Quick Summary: n8n costs range from free (self-hosted) to €20-€667/month for cloud plans. The Starter plan costs €20/month with 2,500 executions, Pro costs €50/month with custom executions, and Business costs €667/month with 40,000 executions. Self-hosting remains free with unlimited workflows and executions.
n8n pricing can feel confusing at first. The automation platform offers both free and paid options, but the real cost depends on how technical your team is and what scale matters to your operations.
Here’s the thing though—n8n takes a fundamentally different approach than tools like Zapier or Make. Instead of charging per operation or task, n8n charges based on full workflow executions. That means a workflow with 5 steps costs the same as one with 50 steps.
According to the official n8n pricing page, the platform shifted its pricing model in August 2025 to remove active workflow limits and focus purely on executions. This guide breaks down what each option actually costs and who should use which plan.
Understanding n8n’s Pricing Model
n8n charges based on workflow executions, not individual steps or operations. One execution means one complete workflow run from start to finish, regardless of complexity.
This execution-based model changes the cost calculation entirely. A workflow that processes 100 data records in a single run counts as one execution. The same workflow triggered 100 times counts as 100 executions.
Concurrent execution limits also factor into cloud plans. These limits control how many workflows can run simultaneously, preventing performance issues when multiple automations trigger at once.
n8n Cloud Pricing Plans
n8n Cloud offers three main tiers for teams that prefer managed hosting. All prices listed are for annual billing, which saves 17% compared to monthly payments.
Starter Plan: €20/Month
The cloud version of n8n costs €20/month (Starter plan) or €50/month (Pro plan). The Starter plan includes 2,500 workflow executions with unlimited steps per execution.
Key features include:
- 1 shared project
- 5 concurrent executions
- Unlimited users
- 50 AI Workflow Builder credits
- Forum support
This tier works for individuals testing n8n or running low-volume automations. The 2,500 execution limit may become restrictive depending on workflow frequency and automation volume.
Pro Plan: €50/Month
The Pro plan costs €50 per month annually and includes a custom number of workflow executions. According to the official pricing page, this tier targets solo builders and small teams running production workflows.
Additional features beyond Starter:
- 3 shared projects
- 20 concurrent executions
- 7 days of insights data
- 150 AI Workflow Builder credits
- Admin roles
- Global variables
- Workflow history and execution search
The custom execution model means pricing scales based on volume needs, making this the most flexible cloud option.
Business Plan: €667/Month
The Business plan costs €667 per month billed annually and includes 40,000 workflow executions. This tier targets companies with fewer than 100 employees needing collaboration features and scale.
Enterprise features include:
- 6 shared projects
- SSO, SAML, and LDAP authentication
- Version control
- Different environments (dev, staging, production)
- Scaling options
- 30 days of insights
The Business plan only supports self-hosted deployments currently. Teams preferring n8n Cloud need to use Starter or Pro tiers.
Start-up Plan: €333/Month
Early-stage companies meeting specific criteria get 50% off the Business plan. The Start-up plan costs €333 per month and includes all Business features.
Eligibility requirements:
- Less than €5 million in total funding
- Under 20 employees
This discount makes enterprise features accessible to smaller teams building automation-heavy products.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Executions | Projects | Concurrent Runs | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €20 | 2,500 | 1 | 5 | Testing & learning |
| Pro | €50 | Custom | 3 | 20 | Small teams |
| Business | €667 | 40,000 | 6 | Custom | Companies < 100 employees |
| Start-up | €333 | 40,000 | 6 | Custom | Funded startups |
Self-Hosted n8n: The Free Option
Self-hosting n8n costs nothing in software licensing. The platform remains open-source and free to install on any infrastructure.
Real talk: free doesn’t mean zero cost. Infrastructure, maintenance, and technical expertise all factor into the total expense.
Infrastructure Costs
VPS hosting starts around €4-€6 per month with providers like Hetzner or DigitalOcean. Basic setups handle light automation needs on minimal resources.
Production deployments need more robust infrastructure. Requirements scale based on:
- Workflow complexity
- Execution frequency
- Data volume processed
- Number of concurrent workflows
Some users report hosting n8n on $5/month services like Railway for personal projects. Production workloads typically require $20-$50 monthly hosting budgets.
