Otto's research, targeting and send steps arrive already built, with the send step pausing for your decision; n8n gives you the workflow canvas and leaves you to build and maintain every step yourself. That's the real choice this page compares.
n8n's own site describes it as letting you "build visually, go deep with code, connect to anything," self-hosted with "the entire source code on Github" and a start that's free. Otto's open-source predecessor, autogtm, is also free and self-hosted, 91 commits under an MIT license, but Otto itself, the hosted product built on that method, has no published price. GTME Pulse's 2026 analysis of the GTM Engineer job market found 3,000+ open roles for that title, growing 205% year over year, with 69% of postings mentioning Clay, the enrichment gap a from-scratch n8n build still has to solve on its own.
Otto vs n8n: Which should you pick?
Pick n8n if you want to build the workflow yourself, node by node, and you're ready to wire in your own enrichment and sending APIs separately. Pick Otto if you want the research, targeting and approval-gated send steps already built, with the method itself, not just the workflow canvas, published and editable.
Why choose Otto over n8n?
What arrives built
n8n gives you the canvas: nodes, code steps and API connections, but no outreach logic of its own. Otto's sequence and send steps arrive built, with the send step parking for your decision, and the underlying research and targeting method published as 91 MIT-licensed commits in autogtm.
Pricing
n8n is free to self-host. autogtm, Otto's open-source predecessor, is also free and self-hosted. Otto, the hosted product, has no published price yet.
Getting started
To try n8n, you deploy it yourself with Docker and start building workflows from its own source. To try Otto, drop in your website and the run begins.
Ready to see the research before anything sends? start with your website.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free?
Yes. n8n's own site says to "get started for free," and it's self-hosted with source access on GitHub.
Is Otto free?
Otto itself has no published price. Its open-source predecessor, autogtm, is free and self-hosted under an MIT license.
Does n8n include lead enrichment?
No. n8n connects workflows to APIs, including enrichment APIs, but doesn't provide the underlying data itself.
How many GTM Engineer roles mention Clay?
GTME Pulse's 2026 analysis found Clay named in 69% of GTM Engineer job postings, among 3,000+ open roles that grew 205% year over year.
What's the setup step for Otto?
Drop in your website; the run starts from there.
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