Airflow vs n8n: Which Should You Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
n8n is the better choice for most self-hosters. It provides a visual workflow builder, 400+ integrations, and runs in a single container. Apache Airflow is a data pipeline orchestration platform built for data engineering teams — it excels at scheduling complex ETL jobs and data workflows but is overkill and resource-heavy for general automation tasks.
Overview
n8n is a visual workflow automation platform. You build workflows by connecting nodes in a browser-based editor, triggering them via schedules, webhooks, or events. It integrates with 400+ services out of the box and runs as a lightweight Node.js application.
Apache Airflow is a platform for programmatically authoring, scheduling, and monitoring data pipelines. Workflows (called DAGs — Directed Acyclic Graphs) are written in Python. Airflow is the industry standard for data engineering, used by Airbnb (which created it), Netflix, Spotify, and thousands of other companies for ETL, ML pipelines, and batch processing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Apache Airflow | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Python code (DAGs) + web UI for monitoring | Visual drag-and-drop editor + code nodes |
| Workflow definition | Python scripts | Visual canvas or JSON |
| Pre-built integrations | 70+ provider packages (cloud services, databases, APIs) | 400+ nodes (SaaS tools, databases, messaging) |
| Integration focus | Data infrastructure (S3, BigQuery, Spark, Snowflake, dbt) | Business tools (Slack, Gmail, Notion, CRMs, social media) |
| Scheduling | Advanced cron, data-aware scheduling, dataset triggers | Cron, webhook, polling, manual |
| Minimum containers | 5+ (webserver, scheduler, worker, DAG processor, PostgreSQL, Redis) | 1 (n8n + optional PostgreSQL) |
| Minimum RAM | 4+ GB | 256-512 MB |
| Executor types | Local, Celery (distributed), Kubernetes, sequential | Built-in (single process) |
| Target user | Data engineers, ML engineers, DevOps | Business teams, integrators, automation builders |
| Learning curve | High — requires Python, DAG design patterns, Airflow concepts | Low — visual builder, no code for most workflows |
| Web UI purpose | Monitor DAGs, view logs, trigger runs, manage connections | Build workflows, manage credentials, view executions |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Sustainable Use License (source-available) |
| Backfill support | Native — reprocess historical data ranges | Not built-in |
Installation Complexity
n8n is trivial to deploy. One container, a few environment variables, and you’re running. Add PostgreSQL if you want production-grade persistence.
Airflow is a complex multi-service deployment. The official Docker Compose requires at minimum: a webserver, scheduler, DAG processor, worker, PostgreSQL, and Redis. The init container sets up the database and creates the admin user. The official docker-compose.yaml from the Airflow docs is over 200 lines. In Airflow 3.x, the architecture changed — the “webserver” is now the “API server,” and the DAG processor is a separate service.
# n8n — complete setup
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:2.9.1
ports:
- "5678:5678"
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
n8n_data:Airflow’s docker-compose.yaml needs extensive configuration — you need to download the official file from the Airflow docs, set AIRFLOW_UID, run the init container, and manage DAG files through a mounted volume. The resource requirements are significant.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Apache Airflow | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Idle RAM | 4-6 GB (all services combined) | 150-250 MB |
| CPU | Medium-high (scheduler is CPU-intensive) | Low |
| Disk | 2-5 GB (logs, metadata DB) | 500 MB - 2 GB |
| Concurrent tasks | Thousands (with Celery/Kubernetes executor) | Hundreds |
| Batch processing | Excellent — designed for it | Possible but not optimized for it |
Airflow is resource-hungry. Each service runs a separate Python process, and the scheduler continuously parses DAG files. For a home server, this is a significant resource commitment. n8n sips resources by comparison.
Community and Support
| Aspect | Apache Airflow | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 39,000+ | 65,000+ |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Sustainable Use License |
| Backing | Apache Software Foundation + Astronomer (commercial) | n8n GmbH (VC-funded) |
| Community | Massive — Slack, mailing lists, conferences (Airflow Summit) | Active forum, Discord, community nodes |
| Documentation | Extensive — detailed operator/hook docs | Good — workflow examples, node docs |
| Ecosystem | Huge — provider packages, plugins, custom operators | Growing — community nodes marketplace |
| Job market | Industry standard for data engineering | Growing in no-code/low-code automation |
Use Cases
Choose Airflow If…
- You’re building data pipelines (ETL/ELT) with Python
- You need to orchestrate Spark, dbt, BigQuery, or Snowflake jobs
- You want data-aware scheduling (trigger downstream when upstream data is ready)
- You need backfill capabilities to reprocess historical data
- You’re running ML training pipelines with complex dependency graphs
- Your team are Python developers comfortable writing DAGs
Choose n8n If…
- You want to automate tasks between SaaS tools and self-hosted apps
- You need a visual builder accessible to non-developers
- You’re replacing Zapier, Make, or IFTTT
- Your workflows are event-driven (webhook triggers, form submissions, email events)
- You want something running quickly with minimal resources
- You need 400+ pre-built integrations without writing code
Final Verdict
These tools target completely different use cases. n8n is a Zapier replacement — it connects apps, automates business processes, and lets non-developers build workflows visually. Airflow is data infrastructure — it orchestrates batch data pipelines, manages complex dependency graphs, and is the standard tool for data engineering teams.
For self-hosting automation of the “when X happens, do Y” variety, n8n is the clear winner. It’s lighter, easier, and has more relevant integrations for typical self-hosted workflows. If you’re a data engineer who needs to schedule and monitor Python-based data pipelines on your own infrastructure, Airflow is the industry-standard choice — just be prepared to dedicate 4+ GB of RAM to it.
FAQ
Can Airflow replace n8n for app integrations?
Technically yes, but it’s painful. You’d need to write Python operators for every integration, manage DAG files manually, and deal with Airflow’s scheduler overhead. n8n gives you 400+ integrations as drag-and-drop nodes. Use the right tool for the job.
Can n8n handle data pipelines?
For simple data transformations, yes. n8n has database nodes, HTTP requests, and code nodes for custom logic. But it lacks Airflow’s data-aware scheduling, backfill, complex dependency management, and native support for data infrastructure tools like Spark and dbt.
Which is better for a home lab?
n8n. Airflow’s 4+ GB RAM requirement and 5+ container architecture is excessive for home automation tasks. n8n runs in 256 MB and does what most self-hosters actually need.
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