n8n
Free planA visual builder for workflows and AI agents that you can run on n8n's cloud or on your own server.
Best for technical teams that run automations or AI agents at volume and want the option to self-host
Facts checked November 4, 2026
The short answer
n8n counts one execution for each full run of a workflow, however many steps it has, so a twenty-step workflow costs the same per run as a two-step one, where Zapier would charge a task for each action step. You can also run the Community Edition on your own server for free under n8n's Sustainable Use License, as long as the workflows serve your own business. The trade-off is effort: the canvas assumes you're comfortable with APIs and JSON, Starter and Pro offer only forum help for technical questions, and self-hosting means you look after the server. Teams without anyone technical will get started faster on Zapier.
Choose it if
- Your workflows have many steps and run thousands of times a month, so paying per run instead of per step keeps the bill down
- Customer data has to stay on servers you control, and someone on your team can run Docker and apply updates
- You're building AI agents and want to watch each step, put a human approval in front of tool calls and switch between models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others
- You want Claude, Cursor or another MCP client to call your workflows, or a workflow to call an MCP server
- Your team is growing and you don't want to pay per user: every plan, including Starter, has unlimited users
Skip it if
- Nobody on your team wants to work with JSON data or write the odd line of JavaScript or Python in a Code step
- You need a niche app that has no n8n node. Zapier lists over 9,000 apps, against n8n's 500+ native integrations
- You want to resell n8n or let your own customers build workflows inside your product. The Sustainable Use License doesn't allow it, so you would need a separate commercial agreement
- You want a support team to answer technical questions. Starter, Pro and the self-hosted Business plan rely on the community forum, and only Enterprise includes dedicated support with an SLA
- You want a free hosted plan. n8n Cloud has a 14-day trial but no free tier, and the free option means running n8n yourself
Main features
Visual workflow canvas
You build each workflow by connecting nodes on a canvas: a trigger such as a webhook, a schedule or a new row, then the steps that follow. You can see the data that passes through every node, which makes a broken run quicker to trace.
Code and HTTP steps
When a node doesn't do what you need, a Code step runs JavaScript or Python and an HTTP Request step calls any API. You can also paste a cURL command and n8n turns it into a request.
Per-run pricing
n8n Cloud bills by executions, and a ten-step workflow that runs once uses one execution. The pricing page puts a workflow that runs every five minutes at about 8,600 to 8,900 executions a month, which fits inside Pro's 10,000.
AI Agent node
An agent node lets a model decide which tools or other nodes to call, with structured inputs and outputs. You can connect models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others with your own keys, or with prepaid Gateway credits on Starter and Pro.
Human approval for tool calls
You can make an agent stop and wait for a person to approve an action before it runs, such as sending an email or updating a CRM record. Time spent waiting for approval doesn't count toward a run's time limit.
MCP server and client
An MCP Server Trigger exposes your workflows to Claude, Cursor, Codex and other MCP clients, and the MCP Client node lets a workflow call outside MCP servers. Both are on every plan, the free Community Edition included.
Assistant (preview)
You describe a workflow in plain English and Assistant builds it, runs it and fixes steps that fail. It uses monthly credits on n8n Cloud; on a self-hosted instance you bring your own model key.
Evaluations
You can test an AI workflow against a dataset and score the answers for correctness, helpfulness or your own measures, then compare results as you change prompts or models. Starter allows metric-based evaluations on one workflow, and Pro and above have no limit.
Data tables and chat
Data tables give your workflows a place to store and look up records inside n8n. You can also put a hosted or embedded chat window in front of an agent so customers or staff can talk to it.
Self-hosting
The Community Edition installs with Docker, Docker Compose or npm, or on cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and DigitalOcean. Queue mode spreads executions across worker machines when one server isn't enough.
Pricing
US dollar prices checked November 4, 2026. An execution is one complete run of a workflow, whatever the number of steps. Starter and Pro are capped at their execution allowance and charge no overage fees. Business has higher tiers up to 500,000 executions a month, and going over a Business allowance costs $4,800 per extra 300,000 executions. Companies with fewer than 20 employees can apply for the Startup plan, which is 50% off Business. Cloud plans can also buy Gateway credits from a prepaid balance to use AI models without your own API keys. Hosted data is stored in Frankfurt, Germany.
