How much does n8n cost? Self-hosted vs cloud pricing
Quick Answer: n8n is free to self-host with unlimited workflows and executions. The cloud version starts at $24/month (Starter, 2,500 executions) and $60/month (Pro, 10,000 executions). Self-hosting requires only a $5-20/month VPS, making n8n the most cost-effective automation tool for technical teams.
n8n Pricing Overview
n8n offers two distinct deployment models with very different pricing: a free self-hosted option and a paid cloud-hosted service. This makes n8n one of the most flexible automation tools in terms of cost, ranging from $0 to enterprise-tier pricing depending on specific needs.
Self-Hosted n8n (Free)
The self-hosted version of n8n is available under a fair-code license at no cost. You run it on your own infrastructure (a VPS, Docker container, or Kubernetes cluster) and get:
- Unlimited workflows — no caps on the number of automations
- Unlimited executions — no per-task or per-operation charges
- All 400+ integration nodes — same node library as cloud
- Full code access — JavaScript and Python within workflow nodes
- Community support — active forum and Discord community
The only costs are the infrastructure (a $5-20/month VPS is sufficient for most use cases) and the time to maintain the installation (updates, backups, SSL certificates).
Cloud-Hosted n8n Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Executions | Workflows | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $24/month | 2,500/month | Unlimited | 5 active workflows, basic support |
| Pro | $60/month | 10,000/month | Unlimited | Unlimited active workflows, execution debugging, global variables |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | SSO/SAML, admin panel, SLA, dedicated support |
Additional executions are available at pay-as-you-go rates.
Self-Hosted vs Cloud: When to Choose Each
Choose Self-Hosted When:
- Organizations have DevOps resources to manage infrastructure
- Organizations need unlimited executions at zero marginal cost
- Data residency or air-gapped environments are required
- Organizations want to run n8n on internal networks without internet access
Choose Cloud When:
- You prefer zero-maintenance managed hosting
- Organizations need automatic updates and scaling
- The team lacks infrastructure management skills
- Organizations want built-in execution history and debugging tools
n8n vs Competitors on Price
| Platform | Free Tier | 10,000 tasks/month | Self-Hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Unlimited (self-hosted) | $60/month (cloud) | Yes (free) |
| Zapier | 100 tasks/month | $89.99/month | No |
| Make | 1,000 ops/month | $32.83/month | No |
| Activepieces | Unlimited (self-hosted) | ~$25/month (cloud) | Yes (free) |
n8n's self-hosted model makes it the most cost-effective option for teams running thousands of workflow executions per month. On cloud, Make offers lower per-operation pricing, but n8n's unlimited workflow count and code flexibility provide better value for complex use cases.
Verdict
n8n is the best-value automation tool on the market if users can self-host. At $0 for unlimited workflows and executions, it undercuts every competitor. The cloud version is competitively priced at $24-60/month and is worth it for teams that prioritize convenience over cost savings.
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Workflow AutomationRelated Rankings
Best Durable Workflow Engines for Production in 2026
A ranked list of the best durable workflow engines for production deployments in 2026. Durable workflow engines persist execution state to a database so that long-running workflows survive process restarts, deployments, and infrastructure failures. The ranking covers Temporal, Prefect, Apache Airflow, Camunda, Windmill, and n8n. Tools were evaluated on production reliability, developer experience, scalability, open-source health, and documentation quality. The shortlist intentionally mixes code-first engines (Temporal, Prefect, Airflow) with hybrid visual platforms (Camunda, Windmill, n8n) to reflect how production teams actually choose workflow engines in 2026.
Best No-Code Automation Platforms in 2026
A ranked list of no-code automation platforms in 2026. The ranking covers visual workflow builders that allow non-engineering teams to connect SaaS apps, route data, and add conditional logic without writing code. Entries cover proprietary cloud platforms (Zapier, Make, Pipedream, IFTTT) and open-source visual builders (n8n, Activepieces). Scoring reflects integration breadth, pricing accessibility, visual editor ease, reliability and error handling, and self-hosting availability.
Dive Deeper
Migrating 23 Make Scenarios to Self-Hosted n8n: a 3-Week Breakdown
Anonymized retrospective of a DTC ecommerce brand migrating 23 Make scenarios to a self-hosted n8n instance over three weeks. Tooling cost dropped from $348/month on Make Teams to roughly $12/month on a Hetzner VPS, but credential and webhook recreation consumed about 40% of total project time.
Trigger.dev vs Inngest 2026: OSS Durable Runners Compared
Trigger.dev (2022, London) is a fully Apache 2.0 durable runner with task-based authoring, machine-size selection, and first-class self-host. Inngest (2021, San Francisco) is a developer-first event-driven step platform with an open-source dev server and a managed cloud (50K step runs/month free, $20/month Hobby). This 2026 comparison covers license, programming model, pricing, observability, and self-host options.
Inngest vs Temporal 2026: Durable Functions vs Durable Workflows
Inngest (2021, San Francisco) is a developer-first durable functions platform with TypeScript and Python SDKs, 50,000 step runs/month free, and Hobby pricing from $20/month. Temporal (2019) is the heavyweight durable workflow engine with seven-language SDK coverage, Cassandra-backed scale, and Cloud pricing from roughly $200/month at low volume or $2.5-4.5K/month self-host. This 2026 comparison covers programming model, pricing, scale ceiling, and operational footprint.