Article
n8n Pricing Explained: Which Plan Is Right for You?
Click For More Info On N8N Pricing
n8n is a powerful open-source workflow automation tool trusted by developers and growing teams who need flexibility without vendor lock-in. But with multiple cloud and self-hosted tiers, the pricing can feel confusing at first glance. This guide breaks down every n8n plan, what you actually get for your money, and exactly how to pick the right one — whether you're just getting started or scaling a production automation stack. Already know n8n is the right tool but unsure how it stacks up against the competition? Check out our comparisons: n8n vs Zapier, n8n vs Microsoft Power Automate, and the best n8n alternatives.TL;DR: You pay for executions — how often your workflows actually run. All paid cloud plans include unlimited workflows, steps, and users. Choose based on your monthly execution volume, collaboration needs, and whether you want n8n to handle hosting. For most developers and small teams, the free Community (self-hosted) edition or the Starter cloud plan is the right entry point.
How n8n Pricing Works: Executions, Not Tasks
Before comparing plans, it's worth understanding n8n's core pricing unit: the workflow execution. One execution equals one full workflow run from start to finish — regardless of how many steps or nodes that workflow contains. This is meaningfully different from tools like Zapier, which charge per individual task (step). For complex, multi-step automations, n8n's execution-based model is often significantly cheaper. To estimate your needs, multiply the number of workflows you plan to run by how frequently each runs per month. n8n offers two deployment paths: Cloud (hosted and managed by n8n) and Self-Hosted (you run it on your own infrastructure). Each path has its own pricing structure.n8n Cloud Plans (Hosted by n8n)
Cloud plans are the fastest way to get started. No servers, no Docker, no maintenance — n8n handles uptime, updates, and infrastructure. If you'd rather run things yourself, skip ahead to the self-hosted options below. Click here to see the latest pricing| Feature | Starter ($20/mo) | Pro ($50/mo) | Enterprise (Custom) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executions / Month | ~2,500 | ~10,000 | Custom |
| Workflows / Steps / Users | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Concurrent Executions | ~5 | ~20 | 200+ |
| Shared Projects | 1 | 3 | Unlimited |
| Execution Insights | Short-term | 7 days | 365 days |
| Admin Roles & Global Variables | — | Yes | Yes |
| Environments | — | — | Yes |
| Git / Log Streaming / SSO | — | — | Yes |
| Support | Forum | Email + Forum | SLA / Priority |
Starter — $24/month (or $20/month billed annually)
The Starter plan is built for solo developers and early-stage projects who want managed hosting without a big monthly bill.- ~2,500 workflow executions/month
- Unlimited workflows, steps, and users
- 1 shared project; ~5 concurrent executions
- Short-term execution logs
- Community/forum support
Pro — $60/month (or $50/month billed annually)
The Pro plan is the sweet spot for most growing teams running real production workloads.- ~10,000 executions/month
- Unlimited workflows, steps, and users
- 3 shared projects; ~20 concurrent executions
- 7-day execution insights and execution search
- Admin roles, global variables, and workflow history
- Email + forum support
Enterprise (Cloud) — Custom Pricing
Built for organizations with compliance requirements, large teams, or high-volume automation needs.- Custom execution volume with unlimited workflows, steps, and users
- Unlimited shared projects; 200+ concurrent executions
- 365-day execution insights
- SAML/LDAP SSO, multiple environments, log streaming
- SLA-backed priority support and invoice billing
Self-Hosted n8n Options
Self-hosting gives you full control over your data, infrastructure costs, and execution limits. It's the path most developers take when they need to run high volumes of automations without per-execution fees. If you're considering this route, our guides to self-hosting n8n with Docker Compose and deploying n8n on DigitalOcean walk through the full setup step by step.Community Edition (Self-Hosted) — Free
- Completely free — no execution limits
- Unlimited workflows, executions, and users
- Full access to core features and all 400+ integrations
- Community forum support
Business (Self-Hosted) — Paid (Contact n8n)
- Advanced collaboration features and user management
- Multiple environments (staging/production separation)
- Built-in Git versioning for workflows
- SSO options (SAML/LDAP), execution insights, and log streaming
Enterprise (Self-Hosted) — Custom Pricing
- Everything in Business, plus 200+ concurrent executions
- Extended retention and audit logging
- SLA-backed support
Startup Plan — ~$400/month
n8n offers a special discounted plan for eligible early-stage companies:- Historically priced around $400/month
- Eligibility: typically ≤20 employees and less than $5M in funding
- Includes premium features from higher cloud tiers
Which n8n Plan Should You Choose?
