OpCon vs n8n comparison

n8n.io and SMA Technologies are both solutions in the Workload Automation category. n8n.io is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4, while SMA Technologies is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0. Additionally, 100% of n8n.io users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of SMA Technologies users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2026

OpCon and n8n compete in the automation software market. OpCon holds an advantage in robust enterprise solutions, while n8n leads in low-code flexibility and pre-built integrations.

Features: OpCon supports complex environments with features like auto-scheduling, batch-processing, and integration with Corelation Keystone. Additionally, it offers a self-service solution for non-technical staff to perform tasks independently. n8n offers ease of configuration through a low-code interface, adaptability, and 200+ pre-built integrations for diverse application connectivity.

Room for Improvement: OpCon faces challenges with its steep learning curve and UI enhancement needs, particularly as users transition to a web-based system. Its integration features could be made more user-friendly. n8n could enhance scalability for larger environments, improve UI, and provide better documentation, particularly for beginners and AI enhancements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpCon is primarily on-premises but supports public clouds, with customer service perceived as responsive yet inconsistent. n8n supports on-premises and cloud, delivering flexibility in deployment and generally strong customer service, although initial setup can be complex.

Pricing and ROI: OpCon's pricing reflects its value in large-scale automation, with significant ROI in labor savings and operational reliability. n8n’s pricing is seen as potentially high for large setups, but its open-source nature offers cost advantages, with users noting improved efficiency and scalability.

To learn more, read our detailed OpCon vs. n8n Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

OpCon vs. n8n

January 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

JAMS

Featured Reviews

reviewer2770605

Cloud Engineer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees

Has streamlined complex job scheduling across scripting languages while reducing manual effort

JAMS could be improved with a web client that is accessible and as fast as a normal website, eliminating the need to RDP to the servers to access the JAMS client. A functionality running on the JAMS server to continuously check the JAMS agents would ensure they are working properly. If an agent is not responding, a feature to restart the service from the job server machine would be beneficial. The upgrade process, particularly when switching from V6 to V7, could be clearer in terms of documentation, ideally with screenshots showing exactly what needs to be done on each screen.

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Noach Ramallo

ERP recommendation specialist at a non-tech company with 1-10 employees

Automation has transformed complex workflows and has empowered non‑technical teams to build flows

Regarding improvements for n8n, I would highlight two areas. First, while there is a growing community, the ecosystem of pre-built nodes for niche or proprietary systems still lags behind some commercial competitors. I often have to build custom HTTP request nodes or create my own node packages, which is doable but adds to project timelines. Second, features for team collaboration and lifecycle management are still evolving. Moving workflows from development to staging to production can be a manual export-import process, and native Git integration and more robust user roles for larger client teams would be a game-changer. Regarding needed improvements, I believe much of the existing documentation is not peer-reviewed. There is definitely a big community, but if the documentation or tutorials were approved or at least had a badge from n8n, customers would feel that this meets the standards of n8n editors themselves, which would give more confidence in the flows.

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Jose Rivera Hernandez

Senior VP of Technology at Triangle Credit Union

Helps automate all kinds of jobs and it's worth the price because it saves a lot of time and money

One problem that I had with them when we got SMA Technologies is that sometimes the jobs fail, but they automatically restart. SMA Technologies automatically gets a notification that the job has failed, and they restart it on their end, so now, we have the job restarting twice. There were times when we came into the office in the morning, and we had two files because the job ran twice. I do not know if the system can prevent a job from running the second time. If a job has run successfully, or it is running, it should not run again.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The user-friendly and adaptable scheduler allows us to manage various scheduling scenarios."

"The alerting in it is really targeted... you can set specific alerting so that if jobs in a given folder fail, certain people are alerted. You can also set security at the folder level, so that only people in those areas can go set them. That means that the alerting and security can be set at a very granular level."

"We looked at other companies, like VisualCron, that were cheaper, but one of the main sticking points was the fact that they wouldn't have provided a central location for us to monitor across all servers. That was one of the biggest selling points of JAMS."

"The product is easy to use."

"While I appreciate the other features, the agent stands out for its ease of installation and configuration for JAMS monitoring."

