Updated Oct 5, 2026
Automation & Workflow Software
n8n
Workflow automation with code nodes, self-hosted or on n8n Cloud
n8n at a glance
from our research
Workflow automation for technical teams, on n8n Cloud or self-hosted from the free Community Edition
One execution is a full workflow run, so a 20-step workflow counts the same as a two-step one
Self-hosting means running the server yourself; SSO and Git version control need a paid license
Cloud Pro: €60 a month, or €50 a month billed yearly, for 10,000 workflow executions
Overview
What is n8n?
n8n is a workflow automation tool from n8n GmbH, a Berlin company founded in 2019. Workflows are built on a visual canvas from nodes: a trigger such as a schedule or an incoming webhook starts each run, and every node after it acts on the data, by default once per item in a list. The If node branches on conditions, the Wait node pauses a run until a set time or a webhook call, and the Code node runs JavaScript or Python where visual nodes stop. An error workflow can send an alert when a run fails.
AI agents use the same canvas. The AI Agent node calls tools, which can wait for a person's approval in Slack, Telegram or n8n Chat, and MCP nodes link workflows to other AI systems. n8n lists AI agents, IT and security operations, lead handling and CRM work among its uses. The homepage counts over 500 integrations, the HTTP Request node reaches other APIs, and workflows save as JSON files for export and import.
n8n Cloud is hosted by the company in Frankfurt, Germany, and priced by monthly workflow executions; one execution is a full run of a workflow, however many steps it has. The Community Edition is free to self-host from GitHub, which means installing it on your own server and keeping it running, updated and backed up yourself. Its Sustainable Use License covers internal business and non-commercial use, and paid license keys add features such as SSO and Git version control. Every plan includes unlimited users and workflows.
Our verdict on n8n
n8n fits technical teams that want control over how their automations run and what they cost. Cloud plans count a whole workflow run as one execution, so a 20-step workflow costs the same as a two-step one, and manual runs from the editor, sub-workflows and error workflows don't count at all. That makes long workflows with many API calls cheaper to run than on tools that bill each step. When the visual nodes run out, the Code and HTTP Request nodes let a developer finish the job inside the same workflow.
Self-hosting moves the operating work to your side. Whoever installs the Community Edition takes on updates, backups, uptime and security, and the free edition leaves out SSO, Git version control, environments, projects and the sharing of workflows and credentials. Those come with Business, a self-hosted license priced at €800 a month, or €667 a month billed yearly, for 40,000 executions counted across every instance that uses the key. n8n's Sustainable Use License also limits the free edition to internal business or non-commercial use. On Cloud, executions past the monthly limit fail with an error rather than wait in a queue, so a busy webhook late in the month can stop production work until the month resets.
Starter costs €24 a month, or €20 a month billed yearly, for 2,500 executions. A single schedule that fires every 15 minutes uses about 2,900 executions a month on its own, so production work will often need Pro: €60 a month, or €50 billed yearly, for 10,000 executions, with a 50,000-execution tier at €144, or €120 billed yearly. n8n prices in euros only. The 14-day Cloud trial gives Pro features and 1,000 executions without a card, and n8n deletes the workspace if you don't upgrade, leaving 90 days to download your workflows.
Choose n8n if someone on the team is comfortable with JSON and code nodes and, for the free edition, with running a server. Teams without that person should look at Make, which lists more than 3,000 apps and starts at $9 a month billed yearly for 5,000 credits, or at Zapier, which says it connects more than 9,000 apps and keeps two-step automations within reach of non-technical staff.
Written by Lokesh Kapoor
Pros & cons
n8n pros and cons
What it does well
- Every plan includes unlimited users, unlimited workflows and every integration
- Manual runs, sub-workflows and error workflows don't count toward the execution limit
- Code node runs JavaScript or Python inside any workflow
- AI agent tool calls can wait for a person's approval in Slack, Telegram or n8n Chat
Where it falls short
- Cloud executions past the monthly limit fail with an error instead of queuing
- SSO, Git version control and environments need Business, from €667 a month billed yearly
- Homepage counts over 500 integrations, against more than 3,000 listed by Make
Editor's assessment from vendor documentation and published pricing
Pricing
n8n pricing
n8n's paid plans start at €20/month, right at the $20 median across the 5 tools in our Automation & Workflow Software ranking. A free plan is available, and you can test it on a 14-day free trial.
Community Edition
Free plan
- Self-hosted from GitHub
- Almost the complete n8n feature set
- No SSO, projects or Git version control
- Free registration adds folders, debug in editor
Usage: Self-hosted, so you run and maintain the server yourself; there is no license fee, and the Sustainable Use License limits use to internal business purposes or non-commercial use.
Starter
per month, 2,500 executions included
or €24/mo billed monthly
- 2,500 workflow executions a month
- Unlimited users and workflows
- 1 shared project
- 5 concurrent executions
- Forum support
Usage: Priced by monthly workflow executions, starting at 2,500; one execution is one full run of a workflow however many steps it has, and only production runs count. Past the limit new executions fail with an error until the calendar month resets or you upgrade.
