n8n vs Tines (2026)

Several hundred built in app nodes span CRM, marketing, ITSM, HR, databases, warehouses, cloud infrastructure, storage, messaging, security and finance, and major nodes such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Postgres and OpenAI each cover several families of operations. Core nodes add HTTP Request, GraphQL, SSH, Execute Command and Code for anything not in the catalog, community and custom nodes extend the set further, and the MCP Client node connects agents to external MCP servers. Sub-workflows and app nodes can be exposed to agents as tools.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io app nodes, core nodes, MCP Client and how tools work pagesread 2026-08-31

HTTP Request actions call any tool with an API using tenant credentials. Unlimited connectors come on every edition, and library stories let agents act in CrowdStrike, Jira, Slack, Azure Sentinel, AWS and others with the customer's own credentials. Further library stories work with Code42, Reality Defender and Google Threat Intelligence, Send Email actions deliver mail from a story, and Workbench and the AI Agent action can call remote MCP servers as tools. The free edition already includes unlimited users, spaces and connectors.

SourceTines, tines.com/library, /pricing and tines.com/docs AI Agent action; tines.com/stories/docs/actions/typesread 2026-10-05

n8n workflows split with If and Switch conditionals, merge data, loop, wait, handle errors gracefully and run workflows with several branches in a defined execution order. Workflows can call other workflows, and converting nodes to a sub-workflow automatically brings along attached AI sub-nodes such as chat models and memory. Agent nodes act as root nodes orchestrating typed sub-node connections for language models, tools, memory and output parsers, and sub-workflows can be attached to an agent as tools. Canvas groups, sticky notes and workflow tags help organize large workflows.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io flow logic tree, break workflows into smaller parts, convert to sub-workflows and how tools work pagesread 2026-08-31

Teams build stories from webhook, email, HTTP request, condition, event transform, Send to Story and AI Agent actions, chaining stories and agents into their own flows. The AI Agent action runs in task mode, as a one shot prompt or an autonomous agent that calls tools toward an objective, or in chat mode on a Tines page where users talk to it until a set goal is met. Its tools can be public or custom templates, other stories attached through Send to Story with their own timeouts, custom tools built in the same story and remote MCP servers, and Condition actions branch a story's path.

SourceTines, tines.com/docs AI Agent action and action types; tines.com/stories/docs/actions/typesread 2026-10-05

Trigger nodes include Schedule Trigger, Webhook, Chat Trigger, Email Trigger over IMAP, RSS Feed Trigger, Local File Trigger, SSE Trigger, n8n Form Trigger, Error Trigger, Activation Trigger, Workflow Trigger, Execute Sub-workflow Trigger, n8n Trigger, Evaluation Trigger, MCP Server Trigger and Microsoft Agent 365 Trigger.

On self hosted instances a durable scheduler runs time based workflows from a queue backed by the database. Agents can be published so people reach them through chat, channels and schedules, and a Respond to Webhook node plus streaming responses complete the request and response surface.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io core node reference, durable scheduler, build and manage agents and stream real-time responses pagesread 2026-08-31

Webhook actions start stories on inbound events from external services, and Receive Email actions start them on inbound mail, without a prompt. An AI Agent in chat mode sits on a Tines page where people start conversations, and Workbench takes Cases and events sent to it. Outside AI clients can also run stories through the Tines MCP server.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/actions/types, Workbench and AI Agent action docsread 2026-10-05

Data can be stored and searched with vectors through vector databases, embeddings, retrievers and document loaders, and retrieval augmented generation pulls relevant context into a workflow. Vector store providers attach as sub-nodes so the index can be held in a database the customer runs, and a worked example scrapes website content into Pinecone and queries it from a chat workflow. Data tables manage structured tabular data within project boundaries, and Default Data Loader and text splitter components handle ingestion.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io store and search data with vectors, retrieve relevant context, use website content and data tables pagesread 2026-08-31

Workbench reaches the customer's proprietary data in real time by running stories as tools, and Records and Resources hold structured data for stories. Tines offers no published knowledge base or search index for the AI to draw on. Users can send Cases and events into Workbench for context and attach images or documents of up to 4.5 MB, three to a message, and skills hold reusable task instructions written in place or imported as markdown files.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/workbenchread 2026-10-05

A memory sub-node on the Tools Agent lets users hold an ongoing conversation across several queries, but that memory does not persist between sessions, and the default Simple Memory node, previously named Window Buffer Memory, is a bounded buffer. Memory attaches to agents as a typed AiMemory sub-node, with session IDs taken from input data or a custom key and optionally scoped per node so separate memory nodes in one workflow do not share history. External chat memory backends can be attached in place of the simple buffer, and Data tables provide structured storage across runs.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io Tools Agent, how memory works, AI Agent common issues and data tables pagesread 2026-08-31

