Is n8n open source? Fair-code terms, and the open-source system you can own
n8n is not OSI open source: its own docs say it uses the fair-code label and does not call itself open source. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, and its agents, skills and memory live in one git repo you own.
n8n and open-source Kortix, side by side
Every n8n cell comes from n8n's own docs; the Kortix column quotes Kortix.
| Criteria | Kortix | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| 01Open source | Yes: Yes. Read it, fork it, audit it. — Kortix | No: No. Its docs say it does not call itself open source. — n8n |
| 02The label it uses | Open source. — Kortix | Fair-code: free to use, commercially restricted. — n8n |
| 03What you may run it for | Any purpose, including a product you sell. — Kortix | Internal business or non-commercial use; customer use needs a commercial agreement. — n8n |
| 04Redistribution | Free, as open source. — Kortix | Free of charge, non-commercial only. — n8n |
| 05Code coverage | The whole project, source you can read. — Kortix | The main-repo code, except files named .ee. and non-main branches. — n8n |
| 06Free tier | Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. — Kortix | The self-hosted Community edition, with almost the complete feature set. — n8n |
| 07Where the paid line falls | Self-host is free. — Kortix | SSO, projects, environments, external secrets and sharing need a paid key. — n8n |
| 08Where you run it | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem network. — Kortix | Your own infrastructure, or n8n Cloud. — n8n |
What an open-source setup looks like on disk
# kortix.yamlkortix_version: 2default_agent: kortixagents: kortix: file: agents/kortix.md connectors: allThe agents and what each one may reach are declared in a single kortix.yaml, versioned beside the code.
Is n8n open source? No, by n8n's own words
n8n describes itself in its docs as a fair-code workflow automation tool, and its community page states plainly that it does not call itself open source. The reason it gives: open-source definitions do not allow limits on how software is used, and n8n attaches limits. So the answer to "is n8n open source" is no. That answer sits in n8n's own documentation.
Fair-code is the name n8n coined for its model. Its docs define that model as software that is free to use, has its source openly available, can be extended by anyone, and is commercially restricted by its authors.
What n8n's fair-code terms allow
The terms grant the right to use, modify, create derivative works from and redistribute the source, with three written limits:
- Run or modify it for your own internal business purposes, or for non-commercial and personal use.
- Hand it to others only free of charge and for non-commercial ends.
- Keep the copyright and other notices intact.
There is also a carve-out on coverage. The terms apply to the code in n8n's main repository except files whose name contains .ee., which its docs say fall under a separate enterprise agreement, and content on branches other than the main one. So the code being visible is narrower than it first sounds.
Where fair-code's free line becomes paid
Self-hosting n8n is free. The Community edition runs indefinitely without a paid key, and n8n sets no cap on how many workflows an instance holds. Registering an email unlocks folders, in-editor debugging and custom execution data, still at no cost (n8n's edition comparison).
The paid line starts where a team reaches for control. SSO, shared projects, environments, external secret stores, log streaming, and workflow and credential sharing are unlocks that need a paid plan. On n8n Cloud the free path is a trial, and the Business plan is self-hosted only (n8n's pricing, checked October 2026). None of this withholds the code; it binds how the code may be used, and it puts some features inside the same install behind a key.
What an open-source system you own looks like
Kortix is open source, and the difference shows in where the setup lives. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, skills, company memory, and connectors live in one git repo you own. Agents and skills are markdown, and the governance is declared in one kortix.yaml. Clone the repo and the whole setup is on your disk, so every change has a diff you can read and roll back. The source is yours to read, fork and audit at Kortix on GitHub.
That is what open source buys beyond a visible codebase: the configuration that runs your company is text you own, in the same repo as the code. The open-source n8n alternative guide walks the self-host path, and the n8n vs Kortix comparison sets the two side by side. The Kortix blog carries the longer head-to-head.
Is n8n open source, answered
The short answers buyers ask after the label question.
No. n8n's own docs say it does not call itself open source and describe the product as fair-code.
No. n8n defines fair-code as a model where the source is available and commercially restricted by its authors, and open-source definitions do not allow limits on use.
Yes. The Community edition runs without a paid key, and n8n sets no cap on workflow count. The paid line is the team controls: SSO, shared projects, environments and external secret stores.
Kortix is open source, and the whole setup, from agents and skills to memory and connectors, is files in one git repo you own.
On Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network, and self-host is free.
Read the code before you commit.
Kortix is open source, and the repo is yours to keep.
Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem