Introduction
n8n offers one of the most unique pricing models in workflow automation. Unlike competitors who lock everything behind paywalls, n8n gives you unlimited workflows and executions for free – if you're willing to self-host. But is the free tier actually worth the setup hassle, or should you just pay for the cloud version?
This guide breaks down every pricing tier, hidden costs, and helps you decide which plan makes sense for your use case.
n8n Pricing Tiers Overview
| Plan | Price | Executions | Active Workflows | Hosting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | $0/mo | Unlimited | Unlimited | Self-hosted |
| Starter | $24/mo | 2,500/month | 5 | Cloud |
| Pro | $60/mo | 10,000/month | 15 | Cloud |
What Each Tier Gets You
Community (Free Self-hosted)
The Community tier is genuinely unlimited. You get:
- Unlimited workflows and executions
- All 400+ integrations
- Full source code access
- AI agent capabilities
- Code nodes for custom logic
- Community support only
The catch? You need to host it yourself on your own servers or cloud infrastructure.
Starter ($24/month)
The entry-level cloud option includes:
- 2,500 executions per month
- 5 active workflows maximum
- All integrations
- Cloud hosting and maintenance
- Forum support
- Global variables for configuration
Best for light automation needs or testing workflows before self-hosting.
Pro ($60/month)
The professional cloud tier offers:
- 10,000 executions per month
- 15 active workflows
- Execution logging and debugging tools
- Git integration for version control
- User management and permissions
- Priority email support
Designed for teams that need collaboration features but don't want to manage infrastructure.
Hidden Costs to Consider
Self-hosting Expenses
The "free" Community tier isn't actually free if you factor in:
- Server costs: $10-50/month for VPS hosting
- Domain and SSL certificates: $15-30/year
- Backup storage: $5-20/month
- DevOps time: 2-5 hours/month for maintenance
Total hidden costs: $25-100/month plus your time.
Cloud Plan Overages
Cloud plans charge for execution overages:
- Starter: $10 per additional 1,000 executions
- Pro: $6 per additional 1,000 executions
A workflow that runs every 15 minutes uses 2,880 executions monthly – already over the Starter limit.
How n8n Compares to Competitors
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Entry | Self-hosting |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Unlimited (self-hosted) | $24/mo | Yes |
| Zapier | 100 tasks/month | $20/mo | No |
| Make | 1,000 operations/month | $9/mo | No |
| Activepieces | 1,000 tasks/month | $39/mo | Yes |
n8n's self-hosted option is unmatched for cost and control. The cloud pricing is competitive but not the cheapest.
Which Plan Should You Pick?
Choose Community (Self-hosted) If:
- You have DevOps skills or a technical team
- Data privacy and control are priorities
- You need unlimited executions on a budget
- You're comfortable managing infrastructure
Choose Starter ($24/mo) If:
- You want to test n8n without setup hassle
- You have light automation needs (<2,500 executions)
- You're evaluating before self-hosting
- You need quick setup without technical overhead
Choose Pro ($60/mo) If:
- You need team collaboration features
- Version control and debugging are important
- You want priority support
- You have moderate usage (5,000-10,000 executions)
Verdict: Is the Free Tier Worth It?
The n8n Community tier is absolutely worth it if you have the technical skills. You get unlimited everything for the cost of hosting – typically $20-40/month. That's less than most paid automation tools while giving you complete control.
However, don't underestimate the maintenance overhead. If you're not comfortable with Docker, databases, and server management, the cloud plans offer better value despite the execution limits.
For most technical teams, start with self-hosting. For non-technical users or those who want to test quickly, the Starter plan provides a low-risk entry point to n8n's powerful automation capabilities.