"The ability to sequence jobs is excellent; it means we don't have to schedule them individually, and if one fails, it doesn't unwind the entire workflow."

"The overall product is fantastic. I love it. It has been a fantastic, solid product. If I have one tiny bit of a problem with it, the support team gets in touch with me right away. I don't know if I've had another service that has been as fantastic as the JAMS support team."

"The most valuable feature for us is that it's DR-ready. With respect to disaster recovery, it has the built-in capability for failover to our DR site. If all of the required ports are open, it can be done seamlessly."

More JAMS pros

"The user-friendly interface positively impacted the team's workflow efficiency."

"n8n is a really good automation platform where I can use it to automate my businesses and processes and also save money and time."

"The capability of n8n to connect different applications and automate tasks while supporting over 200 pre-built integrations is pretty effective."

"For lead generation, I gave all the contacts to n8n and made it write the email and automated the email sending workflow for lead generation, and the conversion rate was around 70%."

"The low-code interface and the quick code writing within n8n that we can do and utilize is very helpful; it brings in efficiency, better time to market, and actually helps us."

"Our business is growing faster because we have created workflows that help us improve our business."

"n8n helps automate jobs that no one enjoys doing, which are very repetitive, and it saves time and money because it handles those boring tasks that can now be automated."

"With n8n, the limit is just the sky."

More n8n pros

"The greatness of it is the flexibility of the scheduling and the integration of all platforms and processes. We have integrated it with everything from AIX to Microsoft Servers; with pretty much anything that we can."

"I find OpCon's ability to monitor files and folders, and its integration with other software to be the most valuable."

"It seems like it would scale well."

"One of the advantages of OpCon is the ability to use the API and web services. We couldn't do that with our previous solution. We have been able to change our procedure for ticketing. When a job is down, we can immediately create a ticket from OpCon in our ticketing solution, which is ServiceNow, using the web services."

"My favorite feature is the dashboard feature, which shows jobs that are running, and completed, any failures, and provides dashboard reporting."

"The automation of processes is the most valuable feature. One of the major hurdles for us over the last few years, before we found OpCon, was to make our nightly process happen automatically. Being a bank, we have nightly update processes that have to happen for posting transactions, for example, and it was a huge load off our department to have that automated."

"Since we got it configured, it has just done the job day in, day out. Being able to rely on it and know that it's going to happen, whether there's a person over it or not, is really good."

"It allows us to organize everything into a process flow throughout the day for our different tasks that we have to run. So, it keeps everything organized. It is easy to monitor and adjust, if we need to."

More OpCon pros

Cons

"JAMS notifications for hung jobs could be improved."

"JAMS doesn't allow us to implement SOC controls. We are a company that trades stocks on the New York Stock Exchange, so all our transactions are audited. It has a feature that saves the file for only a month but doesn't segregate the data between finance and SOC-related compliance."

"The error messages from JAMS often need clarification, hindering our ability to resolve issues swiftly."

"The client is horrible. Every time JAMS puts out a survey on what they can improve, I always say, "The client: When you are setting up jobs, it is quite horrible." The response has been, "Well, we are just using the Windows foundation," and I am like, "Why isn't it only your product?" We can get around it now that we know its quirks, but it is not the most user-friendly of tools out there. The UI is completely unintuitive. We had to go and open up a support ticket with JAMS just to get something back. It is not user-friendly at all."

"As an admin, I would like to have a web-based GUI instead of a client application that we have to install on our PCs."

"JAMS has built-in reporting. I've never really used it. I tried using it a few years ago and I couldn't figure it out. It was wonky. It could be improved upon."

"Sometimes the UI is not the most responsive I've ever used. But because it does its job, I don't complain."

"I would like a simple web interface that I could give to my team to go in and kill jobs or see why jobs died so that we don't have to drill down deeper into the application and know everything about it. It would be good to have a really clean web engine that would say here are the jobs running. We can then click to see the time running and whether any of them fails and other similar things. I know they have one, but it's not very simplistic."

