n8n: what’s new in 2.45 and our verdict

Our verdict

Great fit for small teams that want to wire apps and AI together without code; the license is fair-code, not open source.

Tested. Tested 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago). n8n 2.44.6 installed from npm on Node 24 in 1 min 54 s (2,343 packages), imported a three-node workflow from the CLI and executed it: a Code node returned 42 and a request to a local model returned "42". Test environment: Linux x86_64 virtual machine (Debian 13), 8 vCPU, 15 GiB RAM, no GPU; no vendor account, login or API key. Agent tools were pointed at a local open-weight model (Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (Q4_K_M) through Ollama 0.40.11), so we tested the tool, not any vendor's hosted models. Not tested: The editor UI, webhooks, credentials, scheduled triggers, community nodes, Python Code nodes and queue mode; Docker deployment, which n8n now recommends. These are smoke tests, not a benchmark. Full log: /tests/n8n.

Full test log with exact commands, versions and raw output: n8n 2.44.6: our test log.

Evidence

Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local 3B model (Qwen2.5-3B)). A smoke test is not a benchmark.

What we ran

n8n 2.44.6 installed from npm on Node 24 in 1 min 54 s (2,343 packages), imported a three-node workflow from the CLI and executed it: a Code node returned 42 and a request to a local model returned "42".

Model used

Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct (Q4_K_M) through Ollama 0.40.11

Environment

Linux x86_64 virtual machine (Debian 13), 8 vCPU, 15 GiB RAM, no GPU; no vendor account, login or API key

Not tested

The editor UI, webhooks, credentials, scheduled triggers, community nodes, Python Code nodes and queue mode; Docker deployment, which n8n now recommends.

Date

Oct 25, 2026 (America/Chicago)

Best for

• Best AI tool for agent building: Visual workflows plus native AI agents, with an agent builder and budget tracking.
• Best AI tool for small business: Connects the tools a small shop already uses; self-hostable or cloud.

What’s new

n8n 2.45 (Oct 20) brings the Monday.com node V2 to full parity, a Kafka v2 default, an AI log that shows which model answered, and agent-builder improvements, among 11 features.

• n8n 2.45 (Oct 20): Monday.com node V2 reaches full parity with V1 (39 operations) and is the default for new nodes.
• New Kafka and Kafka Trigger nodes default to version 2, which runs on librdkafka and supports Snappy, LZ4 and Zstd.
• The AI log now shows which model actually answered, useful when a model router picks a different model.
• Agent builder: monthly budget usage updates after each turn, a publish confirmation modal, and a warning when an agent uses unpublished workflows as tools.
• Admins can notify workflow owners from migration reports.

How to set it up: Try n8n

Steps come from the vendor's own docs or README. We ran n8n on 2026-10-25; the test log lists what was and was not covered.

1. Pick cloud or self-host

   n8n offers both. The README and docs cover cloud sign-up and self-hosting.

   https://docs.n8n.io/

2. Build a first workflow

   Start with a trigger such as a form submission, add an action node such as email or a spreadsheet, and run it manually before activating.

3. Add an AI agent step

   The 2.45 notes describe an agent builder with budget tracking and sub-agents. Set a budget before letting an agent run on a schedule.

Pros and cons

Alternatives and comparisons

• Lovable: Describe an app in plain English, preview it, and publish it to a lovable.app address.
• OpenAI Agents SDK: Lightweight Python framework for multi-agent workflows, with tools, handoffs, sessions and tracing.
• LangGraph: Low-level framework for building long-running, stateful agents as graphs.
• Langflow: MIT-licensed visual builder for AI agents and MCP servers with a very large GitHub following.

See all alternatives to n8n

FAQ

What we have not verified

• Pricing and cloud plan limits
• Exact license terms for your use

Sources

• n8n release notes (fetched 2026-10-25)
• n8n GitHub (fetched 2026-10-25)

Last verified Oct 25, 2026 · Agentic Weekly

Part of the week of Oct 19, 2026 archive.

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• Goodcall: A sensible first AI receptionist for a one-person shop; the per-customer pricing is simple, but test call quality yourself.