n8n Pricing 2026: Self-Hosted vs Cloud and the Real Monthly Cost

How does n8n pricing work?

n8n Cloud pricing is based on workflow executions. An execution is one complete run of a workflow, however many steps it has. Every plan includes unlimited users and workflows, so the number of runs per month and the number that run at once decide which plan you need.

That makes n8n cheaper than tools that charge per step or task when your workflows have many steps. A 20-step workflow that runs once still counts as one execution.

What does self-hosted n8n really cost per month?

Self-hosted n8n costs the server, a database, backups and the time to keep it updated and secure. The licence is free under n8n’s Sustainable Use License for internal business use. For a small business, the server is usually the smallest cost; maintenance time is the largest.

Is self-hosted n8n cheaper than n8n Cloud?

Self-hosted n8n is cheaper when you run many executions, because the server cost stays flat while Cloud plans step up with volume. At low volume, n8n Cloud Starter or Pro is often cheaper once you count the hours spent maintaining your own server.

A quick test: estimate your monthly executions. Remember that polling triggers count every check. A workflow that checks Gmail every five minutes runs about 8,640 times a month, which is more than Starter allows on its own.

What is managed n8n hosting?

Managed n8n hosting means a provider or agency runs the self-hosted Community Edition for you: server, updates, backups and monitoring. You get unlimited executions and your own server, without doing the maintenance yourself. It sits between n8n Cloud and doing everything in-house.

Is self-hosted n8n safer than Zapier or n8n Cloud?

Self-hosted n8n is not automatically safer, but it gives you control. Data stays on your server, which helps with GDPR and client contracts that restrict where data goes. In return, you are responsible for patching, access control, encrypted credentials and backups. A badly maintained self-hosted server is less safe than a managed cloud service.

At minimum: keep n8n updated, put it behind HTTPS, use strong authentication, restrict who can create credentials, and back up the encryption key along with the database.

When should you choose n8n Cloud, self-hosted or managed?

Choose n8n Cloud for a few workflows at low volume with no one to maintain a server. Choose self-hosted when you have high volume, data residency rules and in-house technical skills. Choose managed hosting when you want self-hosted benefits without running the server yourself.

• Under ~2,500 runs a month, no technical staff: n8n Cloud Starter.
• Growing volume and many team members: n8n Cloud Pro or self-hosted.
• Tens of thousands of runs, or strict data rules: self-hosted or managed.
• Moving from Zapier with many multi-step Zaps: self-hosted or managed usually costs least.

How do we set up self-hosted n8n?

A production self-hosted setup has n8n running in Docker with PostgreSQL, behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS, with daily off-server backups of the database and encryption key, uptime monitoring and an update routine. Queue mode with workers is added when volume grows. WebsNexus n8n projects start from $200, and Zapier-to-n8n migration from $200 per workflow.