How to Use n8n AI Agent for Free Locally on Your System (Step by Step Guide)

Ever wished you could automate repetitive tasks without paying for expensive tools? That’s where n8n comes in. It’s an open-source AI agent and automation builder that lets you connect apps, trigger workflows, and even add AI-powered decision-making — all for free, right on your computer.

In this post, I’ll give you a simple, step by step guide on how to set up n8n locally, so you can start experimenting with automation without spending a dime. If you’d like to dive deeper into the platform itself, check out the official site at n8n.io.

Why n8n?

Before jumping into setup, let’s answer the big question: why should you care about n8n?

• It’s open-source → no monthly subscription fees, and you own your workflows.
• Super flexible → works with 300+ apps and services.
• AI-ready → you can integrate AI models into your workflows, turning it into a lightweight autonomous AI agent.
• Runs anywhere → cloud, Docker, or locally on your laptop.

So, if you’ve been curious about automation tools like Zapier or Make but don’t want to pay, n8n is the free, customizable alternative.

How to Use n8n Locally (Free Setup)

Let’s walk through this step by step:

1. Install Node.js (if you don’t have it yet)

n8n runs on Node.js, so first download and install it from Node.js official site.

2. Install n8n via npm

Once Node.js is ready, open your terminal or command prompt and run:

npm install n8n -g

This installs n8n globally on your system.

3. Start n8n

Run this command:

n8n

You’ll see n8n spin up, and it should tell you it’s running on http://localhost:5678.

4. Open the Editor

Go to your browser and visit:

👉 http://localhost:5678

This will open the n8n visual editor, where you can start building workflows with drag-and-drop blocks.

5. Build Your First Workflow

• Add a trigger (e.g., “When a new email arrives”).
• Add an action (e.g., “Send Slack notification” or “Save data to Google Sheets”).
• Chain them together.

Boom 💥 — you’ve just automated something for free.

Bonus: Using n8n as an AI Agent

Here’s where things get exciting. Since n8n supports API integrations, you can plug in AI models like OpenAI or Hugging Face. That means you can:

• Auto-generate content when new data arrives
• Summarize documents instantly
• Build a mini autonomous AI agent that reacts to your tasks

This makes n8n not just a workflow tool, but a playground for creative automation.

Why This Matters

Learning to run n8n locally for free is like unlocking a cheat code. You:

• Save money on SaaS automation tools
• Gain full control of your workflows and data
• Get the flexibility to experiment with AI + automation at your own pace

And since it’s open-source, the community around n8n is constantly growing with new nodes, ideas, and use cases.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been looking for a step by step guide to using n8n locally, I hope this helped. It’s free, powerful, and the perfect playground if you’re curious about building your own AI-driven automations.

👉 Start here: n8n.io — and in just a few minutes, you’ll be running your own AI agent on your laptop.