n8n Pricing (2026): Plans, Real Costs & Which One You Need

Short answer: n8n has a genuinely free, self-hosted Community Edition (unlimited executions — you just run the server), and cloud plans that bill by workflow executions: Starter €20/month (2,500 executions), Pro €50/month (10,000), Business €667/month (40,000, self-hosted), and custom Enterprise. The thing that makes n8n different: it charges per execution, not per step — so a 40-step workflow costs exactly the same as a 2-step one. Your bill depends on how often your workflows run, not how complex they are.

Related: n8n review — our hands-on verdict.

n8n pricing at a glance (2026)

How n8n pricing works: executions, not steps

This is the whole story, and it's the opposite of how Zapier and Make bill. n8n charges for workflow executions — one full run of a workflow, from trigger to finish, counts as one execution no matter how many steps it contains [n8n pricing]. Zapier counts every task (each step); Make counts every credit (each module action). n8n counts the whole run once.

The practical consequence: your n8n cost is driven by frequency, not complexity.

executions/month ≈ number of workflow runs (triggers × how often they fire)

A workflow triggered every 5 minutes runs about 8,640 times a month — that alone is past the Starter plan (2,500) and into Pro (10,000), regardless of whether it has 3 steps or 30. So with n8n you budget by how often things run, not by how many steps you chain together. This is why n8n is the cheapest of the big three for complex, multi-step, or AI-heavy workflows — added steps are free.

n8n cost by execution volume

Original insight — n8n's cheapest per-execution tier is the middle one. Look at the right column: Pro is €5.00 per 1,000 executions, cheaper than Starter (€8.00) and cheaper than Business (€16.68). Business costs more per execution because you're paying for self-hosting rights, SSO, Git and environments — enterprise features, not cheap volume. So if you just need more executions (not enterprise governance), the honest move past Pro isn't Business — it's self-hosting the free Community Edition.

Self-hosted (Community) vs Cloud: the real break-even

n8n's Community Edition is free and has no execution cap — you only pay for the server you run it on (roughly $5–10/month on a small VPS). n8n Cloud (Starter/Pro) is the paid, zero-maintenance option where n8n handles updates, uptime and security.

So the decision isn't really about price — Community is nearly free. It's about your time: self-hosting means you own patching, backups, and uptime. The honest break-even:

• Choose Cloud (€20–50/mo) if you're non-technical, or your time is worth more than a few hours a month of server maintenance, or downtime would hurt.
• Choose self-hosted Community (free) if you're comfortable with a VPS, want unlimited executions, need data to stay on your own infrastructure, or you're running high enough volume that Cloud pricing adds up.

Self-Host vs Cloud: The Real Cost

The break-even above is about your time; this section puts real numbers on it. "Free" self-hosting (Community Edition) still costs money and hours — they just move from a subscription into infrastructure and your own labour. n8n Cloud rolls all of that into one predictable price. So the honest comparison is subscription vs (server + your hours), not free vs paid.

What self-hosting actually costs:

• Infrastructure: a VPS to run n8n — roughly $5–10/mo for light use, $20–40/mo for a startup workload, $80–200+/mo for a business needing a separate database, queue mode and redundancy.
• Maintenance: patching the OS, Docker and n8n — typically 1–4 hours/month. At a modest $30/hr that's ~$30–120/mo of your time.
• Updates: n8n ships frequently; you apply each release yourself and re-test that workflows still run.
• Backups: you own database + credential backups and restore testing (a few dollars of storage, plus setup time).
• Support: Community self-host has no SLA — forums and docs only. Cloud includes email/forum support; Business/Enterprise add dedicated support.

n8n Cloud (from €20/mo Starter, €50/mo Pro) removes updates, uptime, security and backups — that convenience is what the subscription buys.

Scenario 1 — Individual / hobbyist (~1,000 executions/mo)

Cloud: Starter €20/mo, zero ops. Self-host: ~$5/mo VPS + ~1 hr/mo upkeep. Cheapest in cash, but you own maintenance. Pick: Cloud Starter if your time matters; self-host if you enjoy it or want unlimited runs.

Scenario 2 — Startup / small team (~8,000 executions/mo)

Cloud: Pro €50/mo (10k executions), predictable and hands-off. Self-host: ~$20–40/mo VPS + ~2–3 hrs/mo maintenance (~$60–120 of time) — roughly cost-neutral to Cloud once your hours are counted. Pick: Cloud Pro unless you have a technical owner who wants control or data residency.

Scenario 3 — Business (40k+ executions/mo)

Cloud: Business €667/mo (SSO, Git, environments, support). Self-host: Business licence on your own infra + $80–200+/mo servers + real DevOps time — but unlimited executions and full data control. Pick: self-host wins on cost and control at scale if you have DevOps capacity; otherwise Cloud Business buys peace of mind.

Bottom line: self-hosting is cheapest in raw cash and unbeatable for data control and unlimited volume — but only "free" if your time is free. Cloud is the better value the moment maintenance hours cost more than the subscription. Comparing n8n with other tools? See n8n vs Zapier, Zapier pricing, Make pricing, and the Zapier vs Make vs n8n guide.

