n8n Pricing 2026: Cloud Plans, Self-Hosting Costs, and What You'll Actually Pay
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GET FREE AUDITn8n is free to self-host. The Community Edition has no licensing cost, includes all 500+ integrations, and places no limits on executions or active workflows. You pay only for the server you run it on — typically $4–7/month on a basic VPS. The n8n Cloud version starts at $24/month and removes all infrastructure management.
Key Takeaways
- n8n Community Edition is free software — self-hosted, no execution limits, no workflow limits
- Server costs for self-hosting typically run $4–7/month; add setup time and ongoing maintenance
- n8n Cloud starts at $24/month (Starter, 2,500 executions) with a 14-day free trial — no credit card required
- As of April 2026, all plans include unlimited active workflows — you only pay based on executions
- n8n charges per full execution run, not per step — for multi-step workflows, this is 4–8x cheaper than Zapier
- Companies under 20 employees can apply for n8n's Startup Plan: 50% off the Business tier
Table of Contents
- n8n Cloud Pricing: Every Tier
- What Self-Hosting Actually Costs
- The Execution Model: Why n8n Is Cheaper Than Zapier
- Cloud vs. Self-Hosted: Which Is Right for You?
- The n8n Startup Plan
- What Can You Actually Automate?
- Frequently Asked Questions
n8n Cloud Pricing: Every Tier
n8n Cloud handles hosting, updates, uptime, and security for you. You log in and build. The trade-off is a monthly fee and an execution cap.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Executions/Month | Active Workflows | Concurrent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $24 | ~$20/mo | 2,500 | Unlimited | 5 |
| Pro | $60 | ~$50/mo | 10,000 | Unlimited | 20 |
| Business | $800 | ~$667/mo | 40,000 | Unlimited | 30 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Custom |
Annual billing saves approximately 17% on Starter and Pro. The Starter and Pro plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
What changed in April 2026: n8n removed active workflow limits from every plan. Previously, Starter capped you at 5 active workflows — a hard ceiling that forced upgrades fast. That limit is gone. Now every tier runs unlimited active workflows, and the only real constraint is executions per month.
What counts as an execution?
One execution = one complete run of a workflow, regardless of how many steps it contains. A workflow with 12 nodes that runs 500 times per month = 500 executions. This is the key reason n8n is structurally cheaper than Zapier for complex automations.
Who needs Business or Enterprise?
Business ($800/month) adds SSO, SAML/LDAP, advanced role-based access control, log streaming, and 6 shared team projects. It's for organizations with compliance requirements or large teams that need audit trails. Most small businesses will never need it.
What Self-Hosting Actually Costs
Self-hosting n8n is free in the sense that the software has no license fee. But the infrastructure and your time are not free. Here's an honest breakdown:
| Cost Category | Typical Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VPS server (entry-level) | $4–7 | DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Vultr — 1–2 vCPU, 2GB RAM is enough for most SMBs |
| Backups and storage | $1–3 | Automated database backups; some VPS providers include this |
| Domain + SSL | <$1/mo amortized | SSL is free via Let's Encrypt; domain optional if using IP |
| Monitoring | $0–5 | Free tier tools like UptimeRobot cover basic uptime; paid options add alerting |
| Total infrastructure | $5–15/month |
That's the cash cost. The harder cost to account for is time.
The hidden cost: your time
Self-hosting n8n requires ongoing maintenance that most comparisons don't model:
- Initial setup: 2–6 hours depending on your server familiarity (Docker, reverse proxy, environment variables)
- Monthly updates: 30–60 minutes per n8n version release to test and apply updates safely
- Debugging broken workflows: When a third-party API changes or your server restarts unexpectedly, someone needs to investigate and fix it
- Security patches: Periodic attention required for the underlying OS and dependencies
If that time comes from someone earning $50/hour, even two hours per month adds $100 to the effective cost — putting the real total at $105–115/month, compared to $60 for Cloud Pro with no maintenance burden.
Self-hosting makes financial sense when (a) you or someone on your team is comfortable with Linux and Docker, and (b) your execution volume would put you in the Business tier on Cloud, where the gap is $800/month versus $15 in infrastructure.
The Execution Model: Why n8n Is Cheaper Than Zapier
Understanding this one thing will save you from overpaying on the wrong platform.
Zapier charges per task — one action step completed. A workflow with 5 steps that runs 500 times per month uses 2,500 tasks. Most Zapier plans cap at 750–2,000 tasks per month, so a moderately complex automation hits the ceiling fast.
Make charges per operation — one module execution. Slightly better than Zapier's model, but still compounds with workflow complexity.
n8n charges per execution — one complete workflow run, regardless of how many nodes fire inside it. That same 5-step workflow running 500 times per month = 500 executions on n8n.
| Platform | Billing unit | 5-step workflow × 500 runs | Cost at that volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Per task | 2,500 tasks | ~$49–79/mo (Professional) |
| Make | Per operation | 2,500 ops | ~$9–16/mo (Core/Pro) |
| n8n Cloud | Per execution | 500 executions | $24/mo (Starter) |
| n8n Self-hosted | None | Unlimited | $5–15/mo infrastructure |
For multi-step automations at moderate volume, n8n's execution model is meaningfully cheaper. For simple single-step zaps you run infrequently, the difference shrinks. Use the AI automation ROI calculator to model whether any of these tools pay back at your actual task volume.
For a full side-by-side comparison of all three platforms, see Make vs Zapier vs n8n for Small Business (2026).
Cloud vs. Self-Hosted: Which Is Right for You?
