n8n pricing has two completely different models, and the one that fits depends on how you run it. n8n Cloud starts at €24/month with a hard cap on executions and a managed server you do not have to maintain. Self-hosting runs around $10 to $25/month on a small VPS, with no execution cap, no license fee, and no per-step charges. Most people look at n8n’s pricing page, see only the cloud plans, and miss the second model entirely.
This guide walks through both, compares n8n pricing to Zapier and Make, and covers the costs that don’t show up on any pricing page.
First, understand how n8n counts usage
This is the most important thing to understand before comparing plans.
n8n counts executions. One execution = one complete workflow run, regardless of how many steps it has. A workflow with 3 nodes and a workflow with 30 nodes both count as 1 execution.
That’s fundamentally different from Zapier and Make:
| Platform | Unit | 5-step workflow, one run |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Task (per action step) | ~4 tasks |
| Make | Operation (per module) | ~5 operations |
| n8n | Execution (per run) | 1 execution |
Why this matters: on Zapier and Make, adding error handling, branching, or extra steps to a workflow makes it more expensive to run. On n8n, complexity is free. You can build a 30-node workflow with retries, filters, and multiple branches. It’s still 1 execution.
This changes the math significantly when you’re running multiple workflows every day.
n8n Cloud pricing
n8n offers managed cloud hosting where they handle the server, updates, and uptime. All plans include unlimited workflows, unlimited users, and all 400+ integrations. Pricing is in EUR.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Executions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €24/mo | €20/mo | 2,500/mo |
| Pro | €60/mo | €50/mo | 10,000/mo |
| Business | €800/mo | €667/mo | 40,000/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
A few things worth noting:
- Starter has a 5-minute execution time limit. Workflows that take longer (like processing a large batch of orders) will time out. Pro and above have higher limits.
- Starter allows 5 concurrent workflows, Pro allows 20. If you have 6 workflows that all trigger at the same time, Starter will queue some.
- Annual billing saves about 17%. Worth it if you’ve committed to the platform.
- 14-day free trial on Starter and Pro. No credit card.
- Data is stored in the EU (Frankfurt).
Startup discount. Companies under 20 employees can get the Business plan at €400/mo, 50% off. Worth asking about if you're growing fast and need SSO or Git integration.
Self-hosting: what it actually costs
n8n’s Community Edition is free to self-host. No license fee, no execution limits, no workflow caps. You run it on your own server and pay only for the infrastructure.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VPS | $5 to 20/mo | Hetzner, DigitalOcean. 2GB RAM is enough. |
| Domain + SSL | $0 to 15/yr | Free with Let's Encrypt |
| Backups | $1 to 3/mo | Automated server snapshots |
| n8n license | $0 | Community Edition, no fees |
| Total | $7 to 25/mo | Unlimited executions |
The Community Edition includes all 400+ integrations and has no execution time limits. What you don’t get: SSO, Git-based version control, multi-environment support, and priority support. For most small businesses, none of that matters.
On the license. n8n uses a Sustainable Use License, not a traditional open-source license. Using it for your own business is fine. Building and selling workflows as a consultant is fine. What you can't do: embed n8n inside a product you sell, or host it as a platform for paying customers. For a business running its own automations, this doesn't change anything. Just worth knowing.
Cloud vs self-hosted: the real comparison
| Cloud (Pro) | Self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | €50 to 60/mo | $7 to 25/mo |
| Executions | 10,000/mo | Unlimited |
| Setup | 5 minutes | 1 to 2 hours (Docker) |
| Maintenance | n8n handles it | You or someone you hire |
| Data | EU (Frankfurt) | Your choice of region |
| Support | Priority email | Community forum |
If you’re testing n8n or only need a few simple workflows, cloud is easier. If you’re running your business on it with multiple workflows firing daily, self-hosting saves real money and removes the execution ceiling entirely. The full self-hosting walkthrough lives in our n8n Docker self-host guide.
How it compares to Zapier and Make
Let’s put real numbers on it. Say you’re running 5 workflows, each with about 5 steps, firing a few times per day, roughly 100 total runs per day.
| Zapier | Make | n8n (self-hosted) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | ~$49 to 69 | ~$16 to 25 | ~$10 to 15 |
| Annual | ~$588 to 828 | ~$192 to 300 | ~$120 to 180 |
| Usage/mo | ~12,000 tasks | ~15,000 ops | Unlimited |
The gap widens as your workflows get more complex. Add error handling, branching, and retries to a Zapier workflow and your task count doubles. Do the same on n8n and the execution count stays exactly the same.
Make is the closest competitor on price. It’s cheaper than Zapier and has a solid visual builder. But it still charges per operation, so complexity costs money, and you can’t self-host it.
The costs that don’t show up on pricing pages
Cloud (any platform):
- Execution overages. Exceed your plan and workflows stop or you pay more. This tends to happen mid-month when you can’t easily switch plans.
- Complexity penalty. On Zapier and Make, every step you add costs more to run. This creates an incentive to build simpler (and often worse) automations.