What each plan includes

Which n8n plan is right for you?

• Technical, want it free, happy to run a server → Community Edition (self-hosted). Unlimited executions, full features, $5–10/mo of VPS.
• Want zero maintenance and you're just starting → Starter (€20/mo) for 2,500 executions on n8n Cloud.
• Solo builder or small team running real workflows in production → Pro (€50/mo, 10,000 executions) — the best per-execution value and the sweet spot for most paying users.
• Company needing SSO, Git, environments and 40k+ executions → Business (€667/mo), self-hosted.
• Strict compliance, high scale, SLA support → Enterprise (custom).

n8n pricing: honest pros and limitations

What's genuinely good:

• Complexity is free. Per-execution billing means added steps and AI nodes cost nothing extra — the best economics of the big three for multi-step and AI workflows.
• A real free tier. Community Edition is genuinely free and uncapped if you self-host.
• Everything included. All integrations, code steps, and unlimited users on every plan.

Where to be careful:

• High-frequency triggers add up fast. Polling every few minutes can blow past Starter/Pro execution caps — budget by run frequency (see the formula above).
• The Pro → Business jump is steep (€50 → €667). If you need more executions but not SSO/Git, self-hosting Community is usually the smarter move than buying Business.
• Self-hosting is real work. "Free" Community still costs you maintenance, backups and uptime — factor in your time.
• It's more technical than Zapier or Make. The power comes with a steeper learning curve.

n8n vs Make vs Zapier on price

Three different meters: Zapier bills per task (each step), Make per credit (each module action), n8n per execution (each full run). For simple, low-volume automations Zapier's ease can be worth its premium; for multi-step or AI-heavy work, n8n is usually cheapest because steps are free; Make sits in between with a low entry price. We break each down:

• Make vs n8n (2026) — the head-to-head on billing model, hosting and who each suits.
• Make.com pricing explained (2026) — the credit model in full.
• Zapier vs Make vs n8n: how to choose — our pillar guide.
• Best Zapier alternatives (2026) — where n8n fits among the options.

Verdict: is n8n worth the price?

For technical users and teams with multi-step or AI workflows, n8n offers the best economics in automation — execution-based billing means your bill doesn't grow when your workflows get smarter, and self-hosting is effectively free. If you're non-technical or want zero maintenance, the trade-off is real: you'll either pay for Cloud or accept a steeper learning curve. Start on the free trial (or self-host Community), size your plan by run frequency, and only reach for Business when you actually need SSO and Git.

If you'd rather not manage executions or a server at all, a fully-managed, non-technical alternative is Make, which starts at $9/month — see our Make pricing guide. For readers who want to try that route:

Frequently asked questions

Is n8n self-hosting really free?

The Community Edition software is free and open-source with unlimited executions, but you pay for the server (from ~$5/mo) and your own time for updates, backups and maintenance. n8n Cloud (from €20/mo) bundles all of that into one price.

How much does it cost to self-host n8n?

Roughly $5–10/mo for a small VPS (individual), $20–40/mo (startup), or $80–200+/mo (business), plus 1–4 hours/month of maintenance. The software is free; infrastructure and your time are the real costs.

What is an n8n execution?

An execution is one full run of a workflow from trigger to finish. It counts as one execution no matter how many steps the workflow has, which is why n8n is cheaper than per-step tools for complex automations [n8n pricing].

How much does n8n cost in 2026?

n8n's Community Edition is free to self-host. Cloud plans (billed annually) are Starter €20/month for 2,500 executions, Pro €50/month for 10,000, and Business €667/month for 40,000 (self-hosted). Enterprise is custom.

Is n8n really free?

Yes — the self-hosted Community Edition is free with unlimited executions; you only pay for your own server (about $5–10/month on a small VPS). n8n Cloud is the paid, zero-maintenance option.

How many executions do I need?

Estimate executions as the number of times your workflows run per month (triggers × frequency), not the number of steps. A workflow firing every 5 minutes uses about 8,640 executions a month.

Is n8n cheaper than Make or Zapier?

For multi-step or AI-heavy workflows, usually yes, because n8n charges per full run while Make charges per credit and Zapier per task. Self-hosted, n8n is effectively free. See our Make vs n8n comparison.

What is the difference between n8n Cloud and self-hosted?

Cloud is managed by n8n (updates, uptime, security) and billed by executions. Self-hosted Community Edition is free and uncapped but you run and maintain the server yourself.

How we verified this: all prices and limits were read directly from n8n.io/pricing on 17 July 2026. Pricing can change — we re-check our recommendations when vendors update their plans. Published by the Auto Decision Hub Editorial team. Last reviewed: 17 July 2026.

Reviewed by Perinah Yaduvanshi — Editor, Auto Decision Hub

At Auto Decision Hub we test AI & automation tools and verify every price against the vendor’s official source, dated. Recommendations are by real use case, never paid placement. How we work →

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