Hello everyone! 👋
Today I want to share an important change in the "backstage" of my projects. If you follow me, you'll know I'm a big fan of automation. Until now, Make (formerly Integromat) had been my go-to tool for connecting services and saving time. However, the time has come to step up.
I have started migrating my whole automation system to [n8n](https://n8n.io). 🚀
Why the Change?
Make is a fantastic tool, don't get me wrong. It's visual, intuitive and has integrations for almost everything. But as my workflows became more complex and data volume grew, I started hitting some walls:
- 01Costs: Make's plans are based on the number of operations. If you have a process that runs every 5 minutes, the bill goes up fast.
- 02Execution limits: Sometimes I needed more execution time or more memory for heavy processes.
- 03Privacy and Control: I wanted full control over my data and where my logic runs.
Enter n8n: The Fair-code Workflow Automation Revolution
n8n is a workflow automation tool that you can host yourself (self-hosted). This completely changes the rules of the game.
🏠 Self-Hosted: My House, My Rules
The best thing about n8n is that I have it installed on my own server (using Docker, of course 🐳). This means:
- +No operation limit: I can run as many workflows as my server can handle. I'm no longer afraid of creating loops or intensive processes.
- +Fixed cost: I only pay for the server (VPS), which I was already using for other things.
- +Security: My API keys and sensitive data never leave my infrastructure.
What Am I Migrating?
The idea is to gradually move all the automations I already have running in Make. From social-media notifications and lead management to more complex internal database-sync processes.
This migration process is also helping me refactor and optimize. I'm reviewing each flow, cleaning out what's left over and improving the logic now that I have more freedom with n8n's "Code" nodes (JavaScript/TypeScript), which are wonderful.
Other Advantages I'm Already Noticing
- +Better debugging: n8n's interface lets you see exactly what data goes in and out of each node with astonishing clarity.
- +Community nodes: If there is no official integration, chances are the community has already built a node for it.
- +Git friendly: I can version my workflows, something vital when you start treating your automations as what they are: code.
What's Next?
In upcoming posts I'll show you concrete examples of workflows I'm building. I want you to see the power of n8n in action, and maybe it will encourage you to try it if you're also a productivity "geek" like me.
If you're curious about how to set up your own automation server or want to see a specific flow, leave me a comment on my social networks!
See you soon! 🤖✨