We design, build, self-host and maintain n8n workflows that run in production - not demos that break in week two.
13Labs is a Melbourne-based AI development studio. We build the automation, connect it to your real systems, and hand it over under your accounts - with the option to train your team to own it outright. Fixed quotes, no retainer lock-in.
From a single workflow to a fully self-hosted automation platform - scoped, fixed-priced, and built by the same senior engineer you speak to on day one.
We map the manual process, design the n8n workflow, and build it against your real data. Enquiry handling, quote follow-ups, invoicing, reporting, CRM sync - if it follows a pattern, it can run in n8n.
Hardened self-hosted n8n on Australian cloud infrastructure: SSL, backups, version upgrades, and access control done properly. Your data stays on servers you control, in Australia.
Production AI workflows using Claude and GPT inside n8n: enquiry triage, document extraction, draft responses, and multi-step agents that act across your systems with guardrails.
Inherited a tangle of broken automations from a past freelancer? We audit, stabilise, document, and hand back workflows your team can actually understand and rely on.
We build on all three and recommend whichever genuinely fits. Here is the honest comparison we give clients.
| Factor | n8n | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Complex logic, AI agents, scale, data control | Mid-complexity visual workflows | Simple triggers, fastest start |
| Cost at volume | Lowest (flat, especially self-hosted) | Moderate (per-operation) | Highest (per-task) |
| Data control | Full - can self-host in Australia | Cloud only | Cloud only |
| AI workflows | Strongest - native agent + LLM nodes | Good LLM modules | Basic AI steps |
| Learning curve | Steepest - where a consultant helps | Moderate | Easiest |
A 45-minute call walking through where the manual work actually hurts. You leave with a prioritised list of automatable workflows whether or not you hire us.
We scope the highest-value workflows and quote a fixed price. No hourly billing, no open-ended retainers, no surprises.
Workflows are built and tested against your real data, with error handling and monitoring - production quality, not a demo that breaks in week two.
Everything documented and handed over under your accounts. Want your team to own it fully? We train them through buildAutomation.
Melbourne CBD studio at Stone and Chalk. Self-hosted deployments run on Australian cloud regions, which matters for Privacy Act compliance and keeping customer data onshore.
Founder-led delivery. The person who scopes your automation is the person who builds it - a senior engineer who also builds full AI products, not just connects apps.
Workflows live in your instance, under your accounts, fully documented. Ongoing help is optional. Most automation agencies build dependence - we build ownership.
Unique among Australian n8n consultancies: through buildAutomation we train your own staff to build and maintain n8n workflows, so the capability stays in-house.
It depends on the number of workflows, the systems being connected, and whether you want us to host and maintain them. Every 13Labs engagement is quoted as a fixed price after a free automation audit, so you know the full cost before any work begins. There is no hourly billing and no mandatory retainer - many clients start with a single workflow and expand from there.
n8n Cloud is the fastest way to start and fine for most small teams. Self-hosting makes sense when you process sensitive customer data that should stay on Australian infrastructure, when execution volume makes cloud pricing uneconomical, or when you need custom nodes and full control. We set up hardened self-hosted n8n on Australian cloud regions and hand over full access.
Zapier is the easiest to learn but becomes expensive at volume and struggles with complex logic. Make handles branching well at a mid-range price. n8n is the most powerful and the cheapest to run at scale - especially self-hosted - and is the strongest platform for AI agent workflows, but has the steepest learning curve. That learning curve is exactly what a consultant removes. We build on all three and will tell you honestly if n8n is not the right fit.
Almost certainly. n8n has 400+ native integrations covering the common Australian business stack (Xero, HubSpot, Shopify, Google Workspace, Slack, ServiceM8 via API and more), plus generic HTTP and webhook nodes that connect to anything with an API. Where no API exists we can usually bridge with email parsing, file drops, or lightweight custom code nodes.
Yes. n8n is one of the best platforms for production AI workflows: enquiry triage and drafting with Claude or GPT, document extraction, retrieval over your own data, and multi-step agents that take actions across your systems. As an AI development studio, this is our core strength - we build the AI logic and the automation plumbing as one system.
You do - completely. Workflows live in your n8n instance under your accounts, credentials are handed over, and everything is documented. If you never speak to us again, everything keeps running. If you want your team to maintain and extend the workflows themselves, our buildAutomation programme trains them to do exactly that.
Optional, never mandatory. Every build includes a handover period with support. After that you can maintain workflows yourself, have your team trained through buildAutomation, or take a light-touch maintenance arrangement for monitoring, upgrades, and fixes. We deliberately do not build dependence on a retainer.
Yes. We are based in Melbourne CBD at Stone and Chalk, and work with businesses across Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and regional Australia. n8n consulting works well remotely - audits, builds, and handovers all run over video with shared access to your instance.
A free 45-minute automation audit: tell us where the manual work hurts, and leave with a prioritised list of n8n workflows worth building - whether or not you hire us.
Book a Free Automation Audit