Is nara an alternative to n8n?

Yes, for the service desk and for processes with approvals that your team doesn't want to build and run itself. nara comes with a ticket system, portal, SLAs, CMDB and an AI that resolves requests in Teams, by phone and on the device. You set up processes in your own words. Existing n8n workflows can keep running and work with nara.

We already use n8n. Do we still need nara?

n8n is the tool your team uses to build workflows. nara is your service desk: it takes requests, resolves them in your systems and on the device, collects approvals and sees the ticket through to closure. Your team gains time because it no longer builds, monitors and maintains these workflows itself. Both run side by side.

Can you build an IT helpdesk or a ticket system with n8n?

Yes. n8n connects to ticket systems such as ServiceNow, Jira, Freshservice and Zendesk. [4] The IT Ops category of its template library lists about 1,400 community workflows, for example for sorting tickets with AI. [21] The ticket system with SLAs, service catalog and CMDB still comes from an ITSM, and you take care of channels, approvals, error handling and upkeep yourself. nara delivers all of this as a ready-made service desk.

What's new in the current version of n8n?

n8n 2.0 came out in December 2025 with more secure defaults and separate draft and live versions of workflows. [3] Its AI features now include standalone agents and n8n Assistant, both in preview, as well as a built-in MCP server, approvals before tool calls and evaluations for testing AI workflows. [5][6][7][12] For version 3.0, n8n has announced that self-hosting will only work with Docker and that older nodes will be removed. [18]

n8n bills by executions. Starter costs €20 per month for 2,500 executions and Pro starts at €50 for 10,000, both in the cloud and billed annually. Business, which n8n aims at companies with fewer than 100 employees, is available self-hosted only, at €667 per month for 40,000 executions; Enterprise is on request. The Community Edition is free if you run n8n yourself and use it internally. [12][20] On top come model costs, your ticket system and the effort to build and run it.

Can nara work with n8n?

Yes. An n8n workflow can create a ticket or start a process through nara's REST API. In the other direction, nara calls n8n workflows through their webhooks and writes the result into the ticket. [19] In nara, your approvals apply and every call is recorded in the audit trail.

Where do nara and n8n process data?

nara is developed and hosted in Germany. AI processing takes place exclusively in the EU, and your data is not used for training. For large enterprises, nara can run entirely in your own data center, AI included. n8n Cloud stores data in Frankfurt; self-hosted, the data stays wherever you run n8n. Where the AI runs with n8n depends on the model provider you choose; locally run models are also possible. For its own AI features, n8n lists OpenAI and Anthropic, among others, with processing in the US; according to n8n, these providers don't use workflow data from the Assistant for training. [12][14][15][22]

How quickly is nara up and running?

nara works alongside your existing ticket system within one to two weeks. The full switch with ticket history, knowledge articles and assets takes about six weeks. Your team learns it in days, without programming.

Where does the information on n8n come from?

As of October 2026, last checked on 19 Oct 2026. Information on n8n comes from n8n's public documentation, pricing page and legal pages; all sources retrieved on 19 Oct 2026 unless stated otherwise. Prices are taken from the pricing page in euros, billed annually unless stated otherwise. Features that n8n labels as preview are marked as preview here. n8n is a trademark of n8n GmbH. Microsoft, Teams and Agent 365 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. ServiceNow, Jira, Freshservice, Zendesk, Slack, Telegram, Linear, Discord, Twilio, OpenAI and Anthropic are trademarks of their respective owners. Something out of date? Let us know through the [contact form](/unternehmen/kontakt).

nara or n8n

Automation your team doesn't have to build and maintain.

With n8n, technical teams build workflows and AI agents from nodes and code, and look after connections, error handling and upkeep themselves. nara comes with a complete service desk, including a ticket system, approvals and an audit trail. The AI resolves requests in Teams, by phone and right on the laptop, and you describe your processes in your own words.

