The Key Difference: AI-Native vs General Automation

Draft’n Run: Purpose-built for AI workflows with native LLM support, agent orchestration, and production monitoring.

n8n: General automation platform with AI capabilities added through integrations.

Head-to-Head Feature Comparison

Feature	Draft'n Run	n8n	Winner
AI-Native Design	✅ Built for AI	⚠️ AI via plugins	🏆 Draft'n Run
LLM Support	All major LLMs native	Limited, via nodes	🏆 Draft'n Run
Visual Builder	✅ Full visual	✅ Full visual	🤝 Tie
General Integrations	100+ focused	400+ general	🏆 n8n
RAG Capabilities	✅ Built-in	❌ Manual setup	🏆 Draft'n Run
Agent Orchestration	✅ Native support	❌ Not available	🏆 Draft'n Run
Observability	Full tracing & monitoring	Basic logs	🏆 Draft'n Run
Pricing	From $0/mo	From $20/mo cloud	🏆 Draft'n Run
Self-Host Option	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	🤝 Tie
Learning Curve	Easy for AI	Easy for automation	Depends on use case

AI Capabilities Deep Dive

Draft’n Run AI Features

✅ Native LLM Integration

• GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Llama built-in
• Automatic prompt optimization
• Token usage tracking
• Model switching without code changes

✅ Advanced RAG System

• Vector database integration
• Document chunking strategies
• Semantic search
• Hybrid search capabilities

✅ Agent Orchestration

• Multi-agent workflows
• Tool calling native
• Memory management
• Goal-based execution

✅ Production Features

• Distributed tracing
• Error recovery
• A/B testing for prompts
• Cost monitoring

n8n AI Features

⚠️ Basic LLM Support

• OpenAI node available
• Manual prompt management
• Limited model options
• Custom code needed for advanced features

⚠️ Manual RAG Setup

• Build your own with nodes
• No built-in vector support
• Complex configuration
• Performance limitations

❌ No Agent Support

• Single-shot LLM calls only
• No memory management
• No tool calling framework
• Limited context handling

⚠️ Basic Monitoring

• Standard workflow logs
• No AI-specific metrics
• Manual cost tracking
• Limited debugging for AI

Pricing Comparison

Draft’n Run Pricing

Free Tier:        $0/mo
- 1,000 runs/month
- All AI features
- Community support

Pro:              $49/mo
- 10,000 runs/month
- Priority support
- Advanced monitoring

Enterprise:       Custom
- Unlimited runs
- SLA guarantees
- Custom deployment

n8n Pricing

Self-Hosted:      Free
- Unlimited workflows
- Your infrastructure
- No support

Cloud Starter:    $20/mo
- 2,500 executions
- 5 workflows
- Basic support

Cloud Pro:        $50/mo
- 10,000 executions
- 15 workflows
- Priority support

Workflow Examples

AI Customer Support Bot

Draft’n Run Implementation:

workflow:
  - component: ChatInterface
    config:
      streaming: true
  - component: RAGRetrieval
    config:
      index: "support_docs"
      top_k: 5
  - component: LLMResponse
    config:
      model: "gpt-4"
      temperature: 0.7
  - component: SentimentAnalysis
  - component: ConditionalRouting
    routes:
      - negative: "escalate_to_human"
      - positive: "close_ticket"

n8n Implementation:

// Requires multiple nodes and custom code:
// 1. Webhook trigger
// 2. Custom code for embedding
// 3. HTTP request to vector DB
// 4. OpenAI node for response
// 5. Custom sentiment analysis
// 6. Switch node for routing
// Much more complex configuration needed

Migration Scenarios

When to Choose Draft’n Run Over n8n

✅ Choose Draft’n Run if you need:

• Production AI workflows
• Multi-LLM support
• RAG/semantic search
• Agent orchestration
• AI-specific monitoring
• Prompt management
• Token optimization

When to Stick with n8n

✅ Stay with n8n if you need:

• General automation (non-AI)
• 400+ integrations
• Simple workflows
• Existing n8n expertise
• Basic automation with occasional AI

