Motion vs n8n
Motion and n8n sit in the same category. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
n8n wins for 12 of 16 roles in our data. Neither publishes a fixed monthly price, so both are quoted on request.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; has a free plan |
| Finance manager | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; has a free plan |
| Manager | Motion | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2 |
| Marketer | n8n | has a free plan |
| Sales manager | n8n | has a free plan |
| Data analyst | n8n | covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; has a free plan |
| Teacher | Motion | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2 |
| Executive assistant | n8n | has a free plan |
| Logistics manager | n8n | has a free plan |
| Procurement manager | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; has a free plan |
| Secretary | Motion | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2 |
| Tax consultant | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; has a free plan |
| Auditor | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; has a free plan |
| Economist | n8n | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; has a free plan |
| Project manager | Motion | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Social media manager | n8n | has a free plan |
Side by side
| Motion | n8n | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Motion | n8n GmbH |
| Category | Automation and business apps | Automation and business apps |
| Free plan | No | Yes: The self-hosted Community edition with unlimited executions, without shared credentials or team roles |
| Cheapest paid plan | price on request | price on request |
| Top plan | price on request | price on request |
| Tasks covered | 3 | 3 |
Motion: Task and project planner that builds your daily schedule around deadlines on its own.
n8n: Automation with AI agents that you can host on your own server with no per-operation fees.
Only Motion covers
- Plan your week in the calendar with focus blocks
- Build a project plan with phases and owners
- Compile a project status from the team's tasks
Only n8n covers
Pitfalls to watch at work
Motion
- The trial converts to a paid subscription automatically: set a reminder
- A schedule that reshuffles every hour annoys the team: pin meetings with people by hand
- You set task durations, and an underestimate breaks the whole schedule
n8n
- A self-hosted server without updates and backups stops every automation at once: assign someone responsible for maintenance
- Agent nodes with access to email or the CRM act without confirmation: add a human approval step before sending or changing records
- Keep API keys and passwords in the built-in credentials store, out of node fields that show up in workflow exports
FAQ
Is Motion or n8n better for work?
In our data n8n is the better choice for 12 of 16 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, Motion or n8n?
Neither publishes a fixed monthly price, so both are quoted on request.
Do Motion and n8n have free plans?
Motion: No. n8n: Yes. The self-hosted Community edition with unlimited executions, without shared credentials or team roles.
Compare Motion with
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