Hi Makers, Builders, and Founders, My background is in finance, and I saw first-hand how fast automation costs from platforms like Zapier or Make can crush a scale-up. Worse, relying solely on their cloud means you don't own your data or your workflows.
I solved this for my agency, Azenflow, and now for our clients, by going 100% Open Source with the powerful platform, n8n. --- The Problem I Solved (And You Should Too)
1. Cost: Automation bills were projected to hit $800/month by year-end. With n8n, this is $0 in license fees.
2. Compliance: For all EU-based companies, Data Sovereignty is non-negotiable. We achieve this by self-hosting our n8n stack (RGPD compliance).
The 3-Step Open-Source Architecture This is the architecture we deploy to achieve Zapier-killing power:
1. The Engine (n8n): Powerful open-source workflow automation. Requires more setup, but allows custom JS and complex logic.
2. The Host (Your Cloud): We deploy it in a dedicated, controlled environment for guaranteed data sovereignty.
3. The Brain (AI Integration): n8n easily integrates LLMs/AI via API, putting you in control of the cost and keys.
--- Open Challenge to the Community Has anyone else made the leap from proprietary automation to Open Source (n8n, self-hosted solutions, etc.)?
What were your biggest pain points? The steep learning curve? The initial setup?
I m an expert n8n Architect, happy to answer any technical or business questions about making this migration. Let's discuss how to own your tech stack. P.S. If you're a founder or an SMB looking to cut your automation costs to $0 in license fees, check out the Free Audit on my profile (Matthias, Azenflow).