Migration Guide: n8n to Draft’n Run

Step 1: Export n8n Workflows

# Export from n8n
n8n export:workflow --all --output=workflows.json

Step 2: Import to Draft’n Run

# Draft'n Run import script
from draftnrun import WorkflowImporter

importer = WorkflowImporter()
importer.from_n8n("workflows.json")
importer.enhance_with_ai()  # Add AI capabilities
importer.deploy()

Step 3: Enhance with AI Features

• Add RAG to search workflows
• Replace basic logic with LLM decisions
• Add monitoring and tracing
• Implement prompt optimization

Real User Testimonials

“We migrated from n8n to Draft’n Run when we needed real AI capabilities. The difference in AI features is night and day.” — Sarah Chen, CTO at TechCorp

“n8n is great for general automation, but Draft’n Run is essential for our AI agents. We use both.” — Mike Rodriguez, Head of AI

“The built-in RAG and agent orchestration saved us 3 months of development time.” — Lisa Park, Engineering Lead

Performance Benchmarks

Metric	Draft’n Run	n8n
AI Workflow Setup	10 minutes	2+ hours
LLM Response Time	0.8s average	1.2s average
RAG Search Speed	50ms	200ms+ (custom)
Memory Usage	256MB base	512MB base
Concurrent AI Calls	1000+	Limited by setup
Token Efficiency	30% savings	Manual optimization

Integration Ecosystem

Draft’n Run Integrations (AI-Focused)

• LLMs: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Cohere, Hugging Face
• Vector DBs: Pinecone, Qdrant, Weaviate, Chroma
• Data: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
• Business: Slack, Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce
• Dev Tools: GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Linear

n8n Integrations (General Purpose)

• 400+ nodes covering most SaaS tools
• Limited AI: Basic OpenAI node
• Strong in: Marketing automation, CRM, databases
• Weak in: AI, ML, vector databases, agents

Decision Matrix

Why Teams Switch to Draft’n Run

1. True AI-Native Platform

Unlike n8n’s bolt-on AI nodes, Draft’n Run was built from the ground up for AI workflows.

2. Production-Ready from Day One

Built-in monitoring, tracing, and error handling that n8n lacks for AI workloads.

3. Cost Optimization

Automatic prompt optimization and token management can reduce AI costs by 30-40%.

4. Agent Orchestration

Build complex multi-agent systems impossible in n8n.

5. Enterprise Features

SLA guarantees, compliance tools, and enterprise support.

Try Both Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use both Draft'n Run and n8n together?

Yes! Many teams use n8n for general automation and Draft’n Run for AI workflows. They can communicate via webhooks and APIs.

How hard is it to migrate from n8n?

Basic workflows can be migrated in hours. Complex workflows may take 1-2 days. We provide migration tools and support to help.

Does Draft'n Run support all n8n integrations?

No, Draft’n Run focuses on AI-relevant integrations (100+ vs n8n’s 400+). However, you can connect to any API via custom nodes.

Which is better for non-technical users?

Both have visual builders, but Draft’n Run is easier for AI workflows while n8n is simpler for basic automation.

Final Verdict

For AI Workflows: Draft’n Run is the clear winner with purpose-built AI features.

For General Automation: n8n remains strong for non-AI automation needs.

Best Approach: Use Draft’n Run for AI and keep n8n for general automation if needed.

Related Comparisons & Resources

More Platform Comparisons:

• Make vs Zapier vs Draft’n Run - Compare all major automation platforms
• Draft’n Run vs AirOps - AI workflow platform comparison
• LangChain vs AutoGPT - AI framework comparison
• CrewAI vs LangChain - Multi-agent framework comparison

Alternative Platform Guides:

• n8n Alternatives - Complete guide to n8n alternatives
• Using n8n for AI - Best practices for AI with n8n
• Zapier Alternatives - Zapier alternatives for AI
• Make Alternatives - Make (Integromat) alternatives

Draft’n Run Platform:

• AI Workflow Builder - Visual workflow builder overview
• AI Chatbot Platform - Build production AI chatbots
• AI Automation - End-to-end automation platform
• Integration Library - 100+ pre-built integrations
• Templates - Ready-to-deploy workflows
• Pricing - Transparent pricing plans
• Request Demo - See Draft’n Run in action