n8n for Developers: The Complete Getting Started Guide

Most developers who discover n8n say the same thing: "I can't believe I was using Zapier for this." n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that runs locally, handles complex logic, and has native code execution. It's what power users actually use once they outgrow the $100/month Zapier bill. What n8n Is Good At n8n shines when you need: Complex branching logic (if/else, switch, loops over arrays) Code execution (JavaScript or Python in a workflow node) Webhooks (receive events from any service) Self-hosting (your data stays on your server) Volume (no per-task pricing) Getting n8n Running Locally docker run -it --rm \ --name n8n \ -p 5678:5678 \ -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \ n8nio/n8n Open http://localhost:5678 and you're in. For persistent setup: version: "3" services: n8n: image: n8nio/n8n restart: always ports: - "5678:5678" volumes: - ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n The 5 Workflows Worth Building First 1. Stripe Payment -> Instant Delivery When a customer buys, automatically send th