Pro
per month, 10,000 executions included
or €60/mo billed monthly
- 10,000 workflow executions a month
- 3 shared projects
- Up to 50 concurrent executions
- Admin roles
- 7 days of insights
Usage: Priced by monthly workflow executions, starting at 10,000; a 50,000-execution tier costs €144 a month, or €120 a month billed yearly. Past the limit new executions fail with an error until the calendar month resets or you upgrade.
Business
per month, 40,000 executions included
or €800/mo billed monthly
- 40,000 workflow executions a month
- 6 shared projects
- SSO, SAML and LDAP
- Git version control, multiple environments
- Queue mode for scaling
Usage: Self-hosted only: a license key turns on Business features on your own n8n instance, and a version hosted by n8n is on a waitlist. Priced by monthly executions across every instance using the key, starting at 40,000; 100,000 executions cost €1,726 a month (€1,438 a month billed yearly), and overage is €4,000 per extra 300,000 executions.
Enterprise
Tailored pricing for larger teams
- Hosted by n8n or self-hosted
- 200+ concurrent executions
- External secret store integration
- Log streaming
- Dedicated support with SLA
Usage: Priced through Sales on a custom number of executions, as n8n Cloud or as a self-hosted license.
Checked against n8n GmbH's pricing page on October 5, 2026 · see the full breakdown
Capabilities
n8n features
Checked against the same feature list as every other tool in its category.
Platform
- Included:Governance & audit logsRole-based access, approval policies and a full audit trail.Audit logging on Enterprise only
- Included:SSO & team managementSingle sign-on, provisioning and shared workspace administration.Business and Enterprise plans
Building & Logic
- Included:AI steps & agentsLanguage model steps for classification, extraction and drafting inside a workflow.
- Included:Branching & conditional logicPaths that diverge on conditions, with filters and routers.
- Included:Human approval stepsPauses a run until a person approves, then continues.
- Included:Loops & iteratorsProcesses each item in a list rather than only the first.
- Included:Visual workflow builderDrag-and-drop canvas for assembling steps without writing code.
Reliability
- Included:Error handling & retriesAutomatic retries with backoff, error branches and failure alerts.
- Included:Run history & replayInspect past runs step by step and replay a failed one after fixing the cause.
- Included:Versioning & environmentsSeparate development and production versions with a promotion path.Business and Enterprise plans
Extensibility
- Not included:1,000+ app integrationsA library broad enough that most apps are supported natively.
- Included:Custom code stepsDrop into JavaScript or Python when the visual builder runs out.
- Included:Generic HTTP & webhooksCall any API and receive inbound webhooks for apps without an integration.
- Included:Self-hosting optionRun the platform on your own infrastructure with no per-execution fee.
Ecosystem
n8n integrations
Alternatives
Top n8n alternatives
Tools that do the same job, from the same category.
Fit check
Will n8n fit your team?
Support
- Email support
- Knowledge base
- Community forum
Training
- Documentation
- Video tutorials
- Webinars
Deployment
- Web
- Linux
- Windows
- macOS
Typical users
- Small businesses
- Mid-size companies
- Enterprises
FAQs
n8n FAQs
Written by our editorial team.
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free, with no license fee, under n8n's Sustainable Use License, which allows internal business and non-commercial use. You run and maintain the server yourself, and the free edition leaves out SSO, Git version control, environments and shared projects. n8n Cloud is paid: Starter costs €24 a month, or €20 a month billed yearly, for 2,500 executions, after a 14-day trial with 1,000 executions and no card required. See n8n pricing.
What counts as an execution in n8n?
One execution is one full run of a workflow, however many steps it has or however much data it handles. Only production runs count: manual runs from the editor, sub-workflow calls, error workflows and polling checks that find no new data don't. A schedule counts every time it fires, and a webhook counts every request that starts the workflow. When a plan reaches its monthly limit, new executions fail with an error instead of queuing, until the calendar month resets or you upgrade.
Can you self-host n8n?
Yes. The free Community Edition is published on GitHub for you to run on your own server, and the paid Business plan is sold as a license key for self-hosted instances, since it isn't yet available on n8n Cloud. Self-hosting means your team installs, updates, secures and backs up n8n. Business costs €800 a month, or €667 a month billed yearly, for 40,000 executions across every instance using the key, and adds SSO, Git version control, multiple environments and queue mode.
Does n8n use your data to train AI?
No, according to its privacy documentation. n8n's AI features send only workflow context, never credential values or the data your workflows output, and that data won't be used to train the models; it's deleted after 30 days. Cloud data is stored in the EU, on servers in Frankfurt, Germany. On a self-hosted instance n8n is neither controller nor processor of your data, though telemetry is on by default and can be switched off.
Should you choose n8n or Make?
Choose n8n for self-hosting, code-heavy work or long workflows, since a whole run counts as one execution. Choose Make for a hosted visual builder with more prebuilt apps and a lower entry price: Make lists more than 3,000 apps against n8n's 500-plus integrations, and its paid plan costs $9 a month billed yearly for 5,000 credits. Each Make module action uses a credit, so long scenarios spend credits faster. See n8n vs Make.
Sources & methodology
Product details come from n8n GmbH's public website and documentation (Germany). Every plan and price was checked against the vendor's pricing page on October 5, 2026. We haven't tested this product hands-on; the verdict is a desk assessment. How we research and rank tools
- Founded 2019
- 4 languages supported
- n8n.io
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