n8n Pricing Explained (2026): Is It Really Free?

Short answer: n8n is free if you self-host it, and paid if you use n8n Cloud. The open-source version is genuinely free to run on your own server with unlimited workflows and executions — you only pay for the server. n8n Cloud, the hosted version, is paid and charges by the number of workflow executions, not by the number of operations or tasks like most competitors.

That single difference — execution-based pricing — is why n8n is dramatically cheaper than tools like Zapier or Make for any workflow that does more than one thing. Here's the full breakdown for 2026.

The two ways to run n8n

1. Self-hosted (free, open-source)

n8n is fair-code licensed and free to self-host. You can run it on a cheap cloud server (a $5–$20/month VPS handles most small-business automation comfortably), Docker, or your own infrastructure. There's no cap on workflows or executions — the only real cost is the server and your time to maintain it.

Cost: just your server — typically $5–$50/month depending on volume.
Best for: technical teams, agencies, and anyone running high-volume automations who wants to avoid per-execution fees.
Trade-off: you handle updates, security, and uptime yourself (or have someone do it for you).

2. n8n Cloud (paid, fully managed)

n8n Cloud is the hosted option — n8n runs and maintains everything for you. Pricing is tiered and based on how many workflow executions you run per month, with paid plans generally starting around the €20–€25/month mark for the entry tier and scaling up from there. A single execution can include hundreds of steps and still counts as one execution, which is where the savings add up.

The mental model: Zapier and Make charge per task/operation, so a workflow with 10 steps burns 10 credits. n8n Cloud charges per execution, so that same workflow burns 1. For multi-step automations, that's often a 5–10× cost difference.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make: the real cost comparison

Pricing pages are designed to be confusing. Here's what actually matters when you compare them:

Zapier charges per task. Every step that runs is a task. A 6-step Zap run 1,000 times a month = 6,000 tasks — and you hit paid tiers fast.
Make charges per operation, similar to Zapier but cheaper per unit. Still scales with workflow complexity.
n8n charges per execution (Cloud) or nothing (self-hosted). A 6-step workflow run 1,000 times = 1,000 executions on Cloud, or $0 self-hosted.

For simple, low-volume automations, the difference is small. For anything complex or high-volume — the automations that actually save a business serious time — n8n is usually the cheapest option by a wide margin.

Is n8n free forever?

Yes, if you self-host. The community edition is free and open-source with no expiry and no execution limits. You're trading money for a bit of technical setup. There's also a generous free trial on n8n Cloud so you can test before committing.

Watch-out: the free self-hosted edition excludes a handful of enterprise features (SSO, advanced permissions, external secrets). For most SMBs, none of those matter. If you need them, that's the Enterprise tier — talk to n8n for pricing.

Which setup should you actually choose?

Just testing the waters? Start with the n8n Cloud free trial. Zero setup, instant gratification.
Small business, modest volume? n8n Cloud's entry tier is fine and saves you maintenance headaches.
High volume or many workflows? Self-host. The per-execution savings will dwarf the server cost almost immediately.
Don't want to manage servers at all? Have an automation partner host and maintain it for you — you get self-hosted economics without the ops burden.

We run dozens of client automations on self-hosted n8n precisely because the economics are unbeatable at scale. If you'd rather not run the infrastructure yourself, that's exactly the kind of thing an AI automation partner takes off your plate — see the workflows we build for what's possible.

The cheapest automation tool isn't the one with the lowest sticker price — it's the one whose pricing model matches how your workflows actually run.

Want this mapped to your business? Onewebbie runs AI-driven growth across paid media, SEO, web, branding, automation, and lifecycle for brands around Australia. Book a free 30-minute audit or explore our services.