Automation Integration · head to head
n8n vs Talend
The short version
- Only n8n has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: n8n starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions; Talend no published pricing; all customers receive customized quotes based on usage
- They diverge on capability: n8n covers Workflow automation, Talend covers ETL pipelines.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which n8n and Talend actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automation Integration).
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 n8n
- Workflow automation
- Visual editor
- Conditional execution
- Looping
- Error handling
- Webhooks
- REST API
- 400+ integrations
Only in Talend
- ETL pipelines
- Data quality
- Master data management
- Real-time streaming
- Cloud synchronization
- Monitoring
- 1000+ connectors
- Databases
Both cover
- Scheduling
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
n8n
- Building AI agents and workflow automation for technical teamsnot Talend
- Visual workflow design with capability to write custom JavaScript or Python codenot Talend
- Enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud optionsnot Talend
- Integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom API connectionsnot Talend
Talend
- Enterprises consolidating data integration and pipeline orchestration now under the Qlik Talend Cloud brandnot n8n
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Talend
- No published pricing; all customers receive customized quotes based on usage
- Billing measured by combination of data volume moved, job executions, and execution duration
- Pricing details available only through sales contact; no self-serve pricing model
Pricing, plan by plan
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$667/month
- 40,000 workflow executions
- Self-hosted option
- 6 shared projects
Talend
On request- Starter$null/usage
- Basic SaaS connectivity
- Standard$null/usage
- Real-time data movement
- Change Data Capture (CDC)
- Premium$null/usage
- Transformation capabilities
- Automation features
- Enterprise$null/usage
- Comprehensive quality features
- Governance capabilities
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Talend if
- You need etl pipelines.
- You work on Web, On-premise.
- You also want data quality.
Questions people ask
- Is n8n or Talend better?
- Neither clearly leads. n8n starts at Free and Talend at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, n8n or Talend?
- n8n has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for n8n and On request for Talend.
- Does n8n or Talend run on more platforms?
- n8n runs on Web, Docker, Self-hosted. Talend runs on Web, On-premise.
- Can I use n8n for free?
- Yes. n8n has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Talend starts at On request.
- What is n8n best used for?
- n8n is most often used for building ai agents and workflow automation for technical teams, visual workflow design with capability to write custom javascript or python code, enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud options, integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom api connections. Of those, building ai agents and workflow automation for technical teams and visual workflow design with capability to write custom javascript or python code are not what Talend is typically brought in for.
- What can n8n do that Talend cannot?
- n8n covers Workflow automation, Visual editor, Conditional execution, Looping. Talend covers ETL pipelines, Data quality, Master data management, Real-time streaming. Both handle Scheduling, Cloud deployment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceTalend: How is Talend Cloud priced?
Talend Cloud uses a usage-based pricing model where customers subscribe to a chosen edition (Starter, Standard, Premium, or Enterprise) and pay based on capacity used. Billing is calculated as a combination of data volume moved, number of job executions, and execution duration, with no published rates.
Sourcen8n: 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.
SourceTalend: What are Talend Cloud editions?
Talend Cloud offers four editions: Starter (basic SaaS connectivity), Standard (real-time data movement and CDC), Premium (transformation and automation), and Enterprise (comprehensive quality and governance). All pricing is custom based on usage.
Sourcen8n: 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.
SourceTalend: Does Talend Cloud provide usage monitoring?
Yes. Talend provides a self-serve telemetry dashboard where customers can monitor usage trends and receive alerts as utilization approaches capacity limits, allowing tracking of data volume, job executions, and execution duration.
SourceRelated pages
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