n8n pricing compared: n8n Cloud vs self-hosted vs a pre-installed server
By the serverserv team · 6 min read · Updated
n8n Cloud starts at $24 a month for 2,500 executions, while n8n Community Edition is free to self-host, so you only pay for a server: roughly $5 to $25 a month for a small one. This guide compares n8n pricing across n8n Cloud, a server you set up yourself and a server with n8n pre-installed, shows the cost at different volumes, and explains what the Sustainable Use License allows.
n8n pricing at a glance: how much does n8n cost?
n8n costs either a monthly subscription to n8n Cloud or nothing for the software if you self-host the Community Edition. When you self-host, you pay for the server instead, and executions are not metered.
There are three common ways to run n8n:
- n8n Cloud. n8n hosts it for you. You pay a plan price with a monthly execution limit.
- Self-hosted on your own VPS. You install the free Community Edition on a server you rent and look after it yourself.
- A server with n8n pre-installed. You rent a server that a host has already set up with n8n, then manage your workflows yourself.
The right choice depends on how many executions you run, how much server work you want to do and which paid features you need.
What do n8n Cloud plans cost?
n8n Cloud Starter costs $24 a month and Pro costs $60 a month on monthly billing at the time of writing, with lower prices on annual billing. Each plan caps executions per month.
| Plan | Executions per month | Monthly billing | Annual billing, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 2,500 (5 concurrent) | $24 | $20 |
| Pro | 10,000 | $60 | $50 |
| Business (self-hosted licence) | 40,000 | $800 | $667 |
One execution is one run of a workflow, however many steps it has. A workflow on a schedule that runs every 15 minutes uses about 2,900 executions a month on its own, which is already over the Starter limit. Prices are from n8n's pricing page and may change; check n8n's pricing page before you decide.
n8n Cloud is the easiest option. n8n handles hosting and updates, and you never touch a server.
What does self-hosted n8n cost?
Self-hosted n8n costs only the server, because the Community Edition is free. A small VPS that runs n8n well costs about $5 to $25 a month at the time of writing, depending on the provider and whether the price is an intro offer.
| Option | Specs | Price per month |
|---|---|---|
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4 | 4 vCPU, 8 GB, 100 GB SSD | about $5.28 on a 24-month term (EUR 5.50 standard) |
| Hostinger KVM 2 | 2 vCPU, 8 GB, 100 GB | $8.99 intro, renews at $14.99, $24.49 on monthly billing |
| DigitalOcean with 1-click n8n | 2 vCPU, 4 GB | $24 |
| Elestio managed n8n | 2 vCPU, 4 GB | $16 |
| StellarHosted managed n8n | private instance | EUR 99 |
For sizing, 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM is a minimum for testing, 2 vCPU and 4 GB suits most small businesses, and 8 GB or more helps with heavy loads or queue mode.
The hidden cost is your time. A reliable setup needs a domain with HTTPS for webhooks, a database, backups of the database and encryption key, and regular updates. n8n now recommends Docker Compose for installs, as npm install is deprecated from n8n 3.0. Our self-hosting n8n guide covers what is involved.
What does a server with n8n pre-installed cost?
A pre-installed n8n server costs a little more than a bare VPS because the setup is done for you. At serverserv, plans start at $14.99 monthly or $10.99/mo on a 3-year term, with unlimited workflows and executions.
| serverserv plan | Specs | Monthly | 1-year term | 3-year term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n8n Starter | 2 vCPU, 4 GB, 50 GB NVMe | $14.99 | $12.49/mo | $10.99/mo |
| n8n Personal | 4 vCPU, 8 GB, 100 GB NVMe | $24.99 | $20.99/mo | $17.99/mo |
| n8n Pro | 6 vCPU, 12 GB, 200 GB NVMe | $39.99 | $33.99/mo | $28.49/mo |
| n8n Team | 12 vCPU, 48 GB, 400 GB NVMe | $79.99 | $67.99/mo | $57.49/mo |
| n8n Enterprise | 18 vCPU, 96 GB, 600 GB NVMe | $159.99 | $135.99/mo | $114.99/mo |
Executions are unlimited because self-hosted n8n does not meter them; the limit is the server's CPU and RAM. Term prices are billed once for the whole term. The plans include n8n Community Edition, which is free software we install on your own server. The plan names describe server sizes; they do not include n8n's paid Business or Enterprise licence features.
