n8n Pricing: Comparing Self-Hosted and Cloud Costs

When comparing n8n pricing for self-hosted vs. cloud options, the core difference lies in trading money for convenience. n8n Cloud offers managed, tiered plans (starting around $20/month) where you pay a predictable fee for hosting, maintenance, and premium features, ideal for those who want to start quickly. The self-hosted Community Edition is free software you install on your own server, meaning you only pay for hosting (as low as $5-$10/month), but you are responsible for setup, updates, and security. Your choice ultimately depends on your technical comfort, budget, and how much control you desire over your automation environment.

So, you’ve discovered the power of n8n and you’re ready to automate all the things. Awesome! But then you hit the pricing page and face the first big decision: Should you go with the simple Cloud plan or dive into the world of self-hosting? As someone who has set up n8n instances for everyone from solo entrepreneurs to larger teams, I can tell you there’s no single “right” answer. It’s all about trade-offs.

Let’s break it down so you can choose the right path for your journey.

n8n Cloud Pricing: The “Set It and Forget It” Path

Let’s be honest, sometimes you just want things to work. n8n’s Cloud offering is built for precisely this mindset. You sign up, enter your payment info, and you’re building workflows within minutes. No servers, no command lines, no fuss.

How the Pricing Works

n8n Cloud plans, like the Starter (around $20/month) and Pro (around $50/month) tiers, are based on two main things: the number of active workflows and the number of workflow executions you can run per month.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting and why I have so much respect for n8n’s model. An “execution” is a single, complete run of an entire workflow. It doesn’t matter if your workflow has 5 steps or 500; it’s still just one execution. This is a game-changer compared to competitors who charge per “task” or “operation,” where a single workflow could burn through thousands of credits. It’s like buying one bus ticket that lets you ride the entire route, no matter how many stops you make.

This model gives you predictable costs, even for incredibly complex automations. You’re paying for the convenience of a fully managed platform where n8n handles the servers, security, and updates for you.

Choose the Cloud if:

• You’re not a technical person and the idea of Docker makes you nervous.
• You want to get started immediately without any setup overhead.
• You need built-in team collaboration features.
• Your time is more valuable than the monthly subscription fee.

n8n Self-Hosted: The Power User’s Playground

The self-hosted route uses n8n’s open-source Community Edition. And the price tag on the software itself? Zero. Zilch. Nada.

So, what’s the catch? Well, it’s not really a catch, but a responsibility. While the software is free, you have to provide the home for it. This means you’re on the hook for server costs and all the technical setup that comes with it.

The True Costs of Self-Hosting

1. Server Costs: This is your main recurring expense. But we’re living in a golden age of affordable cloud hosting. You can get a perfectly capable server from providers like Hetzner or Vultr for as little as $5 to $10 per month. That’s it.
2. Time & Expertise: This is the big, non-monetary cost. Getting started is surprisingly easy—with Docker, you can have a basic n8n instance running with a single command in under a minute. However, for a proper, secure setup, you’ll want to put it behind a reverse proxy (like Nginx) and set it up on its own domain with an SSL certificate. This can take an hour or two if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, welcome to a weekend of learning!
3. Maintenance: You are the IT department. You’re responsible for applying updates, ensuring your server is secure, and backing up your workflows. It’s not fire-and-forget.
4. Configuration Headaches: One of the most common pain points I see with self-hosters is setting up credentials for services like Google. On the Cloud plan, you just click a button to authorize. On a self-hosted instance, you have to venture into the Google Cloud Console to create your own OAuth client. It’s a doable but notoriously clunky process that can frustrate even seasoned developers.

Self-Hosted vs. Cloud: A Quick Comparison

A Real-World Example: Choosing Your Path

Imagine you want to build a workflow that automatically scrapes new job postings from a website, uses AI to see if they match your resume, and sends the good ones to your Telegram.

• The Cloud User: You sign up for the $20/month Starter plan. You build your workflow in an afternoon. It runs 100 times a month, well within your 2.5k execution limit. Your total investment is $20/month and a few hours of creative work.
• The Self-Hosted User: You spin up a $7/month server. You spend a couple of hours setting up n8n with Docker and Nginx. You build the same workflow. It can run 10,000 times a month and your cost is still just the server fee. Your total investment is $7/month and a day of technical setup and learning.

Neither is better—they serve different needs. One prioritizes speed and convenience; the other prioritizes low cost and ultimate control.

So, Which n8n Pricing Model is Right for You?

Making the decision is simpler than you think. It boils down to one question: What is your most limited resource—money or technical time?

• Go with n8n Cloud if: You value your time and want a hassle-free, managed solution. You’re part of a team that needs to collaborate, or you simply want to focus on building automations, not managing infrastructure.

• Go with n8n Self-Hosted if: You’re technically comfortable (or eager to learn), you’re on a tight budget, you have strict data privacy requirements, or you plan to run a massive volume of executions that would be costly on a tiered plan.

Ultimately, both paths lead to the same incredible destination: powerful, flexible workflow automation. You just have to pick the road that best suits your ride.