Technical Requirements
Self-hosting demands technical capabilities that cloud plans eliminate. Teams need expertise in:
- Docker or Node.js deployments
- Database management (PostgreSQL recommended)
- SSL certificate configuration
- Backup and recovery procedures
- Security hardening
Self-hosted setup can take under 30 minutes for developers familiar with containerization. Teams without DevOps experience face steeper learning curves.
Maintenance Overhead
Self-hosted instances require ongoing maintenance. Updates, security patches, and monitoring become team responsibilities.
The Community Edition provides core automation features but excludes premium capabilities like SSO, advanced admin roles, and extended insights retention.
Hidden Costs to Consider
Both cloud and self-hosted deployments carry expenses beyond base subscription or hosting fees.
API and Integration Costs
n8n connects to external services, and many charge for API usage. OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI providers bill separately from n8n licensing.
Data transfer costs add up with high-volume workflows. Processing thousands of records through APIs can generate substantial monthly charges regardless of n8n plan selection.
Development and Maintenance Time
Building workflows requires time investment. Complex automations need testing, debugging, and refinement before production deployment.
Self-hosted setups multiply this time requirement. Updates, backups, monitoring, and troubleshooting become ongoing responsibilities.
Calculating developer time at market rates often tips the cost-benefit analysis toward cloud plans for small teams. Developers may spend 2-4 hours monthly maintaining basic self-hosted setups, or 5-8 hours for production deployments—costs that often exceed most cloud subscriptions.
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Which Option Makes Sense?
Choosing between cloud and self-hosted depends on team size, technical capability, and execution volume.
Cloud Plans Work Best For:
- Teams without dedicated DevOps resources
- Projects requiring rapid deployment
- Organizations prioritizing reliability over cost optimization
- Workflows staying within execution limits
Self-Hosting Makes Sense For:
- Companies with existing infrastructure teams
- High-volume automation needs (40,000+ executions monthly)
- Privacy-sensitive workflows requiring data sovereignty
- Teams comfortable managing technical infrastructure
The 2025 pricing changes improved n8n Cloud accessibility, but execution limits still constrain certain use cases. Event-driven systems and high-frequency automations exceed cloud tier limits quickly.
Some community members raise questions about execution counting for sub-workflows, as each sub-workflow execution counts separately. This can impact the apparent cost for modular automation designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is n8n really free?
Yes, the self-hosted Community Edition remains free and open-source. Teams pay only for infrastructure and maintenance. n8n Cloud requires paid subscriptions starting at €20 monthly.
How many executions do most teams need?
Execution needs vary dramatically. Simple notification workflows might trigger 100 times monthly. Data sync automations can exceed 10,000 executions easily. Audit current automation volume before selecting plans.
Can I switch from self-hosted to cloud later?
Yes, n8n supports migration between hosting models. Export workflows from self-hosted instances and import them into cloud accounts. Credentials and execution history require manual recreation.
What counts as one execution?
One workflow run from trigger to completion equals one execution, regardless of step count or complexity. Sub-workflows count as separate executions when called.
Does n8n charge for inactive workflows?
No, n8n removed active workflow limits in August 2025 (announced August 7, 2025). Teams pay only for executions that actually run, not workflows sitting idle.
What happens if I exceed my execution limit?
Cloud plans queue additional executions when concurrent limits are reached. Exceeding monthly execution allowances requires upgrading plans or purchasing additional execution packages.
Are there enterprise pricing options?
Yes, n8n offers Enterprise plans with custom pricing for large organizations. These include dedicated support, custom SLAs, and advanced security features beyond Business tier capabilities.
Finding the Right n8n Plan
n8n pricing favors complex workflows over simple, high-frequency automations. The execution-based model rewards building sophisticated multi-step processes instead of numerous simple triggers.
Running workflows with around 100 steps could cost significantly more on per-task platforms. On n8n’s Pro plan (€50/month), the same complexity costs the same as simpler workflows.
For small teams starting with automation, the €20 Starter plan provides room to experiment. Growing operations quickly outgrow 2,500 monthly executions though.
Self-hosting makes economic sense once execution needs exceed 40,000 monthly and teams have infrastructure expertise. The break-even calculation depends heavily on developer time costs.
Check the official n8n pricing page for current plan details and features. Pricing and execution limits change periodically as the platform evolves.
Start with a free trial to measure actual execution consumption before committing to annual contracts. Most teams underestimate initial usage, then adjust plans after monitoring real-world workflow behavior.