Here's a quick decision framework based on where you are:- Exploring n8n for the first time? Start with the free Community Edition (self-hosted) or the Starter cloud plan if you want managed hosting. Both let you build real automations with no commitment.
- Running production workflows for a team? Pro is the right call. The jump to 10,000 executions, 7-day insights, and admin roles is worth the $50/month the moment your automation stack becomes business-critical.
- High-volume or high-frequency automations? Self-hosted Community is almost always the cheapest option. Pair it with a $10–20/month VPS and your cost per execution approaches zero. See our guide to running n8n via Docker Compose to get set up in under 30 minutes.
- Need SSO, compliance, or dedicated environments? Business or Enterprise (cloud or self-hosted) are your only options. Contact n8n for pricing.
- Eligible startup? Always ask about the Startup Plan before signing up for Pro or Enterprise.
Don't Just Read About It — Launch Your Own AI Workflow with n8n (No Cost)
Pros and Cons by Plan
- Community (Self-Hosted) — Pros: Free, unlimited executions, maximum data control. Cons: You own hosting, security patches, and uptime.
- Starter (Cloud) — Pros: Low cost, zero infrastructure overhead, easy to start. Cons: 2,500 execution cap, forum-only support.
- Pro (Cloud) — Pros: 10,000 executions, execution search, admin roles, email support. Cons: Still execution-capped; high-frequency use cases can still hit limits.
- Business (Self-Hosted) — Pros: Git versioning, SSO, environments — full DevOps integration. Cons: Paid license, you still manage infrastructure.
- Enterprise (Cloud or Self-Hosted) — Pros: Compliance-ready, SLA support, 200+ concurrency, longest audit retention. Cons: Custom/high pricing; likely overkill unless you have real enterprise requirements.
How n8n Compares to Alternatives on Pricing
Pricing doesn't mean much in isolation. Here's context on how n8n's model compares to the tools most people consider alongside it:- vs. Zapier: Zapier charges per task (each step in a Zap), which makes complex multi-step workflows expensive fast. n8n charges per execution regardless of steps, making it dramatically cheaper for sophisticated automations. Full breakdown: n8n vs Zapier.
- vs. Microsoft Power Automate: Power Automate's licensing is notoriously complex — per-user plans, per-flow plans, premium connector add-ons. n8n's model is far more predictable. Especially for high-volume background processes, self-hosted n8n often wins on cost by a wide margin. Full breakdown: n8n vs Power Automate.
- vs. Make (formerly Integromat): Make charges per operation (each module/step), similar to Zapier. n8n's execution model remains more predictable for complex workflows. See n8n alternatives for a broader comparison.
- vs. Node-RED: Node-RED is free and open-source but built for IoT/event-driven hardware use cases, not SaaS business workflows. Different tools for different jobs. Full breakdown: n8n vs Node-RED.
Going Further: Building with n8n
Once you've chosen your plan, the real value of n8n comes from what you build. A few resources to help you get the most out of the platform:- n8n AI Agent — Build LLM-powered workflows with GPT-4, Claude, and other models using n8n's built-in AI Agent node. No boilerplate required.
- n8n API — Manage and trigger workflows programmatically. Essential for teams building automation into their own SaaS products.
- n8n vs LangGraph — If you're building advanced AI agents and wondering whether to use n8n's visual interface or write your own LangChain/LangGraph code, this comparison is for you.
- n8n vs Airflow — Understanding when to use n8n for business automation vs. Airflow for data pipelines is a common architectural question for growing engineering teams.