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m9m Documentation

Workflow Automation at Ludicrous Speed

m9m is a high-performance workflow automation platform built in Go. It provides 95% backend feature parity with n8n while delivering 5-10x faster execution and 70% lower memory usage.

Why m9m?

Metric m9m n8n Improvement
Execution Speed ~100ms avg ~500ms avg 5-10x faster
Memory Usage ~150MB ~512MB 70% lower
Container Size ~300MB ~1.2GB 75% smaller
Startup Time ~500ms ~3s 6x faster

Key Features

  • n8n Compatible - Run existing n8n workflows without modification
  • CLI Agent Orchestration - Run AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Aider) in secure sandboxes
  • 35+ Node Types - HTTP, databases, AI/LLM, cloud storage, messaging, CLI execution, and more
  • Agent Integration Guide - Step-by-step MCP and REST orchestration patterns: Getting Started > Agent Usage
  • Linux Sandboxing - Bubblewrap-based isolation for secure command execution
  • Expression Engine - Full n8n expression syntax support
  • Multiple Storage Backends - SQLite, PostgreSQL, or in-memory
  • Job Queue - Persistent job queue with SQLite or in-memory options
  • REST API - Complete API for workflow management
  • CLI Tool - Powerful command-line interface
  • Cloud Native - Built for containers and bare-metal deployment

Quick Start

# Install m9m (official single-binary path)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/neul-labs/m9m/main/install.sh | bash

# Start the server
m9m serve

# Or run with Docker (optional)
docker run -p 8080:8080 ghcr.io/neul-labs/m9m:latest

The server starts at http://localhost:8080 with:

  • Web UI: http://localhost:8080
  • API: http://localhost:8080/api/v1
  • Health: http://localhost:8080/health

Create Your First Workflow

# Create a simple workflow
cat > hello-world.json << 'EOF'
{
  "name": "Hello World",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "start",
      "name": "Start",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.start",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "set",
      "name": "Set Message",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [450, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "assignments": [
          {"name": "message", "value": "Hello from m9m!"}
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Start": {
      "main": [[{"node": "Set Message", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
    }
  }
}
EOF

# Run the workflow
m9m run hello-world.json

Documentation Sections

  • :material-rocket-launch: Getting Started

    Install m9m, create your first workflow, and learn core concepts

  • :material-cog: Configuration

    Configure server, database, queue, and security settings

  • :material-console: CLI Reference

    Complete command-line interface documentation

  • :material-api: API Reference

    REST API endpoints for workflow management

  • :material-cube-outline: Nodes

    Documentation for all 34+ available node types

  • :material-sitemap: Workflows

    Learn how to create, execute, and manage workflows

  • :material-function: Expressions

    Expression syntax, variables, and built-in functions

  • :material-cloud-upload: Deployment

    Deploy with single binaries, Docker, or bare metal

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         m9m Server                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  REST API  │  Web UI  │  Webhooks  │  Scheduler            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Workflow Engine                          │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐       │
│  │  Nodes  │  │ Express │  │ Connect │  │ Credent │       │
│  │ Registry│  │  Eval   │  │ Router  │  │ Manager │       │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Job Queue (Memory / SQLite)                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│           Storage (SQLite / PostgreSQL)                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

License

m9m is open source software licensed under the MIT License.

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