n8n Pricing in 2026: Complete Breakdown and Smarter Alternatives

Last updated: January 2026

TL;DR: n8n costs $0-150+/month. Self-hosted Community edition: free (+ infrastructure costs). Cloud Starter: $20/month for 2,500 executions. Cloud Pro: €50/month (~$55) for 10,000+ executions. Key advantage: n8n charges per workflow run, not per step, so a 5-step workflow costs the same as a 1-step workflow.

If you've been exploring workflow automation tools, you've probably come across n8n. It's a powerful open-source platform that promises flexibility and cost savings. But the pricing model isn't as straightforward as it seems.

This guide breaks down n8n's actual costs, who it's built for, and when you might want to consider alternatives that don't require you to become a DevOps engineer.

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an open-source workflow automation platform. Think of it as a more technical alternative to tools like Zapier. You connect apps, define logic, and automate repetitive tasks.

The key difference: n8n gives you access to the underlying code. You can self-host it, modify workflows programmatically, and extend functionality with custom nodes.

Core capabilities:

• 350+ native integrations
• Visual workflow builder with code access
• Self-hosting option for full control
• Webhook triggers and API endpoints
• JavaScript/Python code nodes for custom logic

Why Teams Choose n8n

n8n appeals to a specific type of user. Here's what draws people in:

Full control over your data

Self-hosting means your workflow data never leaves your infrastructure. For companies with strict compliance requirements, this matters.

No vendor lock-in

Since it's open-source, you can fork the project, modify it, or migrate away without losing everything.

Developer-friendly customization

If you have engineering resources, you can build custom integrations, modify the core, and extend functionality beyond what's possible with closed platforms.

Cost ceiling (sort of)

Self-hosting is technically free. But "free" comes with asterisks we'll cover below.

Who n8n Is Best For

n8n makes sense if you:

• Have dedicated DevOps or engineering resources
• Need to process sensitive data on your own infrastructure
• Want to build highly custom integrations not available elsewhere
• Are comfortable managing servers, updates, and scaling
• Have workflows that would be prohibitively expensive on execution-based pricing

n8n probably isn't for you if you:

• Want to automate workflows without touching code or servers
• Need to move fast without infrastructure overhead
• Don't have engineering resources to maintain self-hosted tools
• Prefer AI to generate workflows rather than building them manually

n8n Pricing Plans: 2026 Breakdown

Here's what n8n actually costs:

The execution advantage

Here's what makes n8n different from competitors: an execution is a single run of your entire workflow, regardless of how many steps it contains.

A 5-step workflow that runs 500 times uses 500 executions, not 2,500. This is a major cost advantage over tools like Zapier (which counts each step as a task) and Make (which counts each operation).

This makes n8n significantly cheaper for complex, multi-step workflows. A workflow processing hundreds of items in a loop still counts as a single execution.

Self-hosting isn't free

The Community edition has no license cost, but you're paying in other ways:

• Server costs: $20-200+/month depending on scale
• Maintenance time: Updates, security patches, monitoring
• Scaling complexity: Worker nodes, queue management, database optimization
• Debugging: You're on your own when things break

For small teams without dedicated infrastructure engineers, self-hosting often costs more in time than you'd spend on a managed solution.

Real-world cost scenarios

Let's look at what n8n actually costs for common use cases:

Scenario 1: Lead enrichment workflow

• 5-step workflow (trigger → fetch data → enrich → score → update CRM)
• Runs 200 times per day (1,000 new leads per week)
• Monthly executions: 200 × 30 = 6,000 executions (steps don't matter)
• n8n Cloud cost: Pro plan (~$55/month) covers this

Scenario 2: Daily reporting automation

• 8-step workflow (fetch from 3 sources → transform → aggregate → format → send)
• Runs once daily
• Monthly executions: 30 executions
• n8n Cloud cost: Starter plan ($20/month) covers this easily

Scenario 3: Real-time inventory sync

• 4-step workflow running on webhook triggers
• 500 triggers per day
• Monthly executions: 500 × 30 = 15,000 executions
• n8n Cloud cost: Pro plan (~$55/month) with some overages, or self-host

The pattern: n8n's per-workflow pricing makes even complex, multi-step workflows affordable. High-frequency workflows are where you might consider self-hosting.

n8n Pricing vs Competitors

Here's how n8n compares to alternatives for real-world usage:

Note: Zapier counts each action step as a task, and Make counts each module as an operation. n8n's per-workflow pricing is significantly cheaper for multi-step workflows. Costs are approximate based on 2026 pricing.

