Self-hosted workflow automation with n8n and Windmill, operated for you

n8n and Windmill on your servers or in Pilae Cloud, connected to your ERP, CRM and internal systems, scaled with queue workers and operated under an SLA.

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Engines: n8n for visual workflows, Windmill for scripts
Connects to: ERP, CRM, databases and internal APIs on your private network
Scaling: Queue mode with separate workers
Hosting: Your premises, or any of 12 Pilae Cloud regions, six of them in Switzerland and the EU

Automation that runs next to the systems it touches

A workflow that moves invoices, orders or customer records carries the credentials to your most sensitive systems. It belongs inside your perimeter, run like the production system it is.

Next to your ERP and CRM

Workflows reach SAP, Abacus, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce or your own APIs over the private network. No system has to be opened to the internet for a flow to reach it.

Queue mode, sized to load

n8n runs in queue mode with a Redis queue and separate workers. Windmill runs its own worker groups. Long runs and bursts do not block the editor or each other.

Credentials kept on your side

Credentials are encrypted at rest in the app database. For n8n, the encryption key is held outside that database. No credential passes through a third-party automation cloud.

Webhooks through one gate

Inbound webhooks enter through one hardened gate on port 443, restricted to the paths you publish. The editor answers only on the private mesh, behind your sign-in.

Every run on record

Execution history is kept per workflow, failed runs raise an alert, and every change Pilae makes to the platform is recorded in the console audit log.

Watched around the clock

60-second probes on the editor, the webhook endpoint and the workers. Alerts reach Pilae engineers at any hour.

Why run workflow automation yourself

An automation platform holds keys to everything it connects: the ERP, the CRM, the mailbox, the file shares. In a hosted automation cloud, those keys and every record a flow touches pass through the vendor’s servers. Per-task pricing also grows with every flow that works well.

Running n8n and Windmill yourself keeps the credentials and the data on machines you control, and the platform sits next to the systems it talks to. The cost is that someone has to run it: upgrades, workers, queues, backups and the webhook that stopped answering on a Sunday. That is the part we take on.

n8n and Windmill, run as production systems

We deploy the engines on your premises or on dedicated machines in Pilae Cloud, with PostgreSQL, a queue and workers sized to your load. The editors answer only on the private network. Webhooks come in through one hardened gate.

The Pilae Agent checks each new release against your workflows, takes a backup, and waits for your approval before it upgrades. Monitoring probes the editor, the webhook endpoint and the workers every 60 seconds.

Connected to your ERP and CRM

We connect the systems your flows depend on, with a dedicated service account for each and only the rights it needs. For teams leaving a hosted tool, we rebuild the existing flows at a fixed price: see the Zapier alternative and the guide to moving from Zapier to n8n. To start, tell us about your project.

How we deliver it

Map
We list the systems to connect, the flows you run today, their volumes and who owns each one.
Deploy
We install n8n, Windmill or both, with PostgreSQL, the queue and workers, on your private network.
Connect
We set up the connections to your ERP, CRM and databases, with a service account per system and the least rights it needs.
Build or migrate
We rebuild the flows you run elsewhere, or build the first new ones with your team, each with a test.
Operate
We run the platform under an SLA: monitoring, backups, and updates planned by the Pilae Agent and approved by you.

What your contract includes

Scope: The engines, environments and connected systems, listed in the contract.
Availability: A 99.9% monthly availability commitment, with service credits if we miss it.
Backups: Daily and encrypted, workflows and credentials included, stored offsite in your chosen country, restore tested every month.
Updates: New n8n and Windmill releases checked against your workflows, planned by the agent and applied in your window.
Data location: Named in the contract. Workflow data and execution logs stay there.

The apps behind it

n8n

Workflow automation your own team writes, running next to the systems it talks to instead of reaching them across the internet.

Replaces Zapier, Make

Windmill

Scripts, workflows and internal tools in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash or SQL, run by workers on your own machines and operated by Pilae.

Replaces Retool Workflows

PostgreSQL

Managed PostgreSQL on dedicated machines in Switzerland, the EU or your own datacentre, with backups you can restore to the minute and upgrades you approve.

Replaces Amazon RDS, Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Keycloak

Single sign-on for everything else you run, with your own directory as the source of truth and no per-seat bill between you and it.

Replaces Okta, Microsoft Entra ID

Odoo Community

Open-source ERP for sales, invoicing, inventory, purchasing and manufacturing, operated on your own servers or dedicated machines in Switzerland and the EU.

Replaces SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics

Twenty

An open-source CRM for contacts, companies and deals, with a data model you shape yourself, operated on your servers or dedicated machines in Switzerland and the EU.

Replaces Salesforce, HubSpot CRM

Questions

What is the difference between n8n and Windmill?

n8n is a visual workflow editor with hundreds of ready-made connectors, suited to flows that business teams can read and change. Windmill runs scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash and SQL as jobs, flows and small internal apps, suited to engineers. Many teams run both, and we operate either or both.

Under which licences do n8n and Windmill ship?

n8n ships under the Sustainable Use Licence, which is source-available rather than open source and allows internal business use. Windmill's Community Edition is AGPL-3.0, with conditions in its licence file on serving it as a managed service, and some features are Enterprise-only under a commercial licence. We settle the arrangement with Windmill Labs before deployment, tell you which features need a paid licence and write both into your proposal.

Can the workflows reach systems that are not on the internet?

Yes. The automation platform sits on the same private network as your ERP, CRM and databases, on premises or connected to Pilae Cloud over the private mesh. A flow reaches an internal system without that system being exposed to the internet.

What is n8n queue mode?

In queue mode, the main n8n instance hands each execution to a Redis queue and separate worker processes run it. Adding workers adds capacity, and a heavy run does not slow the editor or the webhook endpoint.

Can you move our workflows off Zapier or Make?

Yes. We list each zap or scenario, rebuild it in n8n, test it against the original and run both side by side until your team switches. The migration is quoted at a fixed price.

How much does self-hosted workflow automation cost?

Pricing is on request. It depends on the engines, the number of environments and workers, and the level of operations. There are no per-task fees from Pilae.

Solutions

Show us the flows you want to run.

A call with an engineer: we look at the systems you need to connect and propose the engine, the layout and a fixed price.