This is the decision most articles gloss over. Here's a plain-language framework:
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| You're not technical and have no developer on staff | Cloud — self-hosting requires server management you'll be stuck with long-term |
| You have a developer or technical co-founder | Self-hosted — the savings compound and they'll handle maintenance as part of normal work |
| Your workflows handle sensitive client data or proprietary processes | Self-hosted — data stays on your server, not n8n's infrastructure |
| You want to be running in the next few hours | Cloud — 14-day trial, no setup |
| You're running more than 10,000 executions/month | Self-hosted — Cloud Pro at $60/mo becomes self-hosted at $15/mo |
| You need SSO, SAML, or enterprise audit logs | Cloud Business or Enterprise — these features aren't available in the Community Edition |
| You want managed hosting without full DIY | Managed options (Sliplane, Elestio) — $10–20/mo, they handle the server |
The sweet spot for most small businesses: start on Cloud Starter ($24/month) to learn the platform without infrastructure friction, then migrate to self-hosted if and when you're running complex, high-volume workflows regularly.
The n8n Startup Plan
This is one of the least-publicized options in the n8n ecosystem. If your company has fewer than 20 employees, you can apply for n8n's Startup Plan, which gives you 50% off the Business tier.
Business normally runs $800/month. At 50% off, that's approximately $400/month — bringing enterprise-grade features (SSO, SAML, advanced RBAC, 6 shared team projects) within reach of a small team that's serious about automation at scale.
The eligibility criteria: fewer than 20 full-time employees, no previous n8n Business subscription, and you apply directly through n8n's website. It's worth applying before assuming Business is out of reach.
What Can You Actually Automate?
Pricing only matters if the automations are worth building. Here are the use cases that consistently deliver positive ROI for small businesses using n8n, based on SMB deployment data:
Lead follow-up sequences: A new lead comes in via a web form → n8n creates a CRM contact, sends a personalized email within 90 seconds, alerts the sales owner in Slack, and schedules a follow-up task. At 200 leads/month, this is 200 executions — well within the Starter plan. At current consulting rates, this replaces 3–5 hours/week of manual follow-up work.
Invoice processing: A new invoice PDF arrives in email → n8n extracts line items, matches to purchase orders in your accounting system, flags discrepancies for human review, and logs the transaction. For businesses processing 100–500 invoices per month, payback typically lands in 60–90 days. See the full workflow automation ROI breakdown by use case for the numbers.
Reporting and client updates: Pull data from three tools every Friday, format a summary, and send it — automatically. Once built, this runs indefinitely for a fraction of the cost of the hour it used to take.
Outbound lead generation: Connect your prospecting tool to your CRM, filter by ICP, enrich contact data, and trigger a personalized outreach sequence without manual copying. This is the workflow at the core of the 24/7 Pipeline Engine — an outbound system built for founders who want consistent meetings without hiring SDRs or doing daily manual outreach.
For a full map of which automations to build first and in what order, the AI automation for small business guide covers use-case selection, trigger design, and the first checkpoint to build in before you go live.
Want consistent pipeline without managing the tech? The 24/7 Pipeline Engine is a done-for-you outbound automation system — CRM-integrated, built to book 5+ qualified meetings within 30 days of launch. See How It Works →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is n8n completely free?
n8n Community Edition is free software with no licensing cost, no execution limits, and no workflow limits. You pay for the server you run it on — typically $4–7/month for a basic VPS. The Cloud version starts at $24/month and removes all infrastructure management.
What is the cheapest way to use n8n?
Self-hosting on a VPS is the cheapest option at $4–7/month in infrastructure costs. If you'd prefer not to manage a server, managed hosting providers like Sliplane or Elestio offer n8n for $10–20/month with server maintenance handled for you.
How many workflows can I run on the free self-hosted version?
Unlimited. The Community Edition has no caps on active workflows or executions. The only limits are the resources of your server — which a $5–7/month VPS handles comfortably for most small-business automation needs.
Is n8n Cloud worth $24/month?
For non-technical users or teams that want to be running without infrastructure work, yes. The Starter plan covers 2,500 executions per month with unlimited active workflows, a 14-day free trial, and all 500+ integrations. If you're running multi-step automations that would cost $50–80/month on Zapier, $24 is straightforward value.
How does n8n pricing compare to Zapier?
n8n charges per execution (one full workflow run). Zapier charges per task (one step inside a workflow). A 5-step workflow that runs 500 times uses 500 n8n executions but 2,500 Zapier tasks. For complex multi-step automations at moderate volume, n8n's Cloud Starter ($24/mo) is typically cheaper than Zapier Professional ($49/mo). See the full Make vs Zapier vs n8n comparison for a complete billing-unit breakdown.
What is the n8n Startup Plan?
n8n offers 50% off the Business plan for companies with fewer than 20 employees. Business normally costs $800/month; with the Startup Plan discount, it's approximately $400/month and includes SSO, SAML/LDAP, advanced RBAC, 6 shared team projects, and 40,000 executions per month.
Can I start on Cloud and move to self-hosted later?
Yes. n8n workflows export as JSON files. You can build on Cloud, export your workflows, and import them into a self-hosted instance when you're ready. The transition takes a few hours of technical setup — but the workflows themselves carry over cleanly.
Who should not use n8n?
n8n has a steeper learning curve than Zapier. If you need a non-technical team member to build and maintain automations without developer support, Zapier's simpler interface is a better fit. n8n's power is in its flexibility — it becomes the right choice when that flexibility is actually needed.
Iliyan Ivanov
Founder of AIessentials · AI automation consultant helping B2B businesses save 20+ hours/week and grow without hiring