When n8n Might Not Be the Right Fit

n8n is powerful, but it's not universally the best choice:

Setup complexity

Getting n8n running properly, especially self-hosted with workers and proper scaling, requires real engineering effort. If you just want to automate a workflow today, there's friction.

Manual workflow building

Every workflow needs to be constructed step-by-step. You're the architect, which is great for control but slow for iteration.

No AI assistance

n8n doesn't generate workflows for you. You need to know what you want to build and how to build it. For teams without automation expertise, this is a barrier.

Scaling costs

Execution-based pricing on cloud plans can become expensive quickly. Self-hosting trades money for engineering time. Pick your constraint.

Top n8n Alternatives

If n8n's trade-offs don't work for you, here are the main alternatives:

How Miniloop Approaches Workflow Automation Differently

Most automation tools, including n8n, assume you know exactly what you want to build. You drag boxes, connect nodes, and configure each step manually.

Miniloop flips this: describe what you want to accomplish, and AI generates the workflow for you.

Instead of learning a visual builder's quirks or writing integration code, you explain your goal in plain language. Miniloop's AI writes the Python code, handles the data transformations, and executes everything in secure sandboxes.

What this means in practice

Traditional approach (n8n, Zapier, Make):

1. Learn the platform's interface
2. Find the right integrations
3. Configure each step manually
4. Debug connection issues
5. Iterate when requirements change

Miniloop approach:

1. Describe what you want: "Enrich this CSV of leads with LinkedIn data and score them by company size"
2. AI generates the workflow
3. Review and run

When Miniloop makes sense

• You want to automate something but don't want to build it yourself
• Your workflows involve data processing (CSVs, text, enrichment)
• You'd rather describe outcomes than configure tools
• You need custom logic without writing boilerplate code

Transparent execution

Every workflow Miniloop generates is readable Python. You can see exactly what's happening, modify it if needed, and trust that there's no black-box magic. Just straightforward code running in isolated sandboxes.

Making the Right Choice

The best automation tool depends on your constraints. Here's a decision framework:

Choose n8n if:

• You have dedicated DevOps or engineering resources
• Data sovereignty requires self-hosting
• You need maximum customization and code access
• Your team is comfortable managing infrastructure
• You have high-volume workflows that would be expensive elsewhere

Budget expectation: $0 license + $50-200/month infrastructure + engineering time, or $60-150/month on Cloud plans.

Choose Zapier if:

• You're non-technical and need simplicity above all
• You're connecting standard SaaS apps with basic trigger-action logic
• You have budget for premium pricing
• You need the largest integration library (8,000+ apps)

Budget expectation: $29.99-$448.50/month depending on task volume.

Choose Make if:

• You need complex data transformations without code
• You want visual workflows with real logic (branching, loops, filters)
• You're comfortable with a steeper learning curve than Zapier
• You want more affordable pricing than Zapier at scale

Budget expectation: $10.59-$100+/month depending on operations.

Choose Miniloop if:

• You'd rather describe what you want than build it manually
• Your workflows involve data processing, transformation, or enrichment
• You want to see and understand the underlying code
• You value AI-generated workflows that are transparent and editable

Budget expectation: Free - $150/mo

For a deeper comparison of each platform, see our complete guide to n8n alternatives.

FAQs About n8n Pricing

Is n8n really free?

The self-hosted Community edition has no license fee, but it's not truly free. You'll pay $20-200+/month for infrastructure plus engineering time for maintenance, updates, and debugging. Cloud plans start at $20/month for 2,500 executions.

How do n8n executions work?

An execution is a single run of your entire workflow, regardless of step count. A 5-step workflow running 100 times uses 100 executions, not 500. This is a major cost advantage over Zapier (which counts each step) and Make (which counts each operation). Complex workflows with loops processing many items still count as single executions.

Can I migrate from n8n to another tool?

No direct migration exists. n8n workflows are platform-specific with no universal export format. You'd need to rebuild workflows in your new tool. The logic translates, but it's manual work.

What's the difference between n8n and Miniloop?

n8n is visual building. Miniloop is AI generation. n8n: you drag nodes and configure each step manually. Miniloop: you describe what you want in plain language, AI generates Python code, you review and run it. n8n offers more control; Miniloop offers faster creation.

Does Miniloop support custom integrations?

Yes, through code. Since Miniloop workflows are Python, you can call any API, use any library, and implement custom logic. No pre-built connectors, but complete flexibility through code.