What Is n8n? · Workflow Automation for Companies in Paraguay
Let the system do the repetitive part.
What n8n is, what companies use it for, how it differs from Zapier and Make, and what it costs.
n8n is an open-source automation tool. It connects the systems your company
uses and does the repetitive steps between them on its own: when an order
comes in, it records it; when an invoice arrives, it files it; when something
is missing, it tells the right person.
Updated: 27 October 2026 · By Andreas Walther, founder of Contrast Concepts
How n8n works
A trigger and a chain of steps.
An n8n workflow starts with a trigger: an email arrived, someone filled
in a form, it is 7 o'clock on Monday morning. Then comes a chain of steps
you can see on screen: look up a value, write it into another system, send
a notification.
Each step is a block that connects to a specific system. n8n comes with ready-made connections to several hundred common tools, and anything else with an API is reached through a generic HTTP step.
Each step is a block that connects to a specific system. n8n comes with ready-made connections to several hundred common tools, and anything else with an API is reached through a generic HTTP step.
n8n started in Berlin in 2019. Its code is public under its own "fair-code"
licence: a company can install it and use it for its own processes without
paying a licence fee.
The practical advantage: workflows are files you can export, read and move to another server. They are not tied to a vendor or to one person.
The practical advantage: workflows are files you can export, read and move to another server. They are not tied to a vendor or to one person.
What companies use it for
Four typical examples in a company in Paraguay.
Orders by WhatsApp
The customer writes on WhatsApp, the workflow reads the order, enters
it in the spreadsheet or system and tells whoever has to prepare it.
Invoices that arrive by email
The PDF lands in the inbox, the workflow extracts the data, records it
and files the document where it belongs. A person only checks what does
not match.
Website enquiries
A completed form creates the contact in the CRM, assigns a salesperson
and notifies them, instead of waiting for someone to check the inbox.
Reports that build themselves
Every Monday the workflow gathers sales, stock and outstanding payments
from your systems and sends management a summary.
n8n, Zapier and Make
All three automate. The difference is where they run and how you pay.
n8n
Can be installed on your own server or used in n8n's cloud. Self-hosted,
there is no charge per execution: the cost is the server. Allows steps
with code when needed.
Zapier
Only in Zapier's cloud. Very easy to start with and with a huge number
of connections. You pay per task, so at high volume it gets expensive.
Make
Also cloud only. More flexible than Zapier for workflows with branches
and conditions, and you pay per operation. Your data passes through Make's
servers.
In the cloud or on your server?
Where your data may live decides it.
n8n's cloud is the fastest way to start: nothing to install or maintain.
In exchange, the data of every execution passes through n8n's servers.
Self-hosted, n8n runs on a server you control. The data stays there, and the monthly cost is usually that of a small server.
Self-hosted, n8n runs on a server you control. The data stays there, and the monthly cost is usually that of a small server.
In Paraguay, Law 7593 of 2025 on personal data protection makes this question
matter: if a workflow handles customer or employee data, you want to know
where it ends up.
Your own server needs someone to update it, back it up and watch it. That maintenance is part of the real cost.
Your own server needs someone to update it, back it up and watch it. That maintenance is part of the real cost.
Frequently asked questions about n8n
- Is n8n free?
- The self-hosted version can be used without paying a licence: what you pay for is the server it runs on. n8n's cloud service has monthly plans based on the number of executions. Either way, designing and maintaining the workflows is a separate piece of work.
- Do you need to know how to code to use n8n?
- For simple workflows, no: you build them by connecting steps on a screen. For cases with their own logic, n8n lets you add steps with JavaScript or Python code, and that is where someone who programs helps.
- Can n8n use artificial intelligence?
- Yes. It has steps that connect to models from OpenAI, Anthropic or Google, and for building agents that read a message, look up data and propose an answer. What matters is deciding which steps the AI does and which ones a person checks.
- Does n8n work with WhatsApp?
- Yes, through the official WhatsApp Business API. With it, a workflow can receive messages, record them in your system and reply. You need a verified WhatsApp Business account.
- What does it cost to have n8n implemented?
- It depends on how many processes and systems need connecting. In Paraguay we work at USD 70 an hour or USD 560 a day, and we estimate the work in writing before we start. The first 60-minute call is free.
Which task does your team repeat every day?
Book a free 60-minute call. We’ll tell you whether n8n is the right tool for it. No sales sequence.