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n8n: Features, Pricing, and Alternatives (2026)

Self-hostable workflow automation where every agent step is visible

Website Last reviewed August 26, 2026

Best for: Technical teams that want automations on their own infrastructure

The best value in automation if you have somewhere to run it, and execution-based billing rewards exactly the complex workflows that get expensive elsewhere. The licence is fair-code, not open source, which matters if you planned to resell it.

  • Who it's forDevelopers, Small and mid-size businesses, Enterprises
  • Not ideal forNon-technical users who expect a template and two clicks
  • Price from$24/mo · free plan
  • In category#1 of 3 in Automation · category median $19.99/mo

What is n8n?

n8n is the automation platform technical teams choose when they want the workflow on their own infrastructure.

The Community Edition runs on your server with no execution quota and no seat count, so the only ceiling is the machine it sits on, and the source is public on GitHub under the Sustainable Use License.

That licence is source-available rather than OSI open source: you may self-host, modify and use it internally, but not resell it as a service. On the canvas it splits the difference between a no-code builder and a scripting environment.

Nodes connect visually, and any node can drop into JavaScript or Python when the visual version gets awkward, which is why developers stay in it rather than graduating out.

AI agents are first-class: each reasoning step is traceable on the canvas rather than hidden, and you choose which model runs each one.

Cloud pricing meters full workflow executions rather than steps, which is unusually forgiving on complex scenarios: Starter is $24 a month for 2,500 executions, Pro $60 for 10,000, with unlimited steps in each.

Made by n8n GmbHBerlin, GermanyFounded 2019Launched Oct 2019

n8n key features

  1. Self-hostable with no quota

    The Community Edition runs on your own server with no execution limit and no seat count, bounded only by the hardware.

  2. Execution-based pricing

    Cloud plans meter whole workflow runs rather than each step, so a scenario with forty nodes costs the same as one with three.

  3. Code inside the canvas

    Any node can drop into JavaScript or Python, which is why developers stay rather than outgrowing the tool.

  4. Traceable AI agents

    Every reasoning step of an agent is visible on the canvas, with your choice of model per step.

  5. 500+ integrations

    Native nodes for the common systems, plus an HTTP node that reaches anything with an API.

  6. Git version control

    Workflows live under version control on the Business plan, so changes are reviewed rather than made live.

  7. SSO and environments

    SAML, LDAP and separate development and production environments on the higher tiers.

n8n pricing and plans

Community Edition

Free

  • Self-hosted on your own server
  • No execution quota and no seat count
  • Source available on GitHub
  • Community forum support

Starter

$24/month

  • $20 per month billed annually
  • 2,500 workflow executions with unlimited steps
  • 5 concurrent executions
  • Unlimited users
  • 2,300 AI credits per month
Most popular

Pro

$60/month

  • $50 per month billed annually
  • 10,000 workflow executions
  • 20 concurrent executions
  • Up to 13,700 AI credits per month
  • Admin roles, global variables and workflow history
Free plan
Community Edition self-hosted with no execution quota; the cloud plans offer a free trial rather than a free tier
Enterprise
Custom pricing on request
Discounts
Annual billing saves 17 percent on every cloud tier

Pricing checked on August 26, 2026.See n8n's pricing page

n8n pros and cons

Pros

  • Self-hosted edition has no execution quota and no seat count
  • Priced per workflow execution, not per step
  • Any node can drop into JavaScript or Python
  • Agent reasoning is traceable on the canvas rather than hidden

Cons

  • Source-available rather than open source, so reselling it is not permitted
  • Self-hosting means you own the upgrades, backups and uptime
  • Fewer prebuilt integrations than Zapier or Make

n8n platforms, API and integrations

3 platforms

  • Web app
  • Linux
  • CLI

API available

SDKs: REST, JavaScript, Python. API documentation

10 integrations

1 language

English

Inputs and outputs

Accepts Text, URL, Code, SpreadsheetProduces Text, Code, Spreadsheet

1 AI model

Multiple third-party models

Is n8n secure? Privacy, compliance and support

Data privacy

  • Does not train on user data
  • Retention: Self-hosted instances keep every execution on your own infrastructure; cloud execution data is retained per plan and excluded from model training
  • Data region: EU

Compliance

  • SOC 2
  • GDPR

Team features

  • SSO: yes
  • Team workspace: yes

Support channels

  • Email
  • Documentation
  • Community
  • Dedicated manager

Who is n8n best for?

Technical teams that want automations on their own infrastructure. n8n targets developers, small and mid-size businesses, enterprises, agencies.

Use cases

Categories

Best n8n alternatives

Compare all alternatives

Zapier

Automation8.5

Connects 9,000+ apps and runs AI steps inside the automation

Price
$19.99/mo
Free plan
Yes
API
Yes
Pricing checked Aug 26

Make

Automation8.5

Visual automation builder with AI agents across 3,000+ apps

Price
$9/mo
Free plan
Yes
API
Yes
Pricing checked Aug 26

Julius AI

Research7.7

Data analysis in chat, with real code running behind the answers

Price
$20/mo
Free plan
Yes
API
No
Pricing checked Aug 26

n8n FAQ

Is n8n open source?

Not in the OSI sense. The source is public on GitHub under the Sustainable Use License, which lets you self-host, modify and use it internally but not resell it as a service. The company calls this fair-code.

Is n8n free?

The self-hosted Community Edition is, with no execution quota and no seat count. Cloud plans start at $24 per month, or $20 billed annually, and offer a trial rather than a free tier.

How much does n8n Cloud cost?

Starter is $24 per month for 2,500 workflow executions, Pro $60 for 10,000. Both include unlimited steps per execution. Business and Enterprise are quoted.

n8n or Make?

n8n if you want to self-host, write code inside nodes or pay by execution rather than by step. Make if you want a gentler canvas, more prebuilt apps and no server to run.

What counts as an execution in n8n?

One full run of a workflow, no matter how many nodes it contains. That is the key difference against per-task billing, where every step is counted separately.

Can n8n run AI agents?

Yes, and each reasoning step is visible on the canvas rather than hidden, with a model of your choice per step. Self-hosting also lets you point them at a local model.