Book a meeting

Explore the ticket analysis

The difference in brief

n8n is a Berlin-based platform that technical teams use to build workflows and AI agents visually and with code, connecting more than 500 applications, in the cloud or self-hosted. [1][2] It has no ticket system with SLAs and a CMDB; for that, n8n connects to systems such as ServiceNow or Jira. [4]

nara is an AI-native ITSM that automates processes across your company. The AI takes requests in Teams, by phone and in the portal, resolves them in your systems and on the device, and records every step in the ticket. You describe workflows, approvals and permissions in your own words; nara builds them, tests them and only goes live after your approval. Existing n8n workflows can keep running.

Comparison at a glance

Information on n8n comes from n8n's public documentation, pricing page and legal pages. The numbered sources are listed at the end of the page.

Feature

nara

AI-native ITSM

n8n

As of October 2026

What you get

A ready-made service desk and automation across your company, ITSM and AI in one product

A platform on which you build and run workflows and AI agents made of nodes and code [1]

Ticket system, portal, service catalog, SLAs, change, CMDB

Yes, every module in one price

Not included; nodes for ServiceNow, Jira, Freshservice, Zendesk and others [4]

Setting up workflows

In your own words; nara builds, tests in a simulated run and goes live after your approval

In the visual editor from nodes, with JavaScript or Python where needed; n8n Assistant creates workflows from a description, as a preview [5]

AI resolves requests

Yes, from request to resolution, in your systems and on the device

AI Agent node in workflows; standalone agents with model, instructions and tools in preview [6]

Approvals

You decide which steps need approval; approvals happen in Teams, by email, by phone or in the portal

Approval before an AI agent's tool calls, for example through Slack, Teams, Gmail or Outlook; set up in the workflow for all tools or selected ones [7]

Microsoft Teams

Chat, group chats and channels, calls and approvals; nara app in the Microsoft Store; also in Slack

Teams trigger and Teams node for chat messages and approvals in workflows; agent channels are Slack, Telegram, Linear and Discord, Teams through Microsoft Agent 365 as an early preview [6][8][9][23]

Requests by phone

A dedicated phone number and Teams calls; nara recognizes the caller, unlocks accounts and resets passwords during the call

Through providers such as Twilio; the Twilio node sends SMS and places calls that play a text-to-speech message [10]

Fixes on employees' devices

Yes, through nara Edge on Windows, macOS and Linux

Commands run on the machine that runs n8n (self-hosted only, disabled by default since 2.0), over SSH or through the API of a device management tool [11][19]

Audit trail

Every action recorded in the ticket

Execution logs in the cloud for up to 7 days (Starter), 30 days (Pro) or unlimited (Enterprise); audit logs and log streaming on the Enterprise plan [12]

Operation

Cloud in Germany, actions in your network through nara Edge; for large enterprises also entirely in your own data center, AI included

n8n Cloud with data in Frankfurt, or self-hosted; n8n recommends self-hosting for expert users [12][13]

AI data

Processing exclusively in the EU, no training on customer data

Depends on the model provider you connect, including locally run models; for its own AI features, n8n lists OpenAI and Anthropic, among others, with processing in the US [14][15][22]

Billing

ITSM €2.50 per employee per month (€1.75 from the 1,001st), nara plan from €1,500 per month

By executions; cloud from €20 per month for 2,500, Business self-hosted €667 per month for 40,000, billed annually; Enterprise on request [12]

Getting started

Alongside your existing system in 1–⁠2 weeks, full switch in about 6 weeks

Try the cloud free for 14 days; you then build the service desk on top, one workflow at a time [2]

Where nara and n8n overlap

Both automate workflows across several systems, and in both, AI agents work with approvals. The difference lies in what comes ready to use and what your team builds and looks after.

Workflows across many systems

n8n connects more than 500 applications, and others through HTTP requests. [1][19] nara connects any system, with or without an API, including applications in your own network.

AI agents with tools

In n8n, you choose the model, instructions and tools for each agent yourself. [6] In nara, the AI is ready to use and works with the systems and permissions you grant it.

