Introducing n8n 2.0

Today we’re releasing n8n version 2.0.0 BETA

If you've been around software long enough, you know that major version bumps usually mean shiny new features, dramatic redesigns, the works. And with over two years since we released n8n 1.0, a lot of people were expecting something similar.

But that's not what this release is about. And honestly? That's a good thing.

Why 2.0?

n8n follows semantic versioning. That means not shipping breaking changes (updates that might require you to change your workflows or configuration) without incrementing the major version number.

Since 1.0 launched in July 2023, we've accumulated a list of improvements we've been eager to make: security hardening, reliability fixes, and deprecations of features that were causing instability. Every one of these required a breaking change. Every one of them had to wait.

Version 2.0 incorporates all of those improvements and strengthens n8n's position as an enterprise-grade platform, with enhanced security, reliability, and scalability for mission-critical workflows.

Going forward, we won't be waiting this long between major releases. We're planning to ship one to two major versions per year, allowing us to iterate faster and ship improvements without long delays.

The focus of 2.0: Security, reliability, and performance

Security

We've tightened defaults across the board to make n8n significantly more secure out of the box.

The biggest change: task runners are now enabled by default, meaning all Code node executions run in isolated environments with limited access. We've also blocked environment variables from Code nodes and disabled nodes that allow arbitrary command execution by default.

The theme is "secure by default." If your workflows rely on any of the previous, more permissive behaviors, you can still enable them, but you'll need to do so explicitly.

Reliability

We're simplifying the platform by removing legacy options and fixing a few cases that caused confusion or edge-case bugs.

For example, sub workflows with Wait nodes now correctly return data from the end of the workflow (instead of the input to the Wait node), and we've removed nodes for services that no longer exist. Less optionality, fewer edge cases, more predictable behavior.

Performance

We're not claiming dramatic speed improvements, but we are removing things that caused slowdowns. The new SQLite pooling driver alone can be up to 10x faster in our benchmarks. Filesystem-based binary data handling is more predictable under load. And task runners, while primarily a security feature, also provide better isolation and resource management.

Improvements you’ll see right away

While the core of 2.0 is under-the-hood, we’re also shipping a safer way to update live workflows and a few UI/UX improvements:

Publish / Save
n8n v2.0 introduces a new deliberate, safer paradigm for pushing workflow changes live to production: Publish / Save.

In versions 1.x, saving an activated workflow instantly updated production. In v2.0, the Save button preserves your edits without changing what’s live. We’ve added a new Publish button as a separate, explicit action to update the live version when you’re ready.

Check out our docs for a detailed explanation.

This change also lays the groundwork for our Autosave feature which is coming in a few weeks (January 2026).

Improved canvas look and feel.
We made some subtle refinements to the workflow editor canvas so it looks even better, and are working on further improvements.

Updated sidebar navigation.
We've reorganized the sidebar to make it easier to find what you need. Small change, big quality-of-life improvement.

Check if you're ready: the Migration Report

We've built a tool to take the guesswork out of upgrading where you can see exactly which workflows and configurations need attention before you upgrade.

The report organizes issues into two categories: workflow-level issues (specific nodes or behaviors that will break) and instance-level issues (environment variables and server configuration). Each issue is tagged by severity — critical issues will break workflows, so fix those first. Medium and low severity items can wait, but you'll want to address them eventually.

Once you've worked through the list and hit refresh, a clean report means you're ready to upgrade.

Details in the migration tool docs.

Reflecting on the journey: 1.0 → 2.0

A major version release feels like the right moment to pause and acknowledge how far we've come.

When we released n8n 1.0 in July 2023, it was a milestone: the moment n8n stepped onto the stage as a production-ready platform. Since then:

• GitHub stars: from ~30,000 to over 160,000 stars 🌟
• Community: from 6,267 to 115,192 members in our community forum.
• Team: We've grown from 30 to over 190 people
• Releases: Over 120 new releases (almost every week)

None of this happens without you: the community members who file issues, build nodes, answer questions in the forum, create tutorials, and push n8n to be better every day. This release, like every release, is built on your feedback and contributions.

And of course our engineering team of over 50 people who have been working tirelessly to make this happen.

Thank you all.

We have a lot of exciting new features coming soon so stay tuned!

FAQ: What you need to know

When is this happening?

• Beta (2.0.0): December 8th
• Stable (2.0.x): December 15th

Follow our release notes page for the latest updates.

What are the breaking changes?

We've documented all breaking changes and migration paths in our dedicated 2.0 breaking changes guide.

How do I know if I'm affected by the breaking changes?

We've built a Migration Report tool that shows workflow-level and instance-level issues you need to address before upgrading. Find it in your n8n instance under Settings → Migration Report (available since version 1.121.0, visible to global admins only).

Details in the migration tool docs.

Does the community edition get all 2.0 updates?

Yes. All changes in 2.0 apply to all versions of n8n: Self-hosted (Community), Cloud, and Enterprise versions.

What happens to version 1.x?

Version 1.x will continue to be supported for 3 months after the 2.0 release. During this period, it will receive security and bug fixes only — no new features will be added.

What if I have questions?

Ask in the community forum — reply to our announcement post and we'll help you out.

Get ready for 2.0

1. Review the breaking changes.
2. Check your Migration Report.
3. Questions? Ask in the community.

Here's to what's next!

— The entire n8n Team