A Comprehensive n8n Features List: What Can It Do?

n8n is a powerful, source-available workflow automation tool designed to connect any app and manage data with unparalleled flexibility. Its core strength lies in a visual, node-based editor that allows users to build anything from simple two-step integrations to complex, multi-path workflows without writing code. However, it uniquely caters to technical users by offering the ability to write custom JavaScript or Python in a Code Node, use a robust expressions editor for dynamic data, and provides options for both easy cloud hosting and full-control self-hosting. This combination of no-code accessibility, low-code power, and pro-code extensibility makes it a standout platform for developers, IT professionals, and business technologists alike.

n8n is a powerful, source-available workflow automation tool designed to connect any app and manage data with unparalleled flexibility. Its core strength lies in a visual, node-based editor that allows users to build anything from simple two-step integrations to complex, multi-path workflows without writing code. However, it uniquely caters to technical users by offering the ability to write custom JavaScript or Python in a Code Node, use a robust expressions editor for dynamic data, and provides options for both easy cloud hosting and full-control self-hosting. This combination of no-code accessibility, low-code power, and pro-code extensibility makes it a standout platform for developers, IT professionals, and business technologists alike.

So you’ve heard about n8n and you’re wondering, “What can it really do?” Is it just another drag-and-drop tool, or is there more under the hood? As someone who has spent countless hours building, debugging, and scaling automations in n8n, I can tell you: it’s a beast. Let’s pull back the curtain and explore a comprehensive n8n features list.

The Core Experience: Visual Building with No Limits

At its heart, n8n is built around a visual canvas. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. This isn’t just about connecting a few boxes; it’s about giving you a clear, real-time view of your data at every single step. This immediate feedback loop is, frankly, a game-changer for debugging.

No-Code, Low-Code, and Pro-Code: A Spectrum of Power

One of the features I love most about n8n is that it meets you where you are. Think of it like a toolbox with different levels of tools:

• No-Code (The Building Blocks): For most tasks, you can simply use the 400+ pre-built integration nodes. Want to get data from Google Sheets and send it to Slack? Just drag, drop, and configure. No code needed.
• Low-Code (The Power Tools): Every node parameter can use expressions. This lets you dynamically format dates, perform calculations, or manipulate text using JavaScript snippets. It’s the perfect middle ground for adding custom logic without writing a full script.
• Pro-Code (The Full Workshop): When you hit a wall or need truly custom logic, you can fall back to the Code Node. Here, you can write full JavaScript or Python scripts, import npm packages (on self-hosted instances), and manipulate data in any way imaginable. This feature ensures you will never be limited by the UI.

Essential Logic: The Brains of Your Workflow

Any complex automation needs logic. n8n provides a set of powerful Core Nodes to handle this:

• If & Switch: Route your data down different paths based on conditions.
• Merge: Bring data from multiple branches back together.
• Loop Over Items: Process a list of items one by one.
• Wait: Pause your workflow for a set amount of time or until a specific time.

These nodes are the fundamental grammar of automation, allowing you to build workflows that can react and adapt to the data they receive.

Real-World Example: Automating Sales Lead Enrichment

Let’s make this tangible. Imagine a new lead signs up on your website. Manually researching that lead, adding them to the CRM, and notifying the team can take 10-15 minutes. With n8n, you can do it in seconds.

Here’s a workflow I’ve built for clients:

1. Webhook Trigger: Instantly captures the new lead’s data from a web form.
2. If Node: Checks if the email is a business address (e.g., doesn’t contain gmail.com). If not, the workflow might stop or take a different path.
3. HTTP Request Node: Connects to an enrichment API like Hunter or Clearbit to fetch company details (size, location, industry).
4. OpenAI Node: Takes the company description and generates a 2-sentence summary tailored for the sales pitch.
5. Edit Fields (Set) Node: Cleans up and structures all the data into a neat package.
6. Salesforce Node: Creates a new, fully enriched contact and company record in the CRM.
7. Slack Node: Sends a notification to the #new-leads channel with the lead’s name, company, and the AI-generated summary.

This single workflow saves hours of manual work every week, ensures data consistency, and gives the sales team immediate, actionable intelligence.

Beyond the Basics: An Advanced n8n Features List

Now, here’s where n8n really starts to flex its muscles, especially for developers and larger teams. The platform is architected for security, scalability, and control.

Power Features for Serious Automation

The most significant differentiator for n8n is its source-available and self-hosting model. While n8n offers a fantastic cloud service, you have the option to host it yourself via Docker or Kubernetes. This gives you complete control over your data, execution environment, and costs. It’s a dream for companies with strict data privacy requirements.

Let’s be honest, though, not all features are available on every plan. The free Community Edition is incredibly generous, but the paid Cloud and Enterprise plans unlock critical features for teams and businesses.

Feature Comparison: Community vs. Cloud/Enterprise

This table gives a high-level overview of what to expect. It’s not exhaustive, but it hits the most important points.

AI and LangChain: The Next Frontier

Finally, no modern automation platform is complete without AI. n8n has gone all-in, integrating native nodes for services like OpenAI, Mistral, and Google Gemini. More importantly, it has deep integration with LangChain, allowing you to build sophisticated AI agents, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, and intelligent chatbots directly inside your workflows. You can feed an AI agent data from your CRM, a Google Sheet, and a database all in the same flow. The possibilities are mind-boggling.

From simple tasks to enterprise-grade, AI-powered systems, the n8n features list is designed for one thing: to remove the limits on what you can automate. The only real question is, what will you build first?