More JAMS cons

"However, I feel that for very complex production environments, it still requires considerable fine-tuning and knowledge, and sometimes it might not be fully ready to support large-scale implementations in production."

"When connecting nodes and referring to earlier nodes, the structure that has to be followed is sometimes confusing."

"I don't think it is highly scalable, but it is scalable at a moderate level for companies which have 200 to 500 clients daily; the daily throughput is of 200 to 500 clients."

"From my experience, n8n is stable, though the part that can be less stable is that you must stay connected to many APIs."

"Currently, most products nowadays include walkthrough or guide videos, short videos of 20 to 30 seconds that inform about any particular button or action, which n8n product does not have."

"I have set up n8n on our local server, which is on a Contabo-based server, and sometimes it was losing connection."

"n8n has a bit of a learning curve to it; you have to learn a lot."

"What I would like for them to improve is to include more nodes and different service provider integrations, just the way Zapier does."

More n8n cons

"The products are extremely powerful and capable. Anytime you have such capability, the programming/configuration that goes into making it work can be complicated."

"The one area it needs some help in is the mainframe area because that is not its strength. They support the mainframe but it's not something that they are good at."

"The only downside to OpCon is that its features can be complicated and really must be taught. Most of our users don't have training beyond the free Basic Training that SMA provides, so for fresh eyes, it is kind of difficult to understand some of the language used."

"The GUI is very old-fashioned compared to Control-M, for example. They should prioritize the GUI."

"At first, it's a little clunky, but once you learn it, it actually is very simple. You have to get over that initial learning hump."

"We are still in the early stages of our implementation, so at this point, I cannot see any needed improvements or features."

"It's not something you can just quickly grab, try, run, and play with. You have to get the knowledge and train yourself. It was easy for me, but I also took the time to throw myself into it. There is a learning curve to a certain extent. You have to learn the rules."

"It is a complex product to use. Programming the schedules is complex. It does require training from OpCon... I would like to see some online training, some videos. When I bring in a new employee... it would be nice if there was some basic information for her to look at to understand this program. Even for my systems administrator, it would be helpful if there were tips and tricks available."

More OpCon cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"All licensing models are a little overpriced, but JAMS offers a good value, especially given their support response times and ability to handle unforeseen issues like the SFTP transfers. I hope to find more use cases to get a better bang for our buck."

"For what it does, the product is priced very well."

"JAMS is priced competitively compared to similar solutions and offers flexible licensing options to cater to user needs."

"I haven't been involved in the financial side for several years, but we buy one host and unlimited agents, and we get a reasonable price for that. We're happy with the amount we pay and the scalability it provides."

"Definitely check how many single processes you want to run and count them as jobs. That is how you would work out your pricing on JAMS. For example, if you're running a number of commands and you can put them all into one script and run that script, you can count that as one job."

"It's certainly a lot cheaper than Tivoli and Control-M. In comparison to them, you get a lot more bang for your buck. You get pretty much the whole functionality and more, in some cases, when compared to Control-M, but at a fraction of the price."

"Fortra's JAMS pricing structure has deteriorated significantly since its acquisition by Fortra."

"The pricing is very fair. We have seen very minimal to no price increases over the years. We are not banging down the door of support all the time either. I would imagine if we were a company that submitted a dozen support tickets a week for the last nine years, then it might be a little different because we would be eating up everybody's time. However, for what we get out of it, the pricing is extremely fair. Back when we were originally looking and brought in JAMS, we were looking at a couple of the other competitive products that were in this space, but the pricing from JAMS was far and away better than what the other competitors could offer for the same functionality."

More JAMS pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"I have seen some contracts, and it seems that Control-M is a lot more expensive than OpCon, but I do not know the pricing of OpCon. Control-M seems to be four or five times more expensive than OpCon."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"Cost depends on your environment. We are doing stuff now with failover and recovery, so we have boosted our costs."

"The cost is just shy of $20,000. That's for two licenses annually, production, and failover. It is a pricey solution. Comparatively speaking, you can certainly find schedulers which are cheaper. In some cases, you can find ones that are free or use free solutions. However, OpCon is by far the superior quality product, and you pay for that. This also has a cost savings associated with an FTE, so you can more than outweigh the cost of the solution if you were to reduce the staff that you have onsite. Plus, this means that you don't need to have someone during irregular hours."