Workbench keeps chat history that users can search, rename and delete, and Records persist structured data across story runs. Tines does not describe the AI Agent action remembering anything from one run to the next. How long chat history is kept depends on the plan, users can set custom instructions for their conversations, and an agent in chat mode keeps the conversation going until its goal is met.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/workbench and tines.com/docs AI Agent actionread 2026-10-05

An AI Agent can be required to get a person's approval before it runs specific tools, and a human fallback brings in a person to answer when the AI cannot help. A dedicated Guardrails node ships as a core node for enforcing policy on AI workflows. Workflow reviews let a builder submit a version for review before publishing, compare changes in a visual diff, discuss them in activity comments, and approve or request changes. Wait and Stop And Error nodes pause and halt runs, and publishing a workflow is a separate step from saving it.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io human-in-the-loop for tools, set a human fallback, Guardrails node, workflow reviews and save and publish pagesread 2026-08-31

In Workbench, templates that may change the environment "will prompt the user to confirm before running", and any story can be set to "Require confirmation to run". The story then waits for a person to approve it before anything runs. The library includes a story for requesting and approving Slack posts to a restricted channel. Admins allocate AI credits to teams, and token use thresholds can send a notification or switch the AI Agent action off.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/workbench, tines.com/library and tines.com/docs AI Agent actionread 2026-10-05

An independent auditor evaluates n8n continuously and audits it each year against SOC 2. Its SOC 2 report is available to enterprise customers, a SOC 3 report is published for everyone else, and third party penetration tests of the production environment run at least once a year.

SSO, SAML and LDAP come on the Enterprise plan and advanced RBAC on all paid plans. Security settings add SAML and OIDC single sign on, MFA enforcement, a self service security audit, node blocking, task runner hardening, SSRF protection, encryption key rotation, JWE decryption of OAuth tokens and execution data redaction.

Sourcen8n.io legal security page, docs.n8n.io security configuration treeread 2026-09-29

Tines holds SOC 2 Type II, audited annually, with reports in the trust center. SSO/SAML comes on all plans, along with teams that separate users, credentials, resources and stories, user administration, IP access control and action egress control. Workbench gives each user only the credentials and stories their permissions allow, and AI providers can be scoped to specific teams, with the team that owns a provider's credential always keeping access.

SourceTines, tines.com/security, tines.com/stories/docs/workbench and AI admin docsread 2026-10-05

Executions are first class objects. Teams can view all executions or those of a single workflow, add custom execution data so runs can be filtered by custom fields, and debug by copying earlier execution data into the canvas.

Workflow and node executions can be traced to an OpenTelemetry collector, alongside Prometheus metrics, metrics visualized in Grafana, log configuration and an insights metrics layer.

Workflow change history and version restore are available, execution data can be redacted for compliance, and a self hosted instance can connect to LangSmith for tracing through LangChain in n8n.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io understand executions, trace executions with OpenTelemetry, monitor n8n, view change history and LangChain in n8n pagesread 2026-08-31

Every action in a story emits events that record each step of a run. All actions performed in Workbench are available in audit logs, and an audit log is captured whenever a user changes data in the tenant. Every agent run appears in those events and logs. Token use is tracked against each team's AI credit allowance, with notifications as a team nears its limit.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/workbench and AI admin docsread 2026-10-05

n8n installs with a one line setup, Docker, Docker Compose or npm, and deploys to DigitalOcean, Heroku, Hetzner, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Run, Google Kubernetes and OpenShift Local, alongside managed n8n Cloud. An isolated configuration keeps the instance from connecting with n8n's servers. The customer chooses the database, binary and execution data can go to external storage, queue mode and task runners cover scaling, and an OEM path puts n8n inside another product. Editions run from Community and Registered Community to Business and Enterprise.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io install options, isolate n8n, choose n8n's database, scaling and compare editions pagesread 2026-08-31

Tines is both a cloud service that Tines hosts and a product that customers can host themselves. Self hosted Tines runs in the customer's environment on AWS ECS and EKS, Azure, Google Kubernetes Engine, Red Hat OpenShift, VMware and Docker Compose, and paid editions list flexible deployment options. The hosted service also has an EU stack, where web search is limited by egress restrictions. The free edition runs three live workflows, and paid editions remove the limit.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/self-hosted, /pricing and tines.com/stories/docs/workbenchread 2026-10-05

Templates are one of the named ways to build workflows, and self hosted instances can point at a custom workflow templates library. A curated self hosted AI Starter Kit provides a set of AI elements for starting AI workflows quickly. Each node links to browsable template collections for that node, and .n8np packages bundle workflows, folders or whole projects with their dependencies into a portable file for moving between instances. Learning paths offer interactive courses that build real workflows.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io use templates, configure a custom workflow templates library, deploy with the AI starter kit and n8n packages pagesread 2026-08-31

Customers import prebuilt stories from a public library, including AI agent templates such as triaging Azure Sentinel incidents with an AI Agent and looking up IOCs via Slack using an agent.