Which is cheapest at your volume?
At low volume, n8n Cloud Starter and a small server cost about the same. Above about 2,500 executions a month, a self-hosted or pre-installed server is usually far cheaper, because its price does not rise with usage.
| Executions per month | n8n Cloud (monthly billing) | serverserv n8n Starter |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | $24 (Starter) | $14.99 |
| 10,000 | $60 (Pro) | $14.99 |
| 40,000 | $800 (Business licence, plus your own server) | $14.99 if the server keeps up, or a larger plan |
A larger server is needed when workflows handle big files, many items at once or long AI steps, not just when the execution count grows. Remember that AI model usage in n8n's AI nodes is billed separately by your model provider on every option.
Watch renewal prices too. Many VPS hosts renew at about 1.7 to 2.2 times the intro price. serverserv renews each term at the price you paid, and if a price ever must change you get at least 30 days' email notice and can cancel before renewal.
What does the n8n licence allow?
n8n Community Edition is free to use and modify for your own internal business purposes or for personal and non-commercial use. It is not open source in the usual sense: since 17 March 2022 it has been released under the Sustainable Use License, a fair-code licence.
The licence text says: "You may use or modify the software only for your own internal business purposes or for non-commercial or personal use." n8n's licence FAQ adds practical examples.
- Allowed: running n8n for your own business, consulting, building workflows for clients on your own instance where clients cannot edit them, and running several instances.
- Not allowed: hosting n8n as a service where your clients build their own workflows, letting external users configure workflows through your product, white-labelling n8n, and using enterprise features without a licence.
- Paid features: SSO, sharing workflows and credentials between users, projects, environments, Git, external secrets and log streaming need an n8n Business or Enterprise licence key. Registering your instance for free unlocks folders and debug in editor.
When you self-host, you are the licensee. If your plans involve clients, read the licence FAQ or email [email protected]. This is a summary, not legal advice. serverserv is not affiliated with n8n; we charge for the server and the setup work only.
Which n8n option should you choose?
Choose by volume and by how much server work you want to do.
- n8n Cloud if you run a few thousand executions a month or fewer, want n8n to handle hosting and updates, or need its paid features.
- A self-hosted VPS if you are comfortable with Linux, Docker and backups, and want the lowest price. A Linux KVM VPS from KVM 1 (1 vCPU, 4 GB, $14.99 monthly) gives you full root access.
- A pre-installed server if you want unlimited executions on your own server without doing the install. See the n8n hosting plans.
Moving from n8n Cloud later is possible: export your workflows as JSON and import them on the new server, then add your credentials again. Not sure whether you need workflows or an AI agent? Read OpenClaw vs n8n. If a plan is not in the order form yet, open a ticket.
Comparing providers? See best n8n hosting in 2026 for six options side by side, with renewal prices and 3-year totals.
Weighing n8n against other automation tools? See n8n vs Zapier and n8n vs Make, with the same workflow priced on each, or use the automation cost calculator.
Questions
Is self-hosted n8n free?
Yes, the Community Edition software is free under the Sustainable Use License for your own internal business or personal use. You still pay for the server it runs on.
Does self-hosted n8n have execution limits?
No. Community Edition has no execution or workflow caps. What you can run depends on your server's CPU and RAM.
Should I use n8n Cloud or self-host n8n?
n8n Cloud suits low volumes and people who never want to manage a server. Self-hosting is usually cheaper above about 2,500 executions a month and keeps your data on your own server.
Can I use self-hosted n8n for my business?
Yes, for your own internal business purposes. The licence does not allow hosting n8n as a service for clients to build their own workflows; ask [email protected] if your case is unclear.
What features are missing in n8n Community Edition?
SSO, sharing workflows and credentials between users, projects, environments, Git, external secrets and log streaming need a paid n8n licence. Core workflows, AI nodes and queue mode are included.
Can I migrate my n8n workflows from n8n Cloud to my own server?
Yes. Export your workflows as JSON and import them on the new server, then add your credentials again.
Sources
- n8n pricing
- n8n Sustainable Use License (LICENSE.md)
- n8n docs: Sustainable Use License
- n8n licence FAQ
- n8n docs: Community Edition features
- n8n docs: hosting n8n
Prices from other companies are as published at the time of writing and can change.
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