: What is the difference between n8n plans?

Plans differ by monthly workflow executions (2,500 for Starter, 10,000 for Pro, 40,000 for Business), concurrent execution limits, AI credits, and shared project counts.

Source
Arize AI: What deployment options are available?

Free and Pro plans are SaaS-only, while Enterprise customers can choose SaaS or self-hosted deployment with custom SLAs.

Source
n8n: Does n8n offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, n8n offers 17% off when billing annually instead of monthly, and provides a Startup Plan at 50% off Business pricing for companies under 20 employees.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads