Botpress vs n8n: Which is the best AI agent platform?

This article gives you a clear, side-by-side breakdown of Botpress and n8n, comparing their features, pricing, customization, AI strengths, and best use cases.

Our goal is to help you quickly figure out which AI agent platform fits your needs, based on real data from actual customers.

Let’s dive in 👇

Botpress vs n8n: Overview

Should you consider Big Sur AI instead?

Here's why:

No setup or integration headaches

With Big Sur AI, you skip the weeks spent deploying, configuring, and integrating new platforms. Simply sign up and launch your chatbot with out-of-the-box support for 50+ apps like Slack and Zendesk. For example, you can deploy a working support bot to your helpdesk in a single afternoon.

Zero maintenance and instant updates

Platform-based solutions need constant updates, bot retraining, and workflow babysitting. Big Sur AI handles improvements, AI upgrades, and compliance so your bot keeps getting smarter—without you lifting a finger. If a new LLM is released or a channel changes APIs, you get the upgrade automatically, no disruption.

Purpose-built automations for common business tasks

You get pre-built flows trained on real use cases like support ticket routing, FAQ automation, and lead qualification. A SaaS startup can onboard users, triage support issues, and capture feedback with minimal setup, while a retailer can automate returns or product recommendations without needing to design custom workflows.

Predictable pricing for scale

Unlike usage-based platforms where costs spike with volume or where you must monitor workflows, Big Sur AI offers flat, transparent pricing for standard use cases. You never worry about sudden overages or technical scaling bottlenecks; your automation always matches your business needs as you grow.

n8n vs Botpress: How do their features compare?

Botpress is built for conversational AI and natural language understanding

Botpress is purpose-built for designing and deploying conversational agents and chatbots that truly understand human language. Its integrated NLU (Natural Language Understanding) engine lets you train custom intents, entities, and dialogues directly inside the platform.

This makes Botpress a powerful option if you want your AI agent to handle complex queries or support multilingual conversations out of the box.

For example, a customer support bot for an e-commerce site can seamlessly switch between English, Spanish, or French, handling returns, order tracking, and product questions with high accuracy. In contrast, n8n does not have built-in NLU capabilities but can connect to external NLU tools through workflows.

n8n delivers unmatched workflow automation flexibility

While Botpress is focused on chatbot logic, n8n is a general-purpose workflow automation platform. n8n stands out for its visual node-based editor and vast library of 350+ integrations (such as Slack, Salesforce, Google Sheets, HTTP, and more).

This makes it easy to automate complex business processes or chain together multiple APIs, even for non-conversational tasks.

For instance, you can use n8n to connect a chatbot output to trigger an invoice creation in Xero, update your CRM, and send a confirmation email, all in one workflow. Botpress does allow integrations, but n8n’s breadth is much wider, especially for backend automations.

Botpress offers low-code bot building and deployment for business users

Botpress’s drag-and-drop flows and prebuilt conversation modules lower the technical barrier for business and support teams. Users can build, test, and deploy conversational agents to channels like web, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp without heavy engineering involvement.

For example, a support manager can update FAQs or tweak response logic using the visual flow builder—no coding required. With n8n, while automation flows are visual, building a full-featured chatbot experience requires considerably more manual configuration and scripting.

n8n excels at connecting disparate data sources and APIs

n8n’s data transformation, API management, and credential handling make it easy to fetch, transform, and join data from almost any source on the fly. For instance, you can set up an n8n workflow that pulls real-time data from your ERP, enriches it with data from a marketing platform, and then triggers an outbound message—all within a single automation. Botpress lacks the robust, drag-and-drop data pipeline features that n8n provides, focusing more on the conversation layer rather than full-stack data orchestrations.

Botpress brings advanced conversation analytics and testing tools

Botpress includes built-in analytics and A/B bot testing features that give teams real-time insights into user flows and conversation drop-off points. This is key for optimizing chatbot experiences over time. For example, you can see which questions are confusing users or where the bot fails to recognize intent, then iterate and retrain directly in the dashboard. While n8n provides workflow logs and basic execution data, it does not offer specialized tools for conversational analytics or fine-tuning user interactions specific to chatbots.

n8n is open source and easily self-hosted for maximum data control

n8n’s open-source core means it can be hosted on your own infrastructure, giving you full control over workflows, data privacy, and system uptime. This is crucial for businesses with strict compliance requirements or those who want to avoid vendor lock-in. You can fork the codebase, customize integrations, or even develop custom nodes that are tailored to unique systems or business logic. Botpress also offers an open-source version, but n8n’s modular architecture and thriving community make self-hosting and extension more straightforward for workflow automation at scale.

n8n vs n8n: How much do they cost?

Botpress's pricing: quick overview

• Cloud, self-hosted, and open-source options available
• Cloud pricing starts at $150/month for 5,000 conversation credits
• Additional conversation credits can be purchased as you scale
• Free plan with usage and feature limits
• Enterprise plan available with custom pricing and support

n8n's pricing: quick overview

• Cloud-hosted pricing starts at $20/month for 20,000 workflow executions
• Self-hosting is open-source and completely free
• Free plan available with limited workflow executions and features
• Additional executions billed as usage increases
• Enterprise and on-prem solutions with custom pricing

Key differences between each pricing structure

• Botpress prices primarily by conversation credits, tailored for chatbot and AI agent use cases
• n8n prices by workflow executions, suited for general automation and integrations
• Botpress cloud minimum is much higher than n8n's
• n8n's open-source self-hosting is 100% free; Botpress self-host has restrictions on commercial use

How generous are each free plans?

Botpress:

• Free cloud plan offers limited conversation credits and basic features
• Mainly for testing, not for production deployments

n8n:

• Free cloud plan includes a generous 1,000 workflow executions/month
• Self-hosted option has no hard usage limits, suitable for production if you maintain infrastructure

How does pricing increase with heavy usage?

• Botpress charges for extra conversation credits, so costs scale with bot traffic and usage
• n8n cloud charges for extra workflow executions, so costs scale with how many workflow automations and trigger events you run. Upgrades to higher plans are straightforward
• Self-hosting n8n means costs relate only to your own hosting, regardless of usage

Other potential surprises

• Botpress add-ons or certain integrations may require additional payment
• Commercial usage restrictions may apply to Botpress self-hosted/open-source deployments
• n8n's main paid features are in cloud hosting and plugins; self-host users may have to manage scaling and uptime themselves
• API limits or overage charges can apply on both platforms if you exceed monthly usage caps

Botpress vs n8n: Integrations & workflows

Integration options

Botpress is designed specifically for building conversational AI and chatbots. It offers built-in integrations with popular messaging platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. For business systems, Botpress has REST API actions and can connect to external services using webhooks and custom code modules, but third-party app integrations are limited compared to general automation tools.

n8n is a workflow automation platform with a heavy focus on integrations. It supports over 300 prebuilt integrations (called nodes) for cloud services, databases, SaaS platforms, and APIs out of the box. Connecting to new tools is often as simple as dragging in a node and configuring credentials, making n8n highly flexible for a wide range of business use cases.

Workflow design and automation

Botpress offers visual flow builders tailored for AI conversations. You design dialog flows, trigger events, and handle user intents within a chat context. Workflow branching is possible, but flows are conversational by default and best for customer support, lead capture, or onboarding through chatbots.

n8n features a no-code, visual workflow editor where users can automate sequences across multiple apps. It supports conditional logic, data transformation, looping, and error handling, which makes it suitable for complex business process automations that go far beyond chat. n8n’s built-in triggers can react to webhooks, scheduled times, or events in other systems.

Bottom line

Botpress is the better choice if you want deep AI-driven chatbot experiences on messaging channels with conversational flows.

n8n stands out if your business needs robust integrations and automations linking multiple tools, data sources, and processes in a unified workflow system.

Botpress vs n8n: AI capabilities

When choosing an automation or conversational AI platform, it's important to understand how both Botpress and n8n leverage AI. Here’s a concrete comparison to help you decide which suits your AI needs:

Summary of key differences

• Botpress is purpose-built for conversational AI, with native capabilities for dialogue management, context, and out-of-the-box support for advanced LLMs in chatbot experiences
• n8n focuses on integrating third-party AI services into broader business automations, making it ideal for AI-powered workflow orchestration rather than conversation-specific use cases

If your business needs rich chat-based AI interactions, Botpress is typically the stronger option. For automating diverse processes using AI across tools and systems, n8n offers greater flexibility.

Botpress vs n8n: How customizable are they?

Customization in Botpress

Botpress is built specifically for conversational AI and chatbot development.

You can visually design conversational flows or edit directly in code, which supports high customization for both beginners and developers.

It allows advanced customization through modular architecture, with support for custom actions, hooks, and integrations.

Botpress supports natural language understanding (NLU) out of the box, and you can bring your own AI models if needed.

Most customization is focused on chatbot logic, dialog management, and natural language processing.

Flexibility in n8n

n8n is an automation platform designed to build workflows, not just chatbots.

It can connect and orchestrate hundreds of services and tools through a visual workflow editor.

Customization comes from node-based logic and the ability to trigger actions based on countless event sources, including APIs, webhooks, and database events.

n8n is highly extensible for low-code or pro-code users: you can write custom JavaScript code plus add your own nodes and integrations.

While not specialized for AI chat, n8n can integrate various AI, speech, and NLP services for use in broader automation workflows.

Key differences for AI agent platforms

Botpress excels if you want deep control over chatbot experience and conversation design, with powerful NLU features.

n8n provides broader automation capabilities, allowing you to build complex workflows with or without chat as the main focus.

Choose Botpress for tailored conversational AI, and n8n for end-to-end workflow automation with AI components.

Botpress vs n8n reviews: What do customers say?

TL;DR → Botpress is praised for its user-friendly interface and powerful AI-driven conversation tools, but some users feel limited by customization and APIs. n8n stands out for its flexibility and automation power, though a steeper learning curve and occasional bugs are common pain points.

Here are their respective G2 & Capterra scores ⤵️

Botpress G2 score: 4.5/5 ⭐

Botpress Capterra score: 4.4/5 ⭐

n8n G2 score: 4.7/5 ⭐

n8n Capterra score: 4.6/5 ⭐

Notable customer comments from review platforms, Reddit, and forums highlight what users love and where frustrations arise. Here’s what we found 👇

Botpress: The good

Most of Botpress’s positive reviews revolve around its intuitive no-code/low-code editor, high-quality conversation design, and ease of integrating NLP models.

“Botpress makes building chatbots feel simple, even for non-developers.”

Many reviewers mention that Botpress’s prebuilt modules and templates help teams prototype AI agents rapidly and test use cases without deep technical knowledge.

On social channels, educators and startups talk up the free tier, active community, and good documentation.

Botpress: The bad

Recurring issues flagged in 2- and 3-star reviews include difficulties customizing bots for complex use cases, and limitations around some integrations and webhook/API capabilities.

"The tool is great for simple bots, but sometimes you hit a wall if you want more advanced functionality."

Support response time is slower on the free plan, which frustrates smaller teams. Several reviewers on Reddit also cite occasional instability after major version updates.

n8n: The good

n8n wins high praise for its flexibility and ability to automate virtually any workflow with thousands of integrations. Users emphasize how much they value self-hosting and fine-grained control over automation logic.

“n8n lets me automate everything from Slack to custom APIs, all from one place. It’s become an essential part of our workflow.”

Customers call out strong documentation, an active open-source community, and frequent feature releases. Technical audiences appreciate that “the flexibility is almost limitless if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.”

n8n: The bad

The biggest downside highlighted in n8n reviews is the learning curve, especially for non-developers or those new to workflow automation.

“It does take a while to figure out all the nodes and best practices, and error handling can be tricky for newcomers.”

A number of 3-star reviews point to occasional bugs and glitches in complex workflows, and a need for more ready-to-use templates. Reddit threads also mention that self-hosting requires some DevOps know-how, which can be daunting for smaller teams.

Botpress vs n8n: Pros and Cons for each

TL;DR:

🤖 If you need a purpose-built conversational AI platform for chatbots and natural language interactions, Botpress offers specialized features and an easy builder, making it the best option for automated support or dialogue bots.

🔗 For flexible, broad automation needs and deep workflow integrations (beyond just chat), n8n is a better fit, giving you powerful control over multi-app processes and data flows, though it requires some technical setup.

The bottom line: Which tool is better for my business?

Botpress and n8n serve overlapping yet distinct business needs, making the right choice highly dependent on your business priorities: conversational AI versus broad workflow automation.

Botpress is purpose-designed for creating intelligent, multi-channel chatbots and conversational AI agents. Its strengths include built-in natural language understanding, visual flow builders, robust support for LLMs, and analytics suited specifically to optimizing chat experiences. Customization is focused on dialogue management, AI prompts, and channel integration, empowering teams to rapidly build and iterate support bots, virtual agents, and automated chat flows. Botpress offers a free plan (with restrictions) and paid plans that scale by conversation volume. Partial open source availability allows for some on-premises flexibility, but commercial usage may require a paid plan.

n8n is a general-purpose, open-source automation platform focused on connecting and automating hundreds of apps and APIs. Its visual workflow builder enables teams to orchestrate complex business processes, automate data flows, and connect virtually any tool or service. n8n’s customization excels in general workflow logic, branching, and backend automation, not in conversational UX. Self-hosting is fully open-source and free, with generous free and low-cost cloud tiers that scale based on workflow execution volume.

Choose Botpress if:

• Your goal is to deliver advanced, natural language-powered conversational agents on web, WhatsApp, Messenger, Slack, or similar channels.
• You want non-developers to build, deploy, and manage chat experiences using intuitive, low-code editors.
• Rich analytics, conversation testing, and continuous optimization of chatbots are business-critical.
• AI-powered dialog, intent recognition, and support for GPT/LLM models out of the box is a must.
• You’re OK with a usage-based pricing model based on conversation credits and can live with some limitations on the free plan or self-hosted edition.

Choose n8n if:

• You need broad, multi-tool automation (across email, APIs, SaaS platforms, databases, etc.) — not just conversational bots.
• Flexibility, extensibility, and the power to automate and orchestrate complex business processes are your primary needs.
• You value open source, self-hosting, and full data control (ideal for compliance or avoiding vendor lock-in).
• Technical teams are comfortable with some DevOps or scripting to maximize platform potential.
• Cost-effectiveness at scale is a priority, and you want to avoid commercial restrictions for self-hosted deployments.

Key Considerations:

• For conversational AI, NLU, and chatbot-centric use, Botpress leads with specialized features.
• For workflow automation spanning a wide variety of apps and backend logic, n8n is the clear favorite.
• Botpress pricing is based on conversation volume, while n8n charges by workflow executions. n8n's free, open-source self-hosting offers unmatched scalability at no cost.
• Botpress offers highly accessible chatbot builder tools, while n8n is more powerful for process automation but has a steeper learning curve.

If you want to learn more about AI agent platforms and automation tools, check out these guides on Big Sur AI:

• 10 Best AI Automation Tools for Customer Support Teams
• What Are AI Agents? How to Choose or Build Your Own (2024 Guide)
• The 2024 Guide to Low-Code AI Platforms for Business