"This solution is certainly not the cheapest, but we win in time."

"Annually, we pay $29,000. This is for a blanket policy that covers everything, like licensing and support."

"Our annual maintenance costs are $45,000. The initial cost is separate."

"The purchasing price was in the $30,000 or $40,000 range, but I don't remember how much of that was licensing or installation and how it was broken out."

More OpCon pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

41%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	19

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about JAMS?

I find the historical tracking feature of JAMS invaluable for reviewing past events.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JAMS?

They recently switched to subscription-based pricing, which increased. The price is fair considering the functionalit...

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What needs improvement with JAMS?

As far as we are using JAMS version 6, it looks good and there is nothing major to add about it. Everything is functi...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for n8n?

My experience with pricing and setup costs has been good. I feel that the price is right as I'm using the standard ve...

See all answers

What needs improvement with n8n?

I wrote a message to n8n regarding a problem I faced, but I cannot recall what it was. Currently, most products nowad...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for n8n?

I worked on n8n, and Morgan messaged me on LinkedIn to review and provide feedback about the n8n product. I have used...

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What do you like most about OpCon?

My favorite feature is the dashboard feature, which shows jobs that are running, and completed, any failures, and pro...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OpCon?

I am the one who signs the contract. In the beginning, when I started working here, it seemed very expensive, but aft...

See all answers

What needs improvement with OpCon?

One problem that I had with them when we got SMA Technologies is that sometimes the jobs fail, but they automatically...

See all answers

Comparisons

Control-M vs JAMS

Compared 18% of the time

AutoSys Workload Automation vs JAMS

Compared 10% of the time

Redwood RunMyJobs vs JAMS

Compared 10% of the time

Stonebranch vs JAMS

Compared 9% of the time

AppWorx Workload Automation vs JAMS

Compared 3% of the time

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Inngest vs n8n

Compared 11% of the time

Dagster Labs vs n8n

Compared 9% of the time

Airbyte Cloud vs n8n

Compared 6% of the time

Dify vs n8n

Compared 5% of the time

Jenkins on Hardened Ubuntu vs n8n

Compared 4% of the time

More n8n Competitors

Control-M vs OpCon

Compared 22% of the time

IBM Workload Automation vs OpCon

Compared 11% of the time

VisualCron vs OpCon

Compared 10% of the time

Fortra's Automate vs OpCon

Compared 8% of the time

AppWorx Workload Automation vs OpCon

Compared 4% of the time

More OpCon Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

JAMS

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

n8n

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

OpCon

January 2026

Download OpCon product report

Also Known As

No data available

n8n.io n8n

No data available

Interactive Demo

JAMS Software

Demo not available

n8n.io

Demo not available

SMA Technologies

Overview

JAMS is an automation and job scheduling solution designed for workflow optimization, catering to businesses large and small with flexible licensing and integration options.

Offering both Core and Advanced packages, JAMS supports a range of environments from small teams to large-scale operations. Its standout features include integration with platforms like PowerShell, SQL, and SAP, coupled with capabilities such as dependency management and natural language scheduling. JAMS simplifies job management, centralizes workflows, and boosts productivity with its robust automation features. Customizable workflows and insightful logging make it adaptable for diverse needs, supported by responsive customer service ensuring seamless operations.

What are JAMS's key features?

Automation & Scheduling: Flexible automation helps manage complex job schedules efficiently.
Integration: Connects seamlessly with platforms like SQL Server, SAP, and Python for diverse applications.
Centralized Job Management: A unified interface for handling thousands of jobs daily.
Dependency Management: Supports complex workflows with efficient dependency tracking.
Insightful Logging: Provides detailed logs and notifications for precise task execution.

What benefits should users look for in JAMS reviews?

Enhanced Productivity: Automates repetitive tasks, freeing up resources for strategic initiatives.
Scalability: Flexible licensing models grow with business size and needs.
Efficient Workflow Automation: Streamlines job orchestration across environments.
Responsive Support: Helps ensure smooth operations with quick troubleshooting.

