n8n
Free tier available
- Community (Self-Hosted)$0
- Starter (Cloud)$24/mo
- Pro (Cloud)$60/mo
Our pickA
8.0/10n8n
VS
C
6.5/10Bolt.new
n8n vs Bolt.new
Tier-list head-to-head. n8n takes the A-tier slot — here's the breakdown.
Last reviewed May 19, 2026· sweep-fresh
Spec sheet
At a glance
| n8n | Bolt.new | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | A-tierwin | C-tier |
| Overall score | 8.0 / 10win | 6.5 / 10 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |
| Best for | Technical users and teams who want powerful automation without per-step pricing. | Non-developers who want to quickly prototype a web app idea and don't need production quality. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-19 | 2026-05-19 |
Head-to-head
Score showdown
Rated 1-10 on the same rubric across all 130 tools we cover.
Ease of use+2.0 Bolt.new
n8n
6.0
Bolt.new
8.0
Output quality+2.0 n8n
n8n
8.0
Bolt.new
6.0
Value+4.0 n8n
n8n
9.0
Bolt.new
5.0
Features+2.0 n8n
n8n
9.0
Bolt.new
7.0
Overall+1.5 n8n
n8n
8.0
Bolt.new
6.5
What you'll pay
Pricing snapshot
Look past the headline number -- entry-tier limits drive most cost surprises.
Bolt.new
Free tier available
- Free$0
- Pro$20/mo
- Teams$30/member/month
The decision
Which should you pick?
Use-case anchors and category strengths, side by side.
Pick n8nif…
A
8.0/10- ✓Higher output quality (8.0 vs 6.0) where polish matters more than speed
- ✓Better value at the price you'll actually pay (9.0/10 on value)
- ✓More feature surface area for power users who'll use the depth
- ✓Technical users and teams who want powerful automation without per-step pricing.
- ✓Especially strong if you can self-host and want AI agent workflows.
Technical users and teams who want powerful automation without per-step pricing. Especially strong if you can self-host and want AI agent workflows.
Visit n8nPick Bolt.newif…
C
6.5/10- ✓Easier to learn and use day-to-day -- friendlier onboarding curve
- ✓Non-developers who want to quickly prototype a web app idea and don't need production quality.
- ✓Also useful for developers who want to scaffold boilerplate fast and then take over manually.
Non-developers who want to quickly prototype a web app idea and don't need production quality. Also useful for developers who want to scaffold boilerplate fast and then take over manually.
Visit Bolt.newBottom line
The verdict
n8n is the clear winner: 8.0/10 (A-tier) versus 6.5/10 (C-tier). Bolt.new isn't a bad tool, but on every category that drives the overall score, n8n comes out ahead. The tier gap is repeatable -- not methodology noise -- and the day-to-day experience reflects it.
Pricing-wise, both tools have a free tier (n8n starts $0, Bolt.new starts $0), so you can test either without committing. Compare what each free tier actually unlocks -- usage caps, model access, and feature gates differ a lot more than the headline price suggests, especially as both vendors have tightened limits in 2026.
By use case: pick n8n when technical users and teams who want powerful automation without per-step pricing. Pick Bolt.new when non-developers who want to quickly prototype a web app idea and don't need production quality. The two tools aren't fighting for the same person -- they're aiming at adjacent jobs that occasionally overlap. If you're squarely in n8n's lane, the tier-list ranking and the use-case fit point the same direction; if you're in Bolt.new's lane, the score gap matters less than the fit.
Bottom line: n8n is the better tool for most people right now. Pick Bolt.new only when non-developers who want to quickly prototype a web app idea and don't need production quality -- that's its lane, and inside that lane it still earns its place.
Keep digging
Compare more & explore
Built from our daily AI-tool sweep, last touched May 19, 2026. Honest tier-list reviews — no affiliate-link pieces disguised as advice. See the rubric or how we review.