The library spans security, IT operations, infrastructure, engineering, product, asset and app management, employee lifecycle, incidents and alerts, communication and ticket synchronization, with stories such as analyzing SMS messages for scams with OCR and AI, containing or releasing CrowdStrike hosts from Jira and detecting deepfakes with Reality Defender. Workbench adds prebuilt templates that need only credentials, and team admins can package tools, credentials and instructions as Presets.

SourceTines, tines.com/library and tines.com/stories/docs/workbenchread 2026-10-05

The AI Agent node needs a connected Chat Model sub-node and errors without one, and clicking the Chat Model connector opens a selection of possible chat models. Models attach as sub-nodes, so different agents and chains in one workflow can use different models. Dedicated model provider nodes include OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral AI, Perplexity, Qwen Cloud, MiniMax and Moonshot Kimi, and the self hosted AI starter kit runs local models alongside n8n. LangChain is the underlying abstraction, with a LangSmith connection.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io AI Agent node and common issues, what agents do, app node reference and AI starter kitread 2026-08-31

AI features run on Anthropic's Claude through AWS Bedrock by default, and "it is possible to bring your own AI provider to power all of our AI features", scoped to teams by credential. Bring your own model is listed on paid editions. Admins can set separate smart and fast models, providers brought in can be OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, Helicone, OpenRouter, xAI or Ollama, and each AI Agent action picks its own model from those available. The free edition comes with a one time $50 AI allowance.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/admin/ai, /pricing and tines.com/docs AI Agent action; tines.com/stories/docs/adminread 2026-10-05

The MCP Server Trigger node lets n8n act as a Model Context Protocol server, making n8n tools and workflows available to MCP clients over SSE or streamable HTTP. MCP clients can build and run n8n workflows, and admins oversee connected MCP clients and can revoke their consent. A public REST API is available and can be disabled.

Custom and community nodes extend the catalog, npm modules can be enabled in the Code node, and .n8np packages export workflows, folders or whole projects as portable files with a manifest, size limits and API key scopes. An OEM path embeds n8n in another product using OAuth 2.0 token exchange, iframe SSO and delegated API access.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io MCP Server Trigger, connect to n8n MCP server, n8n packages, security and OEM deployment pagesread 2026-08-31

Developers get the Tines API, Terraform support and a Tines MCP server at https://your-tenant.tines.com/mcp with OAuth, whose tools read, create, update, validate and run stories and actions from outside AI clients.

Sourcetines.com/stories/docs/mcp-serverread 2026-09-28

Evaluation and Evaluation Trigger core nodes ship with the platform. Builders run quick evaluations during development against known test cases and use metric based evaluations to measure, score and improve production workflow performance over time, with guidance on why to test and how to fix common issues. Debugging uses pin and mock data, debug executions that copy earlier execution data into the current workflow, manual and partial runs, and dirty node tracking.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io test and improve AI workflows section, Evaluation and Evaluation Trigger nodes, understand executions pagesread 2026-08-31

Story contents can be validated before they run, and a validation tool is exposed through the MCP server; both check the story's configuration. Tines publishes no way to run an AI Agent action against test cases and score its answers. An output schema can make the AI Agent action return JSON that is validated against it, and each action sets its own temperature from 0 to 1.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/mcp-server and tines.com/docs AI Agent actionread 2026-10-05

n8n ships an Airtop app node that controls a cloud based web browser for querying, scraping and interacting with web pages, with operations to manage browser sessions and windows and to click an element, fill a form, hover, scroll and type, authenticated with Airtop credentials. Airtop is a third party browser engine wired in through a node, not a browser n8n ships itself. None of n8n's core nodes is a browser, desktop or computer use node, and SSH and Execute Command run commands on remote hosts.

Sourcedocs.n8n.io Airtop node pageread 2026-09-29

Browser or screen use by Tines agents is not described. Tines acts through API actions. The AI Agent action's built in tools are a planning scratchpad, code analysis and web search, which fetches page content for the agent to read.

SourceTines, tines.com/stories/docs/actions/types and tines.com/docs AI Agent actionread 2026-10-05