n8n vs. Dify vs. GPTs: What You Can Build, Where It Runs, Pricing

Prices and terms in this article were checked on each company's official pages on October 2, 2026. Prices and plans can change. Before you use any of them, check the latest details via the sources at the end.

Quick comparison

n8n: workflows that connect tools

n8n is a workflow automation tool. It connects services such as email, spreadsheets and CRM with nodes and processes them in a set flow. According to its pricing page, every plan includes AI agent, MCP and AI nodes.

Where it runs

You can run it on the cloud operated by n8n or install it on your own server. The self-hosted version is called the Community edition and is published on GitHub. The official docs say you can keep using the Community edition without a license fee. You cover server costs and maintenance yourself.

How pricing is counted

Paid plan prices depend on the number of workflow executions per month. No matter how many steps a workflow has, one full run from start to finish counts as one execution. All plans allow unlimited users and workflows.

Dify: build and publish AI apps

Dify is an open-source platform for building AI apps. App types include Workflow, Chatflow, Agent, chatbot and text generator.

• Workflow: takes an input, processes it from start to finish in one run, and returns a result
• Chatflow: a Workflow with a conversation layer. It runs the flow on each message and replies
• Agent: a chat-style app where the AI model reasons, decides and uses tools on its own

You can publish apps as a web app, an API, an embed on a website, or an MCP server. A Knowledge feature also lets you import documents and data so the app can search and cite them.

Where it runs and pricing

You can run it on the cloud operated by Dify (Dify Cloud) or install it on your own server. The self-hosted Community Edition is the open-source version installed with Docker. The pricing page lists it as a version with no charge, used under the Dify Open Source License.

Message credits are for trying models such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini inside Dify. How fast they run down depends on the model. Once used up, you can switch to your own API key.

GPTs: configurations used inside ChatGPT

A GPT is a version of ChatGPT configured for a specific purpose. You build it by combining instructions, conversation starters, knowledge (reference files), capabilities, and apps or actions. You can attach up to 20 files per GPT as knowledge, up to 512 MB each. Apps and actions cannot be used at the same time.

Users only need to sign in to ChatGPT. OpenAI's help center says GPTs are available to all ChatGPT users.

Who can create them, and the retirement schedule

As of October 2026, personal ChatGPT accounts (the no-cost tier, Go, Plus and Pro) can neither create nor publish new GPTs. They can be created in Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces where settings and permissions allow. Creation and editing happen on the web; the mobile apps support use only.

OpenAI has announced it will retire custom GPTs and recommends moving to plugins. The scheduled retirement date is December 11, 2026. For Enterprise workspaces with an approved extension, it is February 11, 2027. After the retirement date, GPTs and their pages can no longer be accessed.

In the migration, a GPT's instructions become a plugin skill, and knowledge files are copied as reference files. Custom actions are not carried over. Sharing settings are not carried over either; migrated plugins are created as private.

How pricing is counted differently

The three count pricing differently, so lining up amounts does not give a fair comparison. First pin down what you pay for.

• n8n: how many times workflows run. It does not grow with the number of steps
• Dify: an annual fee per workspace. AI model usage comes from message credits or your own API key
• GPTs: used with a ChatGPT account. Builders need an eligible workspace

If you self-host, both n8n and Dify incur server costs and maintenance work. With either, calling AI models with your own API key means separate bills from the model provider.

Who each one suits

If you are building something new, n8n or Dify are the options. If you have something built with GPTs, check the retirement schedule and how to migrate.

Cloud or your own server

Both n8n and Dify run in the cloud or on your own server. In the cloud, n8n or Dify handles server setup and updates. In exchange, each plan has limits: executions for n8n, and app count and message credits for Dify.

On your own server, the limits come from your server's capacity. In exchange, you handle server costs, updates, incident response and data storage. If you sell what you build, where it runs changes what you hand to the buyer and what work you keep doing.

What to watch when selling what you build

When you sell a workflow or app you built, also check the tool's license.

• n8n: the self-hosted version is offered under the Sustainable Use License. The license FAQ allows charging customers for building, configuring and maintaining workflows, but does not allow hosting n8n as a service and letting customers build workflows on it
• Dify: commercial use is allowed. However, you need a commercial license to run a multi-tenant environment (one tenant is one workspace) with Dify's source code without written permission, or to remove the logo or copyright notice in the console or apps while using the frontend
• GPTs: retirement is scheduled. If you sell one, you need to explain to buyers what happens after the retirement date

For a detailed look at sales methods and licenses, see How to Sell Your AI Agent.

List on Employee Store

Employee Store is a marketplace where companies can adopt AI agents built by developers, with a one-time purchase or a monthly plan. Any format is welcome, including n8n and Dify workflows and in-house agents. One person (or one company) can list multiple AIs.

There is no listing fee and no upfront cost. The commission is 20% of the deal amount and applies only when a deal closes. See the seller guide for details.