Human approvals

Both pause before sensitive actions and ask first. n8n sends the request through Slack, Teams or email, for example. [7] nara asks in Teams, by email, by phone or in the portal.

From text to workflow

n8n Assistant turns a description into a workflow made of nodes and tests and changes it on request; you review and publish it. The Assistant is a preview. [5] With nara, describing a process is how you set it up and change it.

What you build and run yourself with n8n

n8n lists these points in its documentation. Some apply only if you host n8n yourself.

Error handling

For each workflow, you set an error workflow that starts when an execution fails and sends alerts, for example by email or Slack. [16]

Updates

For self-hosted instances, n8n recommends updating at least monthly, testing updates in a separate environment first and backing everything up beforehand. [17] Version 3.0 removes older nodes and the first version of the AI Agent node; a migration report shows the affected workflows. [18]

Servers and security

According to n8n, self-hosting requires knowledge of servers, containers, scaling and security. [13]

Capacity

Every production workflow run and every turn with an agent counts as an execution, except runs of error workflows. On Business and Enterprise, workflows keep running past the quota; without an upgrade to a higher tier, n8n invoices the overage 45 days later. [6][12]

Where nara leads

Tickets, SLAs and CMDB are already there.

Ticket system, self-service portal, service catalog, problem and change management, SLAs with queues and escalation, email-to-ticket, CMDB with discovery, license management and knowledge base are one product at nara. The AI works directly in it and records every action in the ticket. With n8n, you connect workflows to a ticket system that you run separately. [4]

Explore the ITSM

You describe the process. nara builds it.

“When someone leaves the company, lock their account at 6 p.m. on their last day and get HR’s approval first.” From that sentence, nara builds the process, shows every step, tests it in a simulated run and only goes live after your approval. n8n Assistant, a preview, produces a node workflow that your team is responsible for and, according to n8n, should always review before production use. [5]

Explore all processes

Employees message or call.

In Teams chat, through a Teams call, on a normal phone number, in the portal, by email or in the nara app. On the phone, nara recognizes the caller and unlocks the account or resets the password during the call. Anyone who prefers a person presses 0. With n8n, you connect telephony through providers such as Twilio, whose node sends SMS or places calls that play a text-to-speech message. [10]

nara works right down to the laptop.

An employee reports in Teams that her VPN hasn't connected since the last update. Through nara Edge, nara checks the network and the VPN client, resets the connection and closes the ticket with its findings. nara Edge runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and only opens outbound connections. In n8n, commands run on the machine that runs n8n, over SSH or through the API of a device management tool. [11][19]

Explore nara Edge

nara and n8n side by side

You don't have to switch anything off to start with nara.

Your n8n workflows keep running.

What your team has built in n8n stays in operation. nara takes over the service desk and the processes that need approvals. You decide later what moves.

n8n starts tasks in nara.

An n8n workflow calls nara through its REST API, for example to create a ticket or start an onboarding. Approvals and the audit trail still apply. n8n's HTTP Request node calls any REST API. [19]

nara starts n8n workflows.

As one step in a process, nara calls an n8n workflow through its webhook and writes the result into the ticket. n8n's Webhook node starts workflows from an HTTP call. [19]

What it costs

n8n bills by executions, meaning runs of a workflow. In the cloud, Starter costs €20 per month for 2,500 executions and Pro starts at €50 for 10,000. Business is available self-hosted only, at €667 per month for 40,000 executions; Enterprise is on request. Prices billed annually. [12] On top come a ticket system, telephony, model costs and the effort of building and maintaining workflows.

nara: ITSM at €2.50 per employee per month (€1.75 from the 1,001st employee) with every module and unlimited IT agents, plus a nara plan from €1,500 per month, plus migration at a fixed price per quote. All prices exclude VAT. As long as your old ITSM contract runs, you pay nothing for the ITSM, for up to 12 months.

Your tickets show what nara takes on.

With read access to your ticket system, we show within one to two weeks which requests nara handles from day one and how much time your team gets back. It draws on more than 40 million tickets we have analyzed in customer projects.