n8n vs Runbear (2026)

n8n

by n8n GmbH

Runbear

by Runbear, Inc.

Pros

• ✓The Community Edition can be self-hosted for free from GitHub, so workflows and data stay on the team's own infrastructure.
• ✓AI Agent, vector-store and model nodes sit alongside 500+ integrations and inline JavaScript and Python, and a built-in MCP server lets AI clients run and edit workflows.
• ✓Cloud plans are priced per full workflow execution rather than per step, with unlimited users and workflows on every plan.

Limitations

• –Self-hosting means running and maintaining the servers yourself, and the editor assumes some technical skill.
• –n8n Cloud is priced in euros and capped by monthly executions, from 2,500 on Starter, and the Business plan is not yet available on n8n Cloud.
• –The licence is n8n's own fair-code licence rather than an OSI open-source licence, and SSO, Git version control and environments need Business or Enterprise.

Pros

• ✓Works in both MCP directions, acting as a client through managed and custom MCP servers and exposing its own hosted MCP server for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and Zed.
• ✓Credit-based pricing with no per-seat charge, so cost tracks usage rather than headcount, and both published tiers list their exact credit allowance and the pay-as-you-go rate beyond it.
• ✓Per-user authorization on shared agents plus a SIEM-exportable audit log, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA support for eligible Enterprise customers under a BAA, and a stated commitment that customer data is not used for model training.

Limitations

• –The MCP server is in early access with an expanding tool set, and the vendor states some agent settings remain dashboard-only. It also requires an MCP client that supports remote servers with OAuth.
• –HubSpot and Zendesk deployment, CRM integrations and bring-your-own-key models start on Business, at four times the Team rate, so a support or revenue team that needs its CRM in the loop starts at $319 per month billed yearly.
• –Independent evidence is limited to a small number of G2 and Product Hunt reviews, with no Capterra or Trustpilot presence, and the SOC 2 Type II report is available only on request.