Community Edition
$0
Self-hosted on your own server, unlimited users and active workflows, almost every feature except sharing, SSO, Git version control and environments, for internal business, personal or non-commercial use
Starter
$24 ($20 billed yearly) / month
Hosted by n8n, 2,500 executions, 5 at once, unlimited users and workflows, 1 shared project, 1,600 Assistant credits, forum support
Pro, 10,000 executions
$60 ($50 billed yearly) / month
Everything in Starter, 20 executions at once, 3 shared projects, admin roles, global variables, 5 days of workflow history, 4,000 Assistant credits
Pro, 50,000 executions
$144 ($120 billed yearly) / month
The same Pro features with 50 executions at once and 9,600 Assistant credits
Business
$960 ($800 billed yearly) for 40,000 executions / month
Self-hosted only for now: SSO and LDAP, Git version control, environments, queue mode, 6 shared projects, 30 days of workflow history, one license key on unlimited instances
Enterprise
Custom / year
Cloud or self-hosted, 200+ executions at once on Cloud, unlimited shared projects, external secret stores, audit logs, log streaming, dedicated support with an SLA, pay by invoice
Reviews
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Alternatives to n8n
| Product | Choose it instead if | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Nobody on your team codes, you need apps outside n8n's 500+ integrations, or you want email support on a paid plan | Free |
Questions people ask
Is n8n free?
The self-hosted Community Edition is free, with unlimited users and active workflows, as long as you use it for your own internal business, personal or non-commercial work. You pay for the server you run it on and do your own updates and backups. n8n Cloud, the hosted version, has no free plan and starts at $20 a month billed yearly after a 14-day trial.
How much does n8n Cloud cost?
Starter costs $24 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, for 2,500 executions. Pro costs $60 a month ($50 billed yearly) for 10,000 executions, or $144 a month ($120 billed yearly) for 50,000. Enterprise is priced by quote. Prices were checked on November 4, 2026.
What counts as an execution in n8n?
One execution is one full run of a workflow, from trigger to finish, however many steps it has and however much data it handles. Manual test runs, sub-workflows and error workflows don't count toward the limit on concurrent executions. On Zapier, by comparison, each action step in a run counts as a separate task.
Is n8n open source?
n8n calls itself fair-code. The source is on GitHub under its own Sustainable Use License, which lets you use, change and run it for your own business, but you can't sell n8n, host it as a service where your clients build workflows, or remove its branding. Files with .ee. in their name fall under a separate Enterprise license. n8n used Apache 2.0 with the Commons Clause until March 17, 2022.
Can I use n8n to automate work for my clients?
Yes, within limits. The license FAQ allows you to build automations for clients on your own instance and charge for setup, maintenance, training and consulting, as long as the clients can't create or edit workflows themselves. Letting outside users build or configure their own workflows, through your interface, the API, MCP or an AI agent, needs a commercial license from n8n.
Where does n8n Cloud store my data?
n8n stores data for hosted plans in the EU, on servers in Frankfurt, Germany. If your data has to stay somewhere else, self-host the Community Edition or a Business or Enterprise license on your own servers, in whatever region you choose.
Is n8n better than Zapier?
For high-volume or many-step workflows, n8n usually costs less because it charges per run, while Zapier charges per action. Zapier is easier for people who don't code, connects over 9,000 apps against n8n's 500+ native integrations, and includes email support on paid plans. Pick n8n if you have someone technical on the team; pick Zapier if you don't.
Sources we checked 16
- n8n.io/pricing for plans, executions, concurrency, feature table, trial, Business and Startup plans, overage, data location, FAQ checked November 4, 2026
- checkout.paddle.com/api/2.0/prices for US dollar prices for Starter and Pro, monthly and yearly (the price list n8n's pricing page loads) checked November 4, 2026
- n8n.io/api/paddle/prices/locale for US dollar price for the Business plan, 40,000 executions, monthly and yearly (n8n's own price endpoint used by the pricing page) checked November 4, 2026
- n8n.io for 500+ native integrations, hosting options, AI and MCP features checked November 4, 2026
- n8n.io/integrations for integrations directory count checked November 4, 2026
- n8n.io/press for founded 2019 by Jan Oberhauser, headquartered in Berlin checked November 4, 2026
- n8n.io/imprint for company name n8n GmbH and Berlin address checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/n8n-community-license/community-license.md for Sustainable Use License terms, Enterprise license files, license change on March 17, 2022 checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/n8n-community-license/community-license/license-faq.md for what you can and cannot do under the Community license checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/community-edition-features.md for Community Edition feature limits and Registered Community edition checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/start-your-free-trial.md for 14-day Cloud trial and what happens when it ends checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/deploy/host-n8n/install-options.md for self-hosting options: Docker, Docker Compose, npm, cloud providers checked November 4, 2026
- docs.n8n.io/contribute/where-to-get-help.md for support channels by plan checked November 4, 2026
- make.com/en/pricing for Make free plan, credit billing and app count (alternative) checked November 4, 2026
- activepieces.com/pricing for Activepieces Community Edition, free plan and credit counting (alternative) checked November 4, 2026
- microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-automate/pricing for Power Automate Premium price and desktop flows (alternative) checked November 4, 2026