Modulo vs n8n
One is built for governing AI agents across your SDLC. The other is built for connecting everything to everything. Both are self-hostable. Here is how they compare.
Comparison table
| Dimension | Modulo | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | SDLC agent orchestration with governance. Composes AI agents into pipelines that automate pull requests, code review, testing, and deployment, with human-in-the-loop gates at every step. | General workflow automation across business and engineering processes. 400+ integrations connect SaaS tools, databases, and APIs into visual workflows. |
| Hosting and data residency | Self-hosted only. Runs on your infrastructure, whether cloud, air-gapped, or behind a VPN. No telemetry by default. Every tier, including the free Community edition, runs entirely under your control. | Self-hostable (Community Edition, free) or cloud-hosted (Starter, Pro, Business). Cloud plans run on n8n infrastructure in Frankfurt, Germany. Self-hosted instances run wherever you deploy them. |
| Licensing model | Source-available under BUSL. The farnalabs/modulo repository is public and inspectable. The licence restricts the field of use but does not restrict internal use. Not OSI-approved open-source. | Source-available under the Sustainable Use License (fair-code). Permits internal business use and modification. Not OSI-approved open source. GitHub classifies the licence as NOASSERTION. |
| Governance features | SSO/SAML, SCIM provisioning, team RBAC, immutable audit log with hash-chaining, HITL gates, eval-gated progressive autonomy, cost and budget controls, and capability scopes. All included in the Team tier. | SSO/SAML/LDAP, Git version control, multiple environments, and 30-day execution logs. These features require the self-hosted Business plan at 667 euros/month, not available on the free Community Edition. |
| Pricing model | $8,000/year flat. Per organisation, per deployment. No per-seat, no per-run, no usage metering. The cost does not grow when you add engineers, reviewers, security stakeholders, or QA. | Per-workflow-execution billing on cloud plans. Starter 20 euros/month (2,500 executions), Pro 50 euros/month (10,000), Business 667 euros/month (40,000). Community Edition is free with unlimited executions. |
| AI and agent capabilities | Agent nodes compose AI models (Claude, Copilot, Cursor, your own) into typed pipelines. Typed schemas define inputs and outputs. Evals gate progressive autonomy. Agents run on your infrastructure, your prompts, your models. | AI workflow nodes and an AI Assistant (preview). Connects to LLMs via API keys. AI capabilities are available across all plans, with AI credits included on cloud tiers. BYOK on self-hosted. |
| Support model | Community support only. The paid Team tier buys governance features and compliance evidence, not a helpdesk. Self-service purchase with an offline signed licence key. | Community forum on all plans. Business plan adds forum support. Enterprise plan includes dedicated support with an SLA. |
Different tools for different jobs
n8n is a general-purpose workflow automation platform. It connects over 400 integrations, runs on a visual builder, and handles everything from syncing a CRM to triggering Slack notifications to orchestrating multi-step business processes. That breadth is its strength.
Modulo is narrower and deeper. It composes AI agents into typed pipelines that automate specific parts of the SDLC: pulling request handling, code review, testing, deployment, and the governance gates between them. It does not try to connect your CRM to your invoicing tool. It does not need to.
If you need a Swiss Army knife that connects everything, n8n is the right tool. If you need governed AI agents that automate your software delivery pipeline with human approval at every step, Modulo is the right tool. The overlap is small, and the choice is not either-or.
Where the governance gap sits
n8n's free Community Edition includes unlimited executions and all 400+ integrations. What it does not include is SSO, audit logging, RBAC, role-based access control, or separate production environments. Those features require the Business plan at 667 euros/month, and even then the governance layer is limited compared to what Modulo provides out of the box.
Modulo's governance is not a bolt-on. It is the product. Every agent action passes through typed schemas and HITL gates. Evals measure whether an agent has earned the right to run autonomously. The audit trail is hash-chained and immutable. These are not features you buy separately; they are the architecture.
The structural difference: n8n charges you more to unlock governance. Modulo includes governance in every tier, because governance is the whole point.
When Modulo is the better fit
- SDLC-specific agent orchestration. Pipelines compose agents that automate pull requests, code review, testing, and deployment, not generic workflow steps.
- Governance at a predictable cost. SSO, SCIM, RBAC, audit logging, HITL gates, eval-gated autonomy, and cost controls for $8,000/year flat.
- Self-hosted or air-gapped at every tier, including the free Community edition. No telemetry by default.
- Cost that does not grow with headcount. Adding reviewers, security stakeholders, legal, and QA costs nothing extra.
- Typed agent schemas with eval-gated progressive autonomy. Agents earn trust incrementally, not all at once.
When n8n is the better fit
- 400+ pre-built integrations covering SaaS tools, databases, APIs, and developer platforms. The broadest integration library in the workflow automation space.
- A mature visual workflow builder with years of community contributions and production use.
- Free Community Edition with unlimited executions and unlimited active workflows. No execution cap on self-hosted.
- Per-execution billing makes complex, multi-step workflows cheaper than per-step competitors like Zapier or Make.
- Active open community with 200k+ GitHub stars and extensive community-contributed nodes and templates.
Try Modulo
Modulo is self-hosted. You can evaluate it without talking to anyone.
Questions? Open a discussion on GitHub.