- Vendor lock-in. Migrating between platforms means rebuilding every workflow. The longer you wait, the more expensive the switch.
Self-hosted n8n:
- Your time. Someone has to install Docker, configure a reverse proxy, set up SSL, and keep things updated. If that person is you, factor in what your time is worth.
- Downtime risk. No SLA. If your server goes down on a Saturday, workflows stop until someone fixes it.
- Learning curve. The initial setup takes a weekend if you haven’t done it before. Not hard, but not zero either.
The real cost of self-hosting is maintenance, not setup. Getting n8n running takes an afternoon. Keeping it running reliably for a year (updates, security patches, disk space, backup testing) takes ongoing attention.
Year 1 costs for a typical small business
Five workflows, running daily. Here’s what each approach costs over a full year:
| Approach | Year 1 | Your involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | ~$600 to 830 | Build workflows yourself |
| n8n Cloud | ~€600 | Build workflows yourself |
| n8n DIY | ~$120 to 240 | Build + manage server |
| n8n managed | ~$3,800 | Zero, done for you |
The managed option costs the most upfront because it includes the workflows themselves, not just the hosting. After year 1, the ongoing cost drops to just maintenance.
n8n pricing FAQ
How much does n8n cost per month?
n8n Cloud starts at €24/month (Starter, 2,500 executions), €60/month (Pro, 10,000 executions), or €800/month (Business, 40,000 executions). Self-hosting on the Community Edition is free; you only pay for the server (typically $5 to $25/month on Hetzner or DigitalOcean) plus optional backups.
Is n8n actually free?
The Community Edition is free to use under n8n’s Sustainable Use License: free for your own business automations and free for consultants building workflows for clients. What you cannot do under the free license: embed n8n inside a product you sell, or run it as a paid platform for end users. For a small business automating its own work, “free” is accurate.
How does n8n pricing compare to Zapier?
For the same workload, n8n typically costs 4 to 5x less than Zapier. Two reasons. First, n8n charges per execution (one whole workflow run, regardless of how many steps); Zapier charges per task (each action step). Second, self-hosted n8n removes the cost ceiling entirely. A full breakdown is in our n8n vs Zapier comparison.
What is the difference between n8n executions and Zapier tasks?
An execution on n8n is one full workflow run, no matter how many nodes it has. A 30-node workflow and a 3-node workflow are both 1 execution. A task on Zapier is one action step within a workflow. The same 30-node workflow on Zapier could count as 25+ tasks per run. This is why complexity is essentially free on n8n and expensive on Zapier.
Is n8n cheaper than Make (Integromat)?
For small workloads (a few thousand operations a month), Make is competitive on price. As workflows get more complex or volumes grow, n8n self-hosted pulls ahead because it does not charge per operation and the server cost stays flat. The visual builder difference matters more than price for most teams: a side-by-side comparison is here.
Does n8n have a free trial?
Yes. n8n Cloud offers a 14-day free trial on the Starter and Pro plans, no credit card required. The Community Edition you self-host has no time limit; it is permanently free.
Can I switch from n8n Cloud to self-hosted later?
Yes. Workflows export to JSON and import cleanly into a self-hosted instance. The migration is straightforward: spin up the self-hosted server, export each workflow from Cloud, import into self-hosted, swap credentials. Most teams who outgrow Cloud move within a few hours of work.
What does it cost to self-host n8n on AWS, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner?
A 2GB VPS handles most small business workloads. Hetzner CX22: ~$5/month. DigitalOcean Basic Droplet: ~$12/month. AWS Lightsail: ~$10/month. Add a few dollars for snapshot backups. Total ongoing cost: $7 to $25/month. The full setup walkthrough lives in our n8n Docker self-host guide.
Are there hidden costs in n8n?
On Cloud, the main hidden cost is execution overages: exceed your plan and you either pay more or workflows stop. On self-hosted, the hidden cost is your time, the maintenance window when something needs updating, and the lack of an SLA. Both are covered in detail in the “hidden costs” section above.
What I’d suggest
If you’re exploring n8n for the first time: start with the Cloud Starter plan (€24/mo). Build a workflow or two, see if it clicks. The 14-day free trial means no risk.
If n8n works and you want to keep costs down: move to self-hosted. The Community Edition has everything most small businesses need. You’ll go from €50/month to $10/month and lose the execution cap entirely.
If you want self-hosted but don’t want to manage a server: that’s where people like me come in. I set up the instance, build the workflows, and handle the ongoing maintenance. You just use it.
The right choice depends on your team’s technical comfort and how critical the workflows are to your daily operations. A $10/month server is great until it goes down and nobody knows how to fix it. A managed setup costs more but means you never think about the infrastructure.
If after reading this you suspect n8n itself is not the right fit, the honest answer is in our n8n alternatives guide. For the broader landscape of options before you commit to any tool, the workflow automation tools overview covers the full category.
If you want help sorting out which approach makes sense for your business, send me an email. First conversation is always free.