is it really FOSS?

n8n

A workflow automation platform

Nope!
It's not FOSS, and it doesn't currently claim to be, although it may have been in the past.

Details

The project is licensed under a mix of licenses, with including a custom enterprise license, with most code appearing to be a “Sustainable Use License” which sets limits upon commercial & non-personal use, modification & distribution.

The project used to market itself as open source when its was provided under a non-open Apache 2.0 with commons clause, which was raised on their GitHub resulting in a heated debate.

They no longer appear to market themselves as open source, instead choosing to advocate for “Fair-code”.

The project appears to have raised at least $73.5m in funding from investors which include Highland Europe, HV Capital, Sequoia, Felicis, and Harpoon. The project also generates revenue from hosted and enterprise versions of its application.

Details last reviewed 2025-06-09. Mistakes or outdated information? Let us know by opening an issue on Codeberg.