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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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n8n Pricing 2026: Cloud Plans vs Free Self-Hosting, Explained
n8n Cloud costs €20 per month for 2,500 workflow executions (Starter), €50 for 10,000 (Pro) and €667 for 40,000 (Business, self-hosted), all billed annually. The Community edition is free to self-host: you only pay for your server. Unlike Zapier and Make, n8n bills one execution per workflow run, whatever the number of steps, which makes long workflows much cheaper.
- Starter: €20/month (annual), 2,500 executions, no credit card for the trial.
- Pro: €50/month (annual), 10,000 executions, no credit card for the trial.
- Business: €667/month (annual), 40,000 executions, self-hosted only, 14-day trial with a card.
- Community edition: free, self-hosted.
- Billing unit: one execution = one complete workflow run.
n8n plans compared
| Plan | Price (annual billing) | Executions/month | Hosting | Cost per 1,000 executions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | Free | Unlimited (your server's capacity) | Self-hosted | Server cost only |
| Starter | €20 | 2,500 | n8n Cloud | €8 |
| Pro | €50 | 10,000 | n8n Cloud | €5 |
| Business | €667 | 40,000 | Self-hosted | about €16.68 |
n8n's pricing page shows annual prices only. Business is a self-hosted licence for companies that want enterprise features on their own infrastructure.
Why executions matter: n8n vs Zapier vs Make
The billing unit changes everything. Take a workflow with 6 steps that runs 1,000 times a month:
| Tool | How it counts | Units used | Plan needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | 1 execution per run | 1,000 executions | Starter (2,500 included) |
| Zapier | 1 task per action (5 actions) | 5,000 tasks | Above Team's 2,000 tasks |
| Make | 1 credit per module run | 6,000 credits | Core (10,000 included) * |
* Make figures from 2026 pricing guides.
For short, simple automations the difference is small. For long workflows that run often, n8n is usually the cheapest cloud option, and self-hosting is cheaper still.
Self-hosting n8n: what it really costs
The Community edition is free, but it is not zero-cost. You pay for:
- A server. A small VPS is enough to start; pricing guides put a basic VPS at about $5 to $20 a month.
- Your time. Updates, backups, security and monitoring are your job.
- Downtime risk. If your server stops, your automations stop.
| Option | Monthly cost | Maintenance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted Community | VPS (about $5–20) | You handle everything | Technical users, high volume |
| n8n Cloud Starter | €20 | n8n handles it | Small teams, under 2,500 runs/month |
| n8n Cloud Pro | €50 | n8n handles it | Teams up to 10,000 runs/month |
If you already run a VPS for other apps, self-hosting n8n in its own Docker container is often the best value. Read our guide on how to self-host n8n.
Try n8n Cloud free → No credit card on Starter and Pro trials
What each plan is for
Community (self-hosted)
The full workflow editor on your own server. Free forever. Ideal if you are comfortable with Docker and want unlimited executions.
Starter
The simplest way to use n8n without a server: €20 a month for 2,500 executions on annual billing. Enough for a small business running a few automations every day.
Pro
€50 a month for 10,000 executions: 4 times Starter's volume for 2.5 times the price. The step most growing teams take.
Business
A self-hosted licence at €667 a month for companies that need enterprise features on their own infrastructure. Overkill for most small businesses.
Estimate your executions
| Workflows | Runs per day each | Executions per month | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10 | 900 | Starter |
| 5 | 15 | 2,250 | Starter |
| 10 | 30 | 9,000 | Pro |
| 20 | 60 | 36,000 | Business or self-hosted |
Remember that a workflow triggered by a webhook or a schedule counts one execution each time it runs, however many nodes it contains.
3-year cost comparison
For a business running about 2,000 workflow runs a month with 5 steps each:
| Option | Per month | Over 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud Starter (annual) | €20 | €720 |
| Self-hosted n8n on a $10 VPS | about $10 | about $360 + your time |
| Zapier (8,000–10,000 tasks needed) | above Team's included 2,000 tasks | well above $2,484 (Team at $69 × 36) |
How to pay less for n8n
- Self-host if you already have a server and can maintain it.