In industries, JAMS is employed for automating workflows and managing batch jobs. Organizations utilize it for SSIS, SQL Server tasks, file transfers, and integrating with vendor systems, achieving efficient file automation and data management. Scheduler enables precise execution of thousands of tasks daily, enhancing operational efficiency.

JAMS Software

n8n offers a flexible, low-code automation platform connecting over 200 applications to streamline workflows and increase efficiency through visual configurations and real-time monitoring.

n8n provides a robust environment for automating tasks with extensive integrations, benefitting users through its adaptability and developer-friendly design. It supports AI model integrations like ChatGPT to enhance automation. While users value its configurability and real-time logs, they suggest enhancements in scalability, stability, and documentation. It serves a multitude of purposes, from billing and customer support to marketing and data management, by linking platforms like Airtable and Google Sheets.

What are key features of n8n?

Flexibility: Offers adaptable workflows and extensive customization options.
Low-Code Interface: Simplifies workflow creation through a drag-and-drop interface.
Real-Time Logs: Provides immediate feedback during task execution.
Integration Capacity: Connects with over 200 applications and AI models.
Data Privacy: Ensures strong data management to build user trust.

What benefits should users consider?

Time Savings: Reduces time on repetitive tasks, increasing productivity.
Cost Efficiency: Frees resources by automating various processes.
Enhanced Integration: Seamless connections across platforms boost workflow efficiency.
Customization: Tailored solutions through user-specific expressions.
Developer Support: Encourages advanced usage through a developer-friendly environment.

n8n finds use in industries like healthcare, supply chain, and education, automating workflows to improve efficiency. Companies leverage it for tasks from e-commerce to AI-enhanced customer interactions, enhancing operations with minimal technical input required.

n8n.io

OpCon enhances automation with features like auto-scheduling and Corelation KeyStone integration, empowering users with self-service capabilities. Its intuitive interface and flexibility boost productivity, providing reliable automation and efficient file transfers.

OpCon is a powerful automation platform known for streamlining operations through features like auto-scheduling and robust integration capabilities. It facilitates seamless automation, allowing users to execute tasks without direct environment access and simplifies job dependencies. Users benefit from self-service capabilities, which enable easy task execution by non-IT staff, reducing errors and human intervention. With its modern interface, OpCon supports efficient file transfers and integrates effectively with multiple systems, enhancing productivity. While offering significant scalability, OpCon users suggest improvements in web functionality, script-writing, and graphical displays, along with enhancements in user authorization and notification systems. There is also a need for better template management, clearer logging, improved mobile accessibility, and expanded training resources.

What are OpCon's Key Features?

Auto-scheduling: Efficiently automates task scheduling.
Corelation KeyStone Integration: Allows for automation without direct environment access.
Self-service Capabilities: Enables non-IT users to execute tasks with ease.
Modern Interface: Simplifies job dependencies and task management.
File Transfers: Supports secure and efficient file management.
Flexibility: Integrates with diverse systems to boost productivity.

What ROI Can Users Expect?

Increased Productivity: Automation reduces manual task dependency.
Error Reduction: Streamlined processes minimize human intervention.
Scalability: Supports growing business needs effectively.
Time Savings: Frees up resources for strategic initiatives.

OpCon is widely used in industries like financial services, where automation and scheduling tasks are critical. Financial institutions rely on OpCon for core processing tasks, including reporting, automated workflows, and vendor file exchanges. The platform handles high volumes of jobs across platforms, ensuring efficient operations and reducing reliance on manual processes.

SMA Technologies

Sample Customers

Teradata, Arconic, General Dynamics, Yum!, CVS Health, Comcast, Ghiradelli, & Boston’s Children’s Hospital

Information Not Available

LOHR, Carnival Cruise Lines, Herbalife, Digital Federal Credit Union, Synergent, Frandsen Bank & Trust

Buyer's Guide

OpCon vs. n8n

January 2026

Free Report: OpCon vs. n8n

Find out what your peers are saying about OpCon vs. n8n and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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