Is n8n suitable for powering workflows in a multi-user SaaS application?

Hi there!

I’m thinking about using n8n to handle workflows for a SaaS product I’m developing. The idea is to let users manage and create their own workflows through my app’s interface while n8n runs everything in the background.

I’m curious about a few things:

  1. Can n8n handle multiple users reliably?
  2. Is it possible to make and control workflows for each customer separately?
  3. Should I host it myself or use their cloud option?
  4. How does n8n deal with things like security between different users’ workflows?

Has anyone tried something like this before? I’d love to hear about your experience or if you think it’s a good idea. Thanks!

I’ve been using n8n in a similar setup for about a year now, and it’s been quite effective. It does handle multiple users well, and you can definitely create separate workflows for each customer. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Performance can be an issue as you scale up. We had to do some serious optimization when we hit around 500 active users with complex workflows. Also, while n8n has built-in security features, we found we needed to add our own additional layer to truly isolate user data.

As for hosting, we started with self-hosted but moved to their cloud option as we grew. It was just easier to manage, though it did mean giving up some control. If you go self-hosted, make sure you have the resources to keep it updated and secure.

One unexpected challenge was educating users on building efficient workflows. We ended up creating quite a bit of documentation and some video tutorials to help them out. Overall, though, n8n has been a solid choice for us.

I’ve used n8n for a similar setup in a multi-tenant SaaS application. It handles multiple users well, allowing separate workflow management for each customer. Security-wise, n8n supports user isolation, but you’ll need to implement additional measures to ensure complete separation.

Hosting decision depends on your scale and control needs. Self-hosting offers more customization but requires maintenance, while the cloud option is convenient but may have limitations.

One challenge encountered was performance degradation at scale. As user count and workflow complexity increased, optimizing the system and incorporating caching mechanisms became essential. Also, consider how you’ll manage workflow versioning and rollbacks.

Overall, n8n is a viable solution for this use case, but it demands careful architecture and thorough security planning. Testing under expected operational loads is advisable before full deployment.

hey, i’ve used n8n for somethin similar. it’s pretty good with multiple users and separating workflows. but watch out for performance issues when you get lots of users.

we host it ourselves, gives more control but more work too. security’s decent but you might wanna add extra layers.

one thing - the UI can be tricky for some users. we had to make guides to help em out. overall tho, it’s solid for what ur lookin to do.