- Merge small workflows into fewer, larger ones: one run is one execution.
- Use schedules wisely: a workflow that checks every minute uses 43,200 executions a month; every 15 minutes uses 2,880.
- Start on Starter, measure your real usage for a month, then decide.
Questions to ask before you buy
- How many workflow runs per month will you have in 6 months?
- Do you have the skills and time to maintain a server?
- Do you need enterprise features (Business) or just the editor?
- Where must your data live? Self-hosting keeps it on your infrastructure.
n8n terms explained
- Workflow: an automation made of connected nodes.
- Node: one step in a workflow (a trigger, an app action, code, AI).
- Execution: one complete run of a workflow; the unit n8n Cloud bills.
- Community edition: the free, self-hosted version of n8n.
- Self-hosting: running n8n on your own server instead of n8n Cloud.
Three real-world scenarios
A freelancer automating client onboarding
Four workflows (new form, contract, invoice, welcome email) run about 5 times a day each: 600 executions a month. n8n Cloud Starter at €20 a month covers it with room to spare. On Zapier, the same workflows with 4 actions each would use about 2,400 tasks, above Professional's 750.
A small business already running a VPS
The business hosts its website and apps on its own VPS. Running n8n's free Community edition in a separate Docker container adds no licence cost. The real cost is time: about an hour a month for updates and checking backups. Over 3 years, that saves the €720 Starter would cost, provided someone owns maintenance.
A growing team with 20 workflows
At 20 workflows running 15 times a day, the team uses 9,000 executions a month: n8n Cloud Pro at €50 a month. If volume keeps growing past 10,000, self-hosting becomes the obvious next step.
Common mistakes when choosing n8n
- Polling too often. A schedule that runs every minute uses 43,200 executions a month.
- Self-hosting without backups. Losing the server means losing your workflows and credentials.
- Splitting workflows unnecessarily. Each workflow run is an execution; combine where it makes sense.
- Comparing prices per step. n8n counts runs, not steps: compare on real workflow volume.
- Choosing Business by default. At €667 a month, it is for companies that need enterprise features on their own infrastructure.
How to budget for n8n in 5 steps
- List your workflows and how often each runs per day.
- Multiply: workflows × runs per day × 30 = executions per month.
- Compare with Starter (2,500) and Pro (10,000) on annual billing.
- If you already run a VPS and can maintain it, price self-hosting at your server cost plus an hour a month.
- Add 50% headroom for new workflows over the next year.
Our verdict
n8n is the best-value automation platform for technical teams and long workflows, because it bills per run, not per step. n8n Cloud Starter at €20 a month is enough for most small businesses, and self-hosting is free if you can maintain a server. If your team is non-technical and needs the widest app library, Zapier remains easier; if you want a visual builder with a generous free plan, look at Make.
FAQ
How much does n8n cost?
n8n Cloud costs €20 per month for 2,500 executions (Starter) and €50 for 10,000 (Pro) on annual billing. Business costs €667 per month. The self-hosted Community edition is free.
Is n8n free?
Yes, the Community edition is free to self-host. n8n Cloud is paid, with a trial that needs no credit card on Starter and Pro.
Is n8n cheaper than Zapier?
For multi-step workflows, usually yes, because n8n counts one execution per run while Zapier counts every action as a task. See n8n vs Zapier.
What counts as an execution in n8n?
One complete run of a workflow, regardless of how many nodes it contains.
Can I move from n8n Cloud to self-hosting later?
Yes. You can export your workflows and import them into a self-hosted instance.
Does n8n Cloud have a free plan?
No permanent free plan, but the Starter and Pro trials need no credit card. The self-hosted Community edition is free.
How much server do I need to self-host n8n?
A small VPS is enough to start; pricing guides put a basic VPS at about $5 to $20 a month.
Sources
n8n.io/pricing and zapier.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026. VPS price range from 2026 n8n hosting guides.
Related
- 5 Best n8n Alternatives in 2026 (Cloud & Self-Hosted)
- n8n vs Zapier (2026): Price, Limits & Which to Choose
- Make vs n8n (2026): Pricing, Self-Hosting & Which to Pick