n8n vs Flowise: Comprehensive Comparison Guide (2025)

Introduction

As organizations increasingly adopt large language models (LLMs) for various applications, the tools for building and automating LLM workflows have become essential. Among these tools, n8n and Flowise have emerged as popular options, each offering visual interfaces for creating automated workflows that can leverage LLMs.

This comprehensive comparison will help you understand the key differences between n8n and Flowise, enabling you to make an informed decision about which platform better suits your specific LLM workflow needs.

Key Differences at a Glance

The table above highlights some of the fundamental differences between n8n and Flowise. While n8n offers a general-purpose workflow automation platform with a wide range of integrations, Flowise is specifically designed for building LLM workflows with a visual interface based on the LangChain framework.

Pricing Comparison

n8n Pricing

• Self-hosted (open-source): Free, with limitations on commercial use
• n8n Cloud: Starts at $20/month for 10,000 executions
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Flowise Pricing

• Open-source: Free to use, MIT license
• Flowise Cloud: Starting at $10/month for the Basic plan
• Pro Plan: $30/month with additional features
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for dedicated support and features

From a pricing perspective, both tools offer open-source options that are free to use for self-hosting. Both also provide cloud offerings with different pricing models. n8n's pricing is based on execution volume, while Flowise offers tiered plans with different feature sets. When using either tool, you'll need to consider the additional costs of the LLM services you integrate with, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or other providers.

Feature Comparison

n8n Features

• Visual Workflow Editor: Flowchart-style editor for creating workflows
• 200+ Integrations: Pre-built nodes for popular services and APIs
• Code Nodes: JavaScript functions for custom logic
• Error Handling: Sophisticated error workflows and retry mechanisms
• Webhooks: Create and manage webhooks easily
• LLM Support: Nodes for OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI services

Flowise Features

• Visual LangChain Builder: Drag-and-drop interface for LangChain components
• Chatbot Creation: Specialized tools for building conversational AI
• API Endpoints: Automatically generate APIs for LLM workflows
• UI Components: Embed chatbots and other LLM interfaces in websites
• Predefined Templates: Ready-to-use templates for common LLM use cases
• Memory Management: Built-in tools for managing conversation history

n8n excels as a general-purpose automation platform with a visual interface and broad integration capabilities that can include LLMs. Flowise, on the other hand, is purpose-built for LLM workflows, offering specialized features for working with LangChain components and creating sophisticated LLM applications with a focus on chatbots and conversational AI.

Ease of Use

n8n User Experience

n8n offers a visual, no-code/low-code approach to workflow automation. Its node-based editor allows users to create workflows by connecting nodes representing different services and actions. This visual approach makes it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise, though complex workflows may still require JavaScript knowledge for custom logic.

Flowise User Experience

Flowise provides a visual interface specifically designed for building LLM workflows using LangChain components. Its drag-and-drop interface is optimized for creating chatbots and other LLM applications, with a focus on making LangChain's powerful capabilities accessible without requiring Python programming knowledge.

Both tools offer visual interfaces that reduce the need for coding, but they cater to different audiences. n8n is more general-purpose and may require more configuration to set up LLM workflows, while Flowise is specifically designed for LLM applications and provides a more streamlined experience for this use case, particularly for chatbot development.

Integration Capabilities

n8n offers over 200 pre-built integrations with popular services and APIs, making it easy to connect with a wide range of business tools and platforms. Its HTTP Request nodes also allow for custom integrations with any API. For LLM-specific integrations, n8n provides nodes for services like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face.

Flowise, being built on LangChain, provides access to the LLM integrations available in the LangChain ecosystem. This includes various LLM providers, vector stores, document loaders, and other AI-related services. Flowise also offers specialized integrations for deploying chatbots and LLM interfaces, such as web components and API endpoints.

For organizations that need to integrate LLMs with a wide variety of business systems, n8n's broader integration capabilities may be advantageous. For teams focused specifically on building LLM applications, particularly chatbots and conversational AI, Flowise's specialized integrations provide a more streamlined experience.

Best Use Cases

When to Choose n8n

• For general business process automation that includes some LLM components
• When you need to integrate LLMs with a wide variety of business systems
• For complex workflows that go beyond just LLM processing
• When you need advanced error handling and workflow management
• For organizations that want a single platform for all automation needs

When to Choose Flowise

• When building chatbots and conversational AI is your primary goal
• For teams already using or planning to use the LangChain framework
• When you need a visual interface specifically designed for LLM workflows
• For rapid prototyping and deployment of LLM applications
• When you want to easily embed LLM interfaces in websites and applications

Conclusion

Both n8n and Flowise are powerful tools for building automated workflows, but they serve different needs and audiences. Your choice between them should be guided by your specific requirements, technical capabilities, and the nature of your LLM projects.

n8n offers a more general-purpose, visual approach to workflow automation that can incorporate LLMs alongside many other business systems. Its strength lies in its versatility, broad integration capabilities, and mature workflow management features.

Flowise provides a specialized, visual interface for building LLM workflows using the LangChain framework, with a particular focus on chatbots and conversational AI. Its strength lies in its streamlined experience for LLM application development and deployment, making LangChain's powerful capabilities accessible through a visual interface.

For many organizations, the ideal approach may involve using both tools for their respective strengthsu2014n8n for general business automation and integration with various systems, and Flowise for dedicated LLM application development, particularly for chatbot and conversational AI use cases.