Today, everything revolves around one crucial topic: smart data networking or “automating data integration with ease.”
In a world where both employees and customers expect quick access to up-to-date information at all times, outdated data silos and once-daily updates are no longer sufficient. The goal, in a nutshell, is to automate data integration with ease.
Read more about this in the LinkedIn newsletter “Through MarTech to Value.”
Data must be available anytime, anywhere—for internal teams (e.g., in campaign management or customer service) as well as for customers at all touchpoints (e.g., in self-service, orders, or booking overviews).
But how can this real-time connectivity be achieved without constantly tying up IT resources, writing complex code, or paying high license fees?
With tools such as n8n.
The tool can do much more than just act as a “data hub.” Click here to visit the website
Tools often receive a lot of reviews. However, in the case of this niche product, there are only 5 (five) on OMRReviews and 51 on G2.
Let’s take a look at the summary of user opinions on n8n “Automate data integration with ease.”
What are the strengths? (Source: G2 Reviews – as of April 25, 2025)
- Enormous flexibility and performance: Users appreciate that n8n allows them to implement almost any automation they want – from simple tasks to complex workflows and even AI-driven processes.
- Visual workflow creation: The drag-and-drop interface is particularly praised, as it makes many processes easy to understand and enables quick automation.
- Open source & self-hosting: Many users emphasize that they can host n8n themselves, which is ideal for data protection and cost control.
- Extensibility: For tech-savvy users, the ability to create their own nodes or use custom JavaScript is a major advantage.
- Fast community development: The development speed, lively community, and new features (e.g., AI integration, sub-workflows) are regularly praised.
- Cost-benefit ratio: A very cost-effective solution compared to other automation platforms such as Zapier or Make, especially for self-hosting.
The main points of criticism are
- Learning curve: Beginners find it somewhat difficult to get started. Certain technical knowledge is advantageous, especially for debugging more complex workflows or working with APIs.
- Documentation: Some reviews criticize the incomplete or not always beginner-friendly documentation, which can lead to problems with special nodes or error handling.
- Performance with large workflows:
- With very extensive automation, users report slowdowns or a sluggish UI.
- OAuth handling: Some power users would like to see more flexible authentication configuration, e.g., the ability to pass tokens dynamically.
- Licensing model (for cloud use): Some users find the pricing of the cloud version potentially expensive for very intensive use (many workflows).
Here is an introductory video:
What are typical areas of application for a tool like n8n?
- Synchronization of calendars, CRMs, email systems, etc.
- Development of AI-supported automation processes (e.g., LangChain integration).
- Web scraping, monitoring, and support services.
- Automation of marketing, sales, and service processes.
- Development of complete AI-supported business applications.
- Internal process optimization and data transformation.
Final summary on n8n and simple data integration automation
n8n is described by its users as one of the most powerful, flexible, and cost-effective workflow automation platforms available.
Those who are willing to invest in understanding data flows and APIs will gain a tool with virtually unlimited possibilities – for both individuals and businesses.
