Temporal vs n8n: Which Should You Self-Host?

Quick Verdict n8n is the right choice for most self-hosters. It gives you a visual workflow builder, 400+ pre-built integrations, and runs in a single container with minimal resources. Temporal is a code-first workflow orchestration engine designed for developers building mission-critical distributed systems — powerful, but massive overkill for connecting apps and automating tasks. Updated March 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations. Overview n8n is a visual workflow automation platform that competes directly with Zapier and Make. You build workflows by connecting nodes in a browser-based editor, trigger them on schedules or webhooks, and integrate with hundreds of third-party services. It runs as a single Node.js container with SQLite or PostgreSQL. Temporal is a durable execution platform for building reliable distributed applications. Developers write workflow logic in Go, Java, Python, TypeScript, or .NET, and Temporal guarantees those workflows complete even